''Chocolate'' (), also known as ''Zen, Warrior Within'', is a 2008 Thai
martial arts film
Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expression a ...
starring
Yanin "Jeeja" Vismistananda in her debut film performance. It is directed by
Prachya Pinkaew
Prachya Pinkaew (; ; born September 2, 1962) is a Thai film director, film producer and screenwriter. His films include '' Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior'' and ''Tom-Yum-Goong'', both martial arts films starring Tony Jaa.
Biography
Prachya graduated ...
, with
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...
choreography by
Panna Rittikrai
Panna Rittikrai (; ) or birth name Krittiya Lardphanna (; , February 17, 1961 – July 20, 2014) was a Thai martial arts action choreographer, film director, screenwriter, and actor. The head of the Muay Thai Stunt team (previously known as P.P. ...
. It also stars
Hiroshi Abe and
Pongpat Wachirabunjong
Pongpat Wachirabunjong (; ) is a Thai singer, actor, film director and TV series director and producer.
He graduated in bachelor in health of physical education from Srinakharinwirot University.
He is well known in Thailand for his role in the ...
.
Plot
Zin is the
Thai lover of Japanese
yakuza
, also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media (by request of the police) call them , while the yakuza call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ''yak ...
boss Masashi. Zin was previously the girlfriend of Thai gangster No. 8, who was jealous of her relationship with rival gangster Masashi. After Zin chooses Masashi, he shoots off his own big toe as a symbolic gesture and forbids Zin from ever seeing him again. Zin asks Masashi to go back to Japan, as they would not be able to be together safely. He begrudgingly leaves.
Soon after, Zin finds herself pregnant and moves into a new place to get away from No. 8. She has a daughter named Zen who is soon found to be
autistic
Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing di ...
. As Zen gets older, Zin one day decides to tell Masashi about his daughter by writing him a letter. No. 8 finds out that Zin is in contact with Masashi and is furious. He visits Zin and cuts off one of her toes to remind her that she is forbidden from seeing Masashi.
Zin is forced to move again to a house shared by a
Muay Thai
Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...
Kickboxing
Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid Martial arts, martial art and Boxing (disambiguation), boxing type based on punch (combat), punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, norma ...
school. Zen becomes infatuated with martial arts from a young age, and learns martial arts by mimicking the moves she sees being performed by the school's students, as well as the martial arts movies that she sees on television, among them
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...
and
Tony Jaa
Tatchakorn Yeerum (born 1976) (, , ; formerly Phanom Yeerum (, )), better known internationally as Tony Jaa and in Thailand as Jaa Phanom (, , ), is a Thai martial artist, actor, action choreographer, stuntman, and director. Known for his expl ...
films. She also has uncanny reflexes and is able to catch balls thrown at her without even looking. One day when coming home from work, Zin sees a little boy named Moom being picked on in the streets. Feeling sorry for his plight, she takes him in.
Zin then falls ill with cancer and does not have the money to pay for
chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (often abbreviated chemo, sometimes CTX and CTx) is the type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (list of chemotherapeutic agents, chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) in a standard chemotherapy re ...
treatments. Zen and Moom attempt to make the money needed to pay for them by having people throw balls at Zen as a street performance act. However, they are not able to earn enough to keep up with the treatments. One day Moom discovers a list of debtors in an old notebook from the days when Zin was a high-interest moneylender under No. 8. In order to get money to pay for her mother's cancer treatment, Zen and Moom decide to collect on the debts. The first attempt to collect the money turns violent, and Zen uses her copied martial arts skills to fight back. This leads to further confrontations with various criminal gangs and, eventually, No. 8.
No. 8 learns that Zen is collecting debts for the sake of Zin's treatment, and Zin finds out what Zen and Moom have been doing for money when her toe is sent to her as a message. She realizes there will be retaliation from No. 8, and sends Moom to mail a letter to Masashi asking for help. Moom is captured by No. 8's gang, but No. 8 has the letter mailed anyway, because he wants to deal with both Zin and Masashi. Masashi receives the letter in Japan and leaves the yakuza for the sake of his family. When Moom does not return, Zin goes to confront No. 8 to save Moom and try to reach a solution, bringing Zen with her. The meeting turns into a fight in which both Zin and No. 8 are wounded and No. 8 takes Zin hostage.
