''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 *

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

in 2003 when the director was working on casting sessions for

'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