Zen fights through many of No. 8's crew to get her mother back and faces Thomas, a
capoeirista boy with
Tourette's who proves to be a match for her until she adapts to his erratic fighting style. Zen's father, Masashi, eventually makes it to the battle, but while he and Zin are fighting No. 8's men Zin is mortally wounded by No. 8. Angered by what has happened, Zen continues to battle through No. 8's men until she catches up with No. 8 and throws him off the third story of a building to his death. She returns to her mother only to find her dead. Masashi comforts his long lost daughter and adopts her.
Cast
*
Yanin "Jeeja" Vismistananda as Zen
*
Hiroshi Abe as Masashi
*
Pongpat Wachirabunjong
Pongpat Wachirabunjong (; ) is a Thai singer, actor, film director and TV series director and producer.
He graduated in bachelor in health of physical education from Srinakharinwirot University.
He is well known in Thailand for his role in the ...
as No.8
* Taphon Phopwandee as Mangmoom "Moom" (Named "Mike" in the English Dub)
* Ammara Siripong as Zin
* Dechawut Chuntakaro as Priscilla
* Hirokazu "Hero" Sano as Ryo
*
Sirimongkol Singwangcha
Sirimongkol Singmanasak (; born 2 March 1977) is a Thai professional boxer, bare-knuckle boxer and kickboxer. He is a world champion in two weight classes, having held the World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight title in 1997, and the WBC supe ...
as Nak Muaythai
*
Su Jeong Lim as Su Jeong Lim
* Kittitat Kowahagul as Thomas
* Soumia Abalhaya
*
Taweesin Visanuyothin as Doctor Treat Zen's
Production
The star of ''Chocolate'',
Yanin Vismitananda, was discovered by director
Prachya Pinkaew
Prachya Pinkaew (; ; born September 2, 1962) is a Thai film director, film producer and screenwriter. His films include '' Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior'' and ''Tom-Yum-Goong'', both martial arts films starring Tony Jaa.
Biography
Prachya graduated ...
in 2003 when the director was working on casting sessions for
Panna Rittikrai
Panna Rittikrai (; ) or birth name Krittiya Lardphanna (; , February 17, 1961 – July 20, 2014) was a Thai martial arts action choreographer, film director, screenwriter, and actor. The head of the Muay Thai Stunt team (previously known as P.P. ...
's directorial effort, ''
Born to Fight.''
Already experienced in
taekwondo
Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...
, Yanin underwent more training with Panna Rittikrai's stunt team.
The script for ''Chocolate'' was then developed with Yanin in mind.
Yanin and
b-boying
Breakdancing or breaking, also called b-boying (when performed by men) or b-girling (women), is a style of street dance originated by African Americans and Nuyorican, Puerto Ricans in The Bronx borough of New York City.
Breakdancing consist ...
champion Kittitat Kowahagul also trained in
capoeira
Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art and game that includes elements of dance, acrobatics, capoeira music, music, and spirituality.
It likely originated from enslaved Mbundu people, of the Kingdom of Ndongo, in present-day Angola. The ...
for their fight sequence.
The film was in production during 2006 and 2007, with promotional efforts including a cast appearance at the Bangkok Film Market during the
2007 Bangkok International Film Festival
The 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival was held from July 19 to July 29, 2007, at SF Group's SF World Cinema at CentralWorld. The fifth consecutive year for the festival, organizers planned a program of about 100 films, with an emphasis on ...
in July. A three-minute promotional video was released online in early January 2008, showing action scenes from the film as well as outtakes of what appeared to be painful injuries for the star and stuntmen.
Reception
Critics gave this film a mostly mixed reaction.
Sequel
With the box office success of ''Chocolate'',
Sahamongkol Film International was quick to announce their intention to film its sequel (in 3D).
References
External links
*
*
{{Prachya Pinkaew
2008 action comedy films
2008 films
Thai action comedy films
2000s English-language films
Films about autism
Films about cancer
Films set in Japan
Films set in Thailand
Films shot in Thailand
2000s Japanese-language films
2008 martial arts films
Muay Thai films
Thai Muay Thai films
Sahamongkol Film International films
Thai-language films
Yakuza films
Thai martial arts films
Films directed by Prachya Pinkaew
2008 multilingual films
Thai multilingual films
2000s Japanese films
2000s Thai films
English-language action comedy films