''Tom-Yum-Goong'' (
Thai: ต้มยำกุ้ง, ) is a 2005 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 ...
directed by
Prachya Pinkaew and stars
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 ...
in the lead role. Pinkaew also directed Jaa's prior breakout film ''
Ong-Bak''. As with ''Ong-Bak'', the fights were choreographed by Jaa and his mentor
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. ...
.
The film was distributed as ''Warrior King'' in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, as ''The Protector'' in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, as ''Thai Dragon'' in
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, as ''Revenge of the Warrior'' in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, and as ''Honor of the Dragon'' in
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and CIS countries. In
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, it was named as ''Haathi Mere Saathi'' from a name of
another Bollywood film starring
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...
.
Plot
Kham is the last of a family line of guards who once watched over the
King of Thailand
The monarchy of Thailand is the constitutional monarchy, constitutional form of government of Thailand (formerly ''Siam''). The king of Thailand (, historically, ''king of Siam''; ) is the head of state and head of the ruling Chakri dynasty.
...
's
war elephant
A war elephant is an elephant that is Animal training, trained and guided by humans for combat purposes. Historically, the war elephant's main use was to charge (warfare), charge the enemy, break their ranks, and instill terror and fear. Elep ...
s. Following the tradition, Kham takes great care in raising the animals and grows up forming close relations with his elephant, Por Yai, and its calf, Kohrn. During the
Songkran festival, the animals are stolen by elephant poachers with the help of Mr. Suthep, a local
MP, and his son. Kham raids Mr. Suthep's house and beats up the poachers.
However, the elephants are now in the hands of Johnny, a
Vietnamese
Vietnamese may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia
* Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam
** Overseas Vietnamese, Vietnamese people living outside Vietna ...
gangster
A gangster (informally gangsta) is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''Organized crime, mob'' and the suffix ''wikt:-ster, -st ...
who runs Tom Yum Goong Otob, a Thai restaurant in
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. Kham arrives in Sydney and is immediately taken hostage by a wanted thief. Sydney police officers Mark, a Thai-Australian, and his partner Rick corner the thief, who holds Kham at gunpoint. However,
Inspector
Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it.
Australia
The rank of Inspector is present in all Australian police forces excep ...
Vincent shoots the thief dead and then arrests Kham, accusing him of being another thief. In the car, Kham spots Johnny at Tom Yum Goong, where he becomes erratic and urges Mark and Rick to arrest Johnny, but to no avail. After causing the car to crash, Kham escapes and follows Johnny, who flees, forcing him to fight his henchmen.
Kham coerces a henchman to lead him to Johnny's hideout, interrupting a drug deal. Outraged, Johnny summons
extreme sports
Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk of injury or death. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extre ...
enthusiasts to fight Kham. After defeating the thugs, Kham falls asleep in an alley. Pla, a prostitute that Kham met while confronting Johnny, brings him to her apartment. Mark and Rick are taken off the case and reassigned to provide security for the
police commissioner
A police commissioner is the head of a police department, responsible for overseeing its operations and ensuring the effective enforcement of laws and maintenance of public order. They develop and implement policies, manage budgets, and coordinate ...
's meeting with Mr. Sim. In that meeting, Pla is a hostess girl and dancer to the two men. Someone hired by Vincent murders Mr. Sim and the police commissioner. However, the murder is caught on the commissioner's camera.
Vincent kills Rick and blames Mark, who is later captured. With Pla's help, Kham enters Tom Yum Goong Otob, where he fights into the VIP area and reaches the dining hall at the top. Johnny taunts Kham with Kohrn's bell to protect his men. Enraged, Kham beats up his opponents and enters the storage area, where it contains various exotic animals ready to be butchered and eaten. Kham finds and frees Mark and Kohrn, escaping minutes before the police arrive. Vincent searches for Kham and Mark, hiding at a
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
monastery. Soon after their departure, Vincent and his men set the monastery on fire.
Believing that the temple and its inhabitants might be in danger, Mark and Kham decide to return. After arriving, Kham is confronted by three assassins: a fierce
capoeirista, a sword-wielding
wushu
Wushu may refer to:
Martial arts
* Chinese martial arts, the various martial arts of China
* Wushu (sport)
Wushu () (), or kung fu, is a competitive Chinese martial art. It integrates concepts and forms from various traditional and modern ...
expert, and T.K., a giant wrestler. Kham defeats the first two, but T.K. proves too strong for him. Kham is about to be killed when the police arrive, and Mark comes to help him flee. Mark is later discovered by several policemen and sent to deal with Vincent, who is revealed to be behind the murder of the police commissioner. Kham arrives at a hall where Madame Rose, the leader of the Chinese gang, is having a press conference. Kohrn runs in, scaring off people while Kham engages the gangsters. Mark apprehends Vincent.
Finding himself with Kohrn in a vast room, Kham is shown the skeleton of Por Yai, encrusted with jewels as a gift to Madame Rose. Kham fights Madame Rose's men and brutally breaks many of the men's arms and legs. T.K., along with three others, are called. Kohrn is thrown through a glass wall, and Kham is knocked into the elephant ornament, causing two leg bones to fall off. Eventually, Kham defeats T.K. and the other wrestlers by using the sharp ends of the bones to slice their
tendon
A tendon or sinew is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue, dense fibrous connective tissue that connects skeletal muscle, muscle to bone. It sends the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system, while withstanding tensi ...
s; where he stops Madame Rose before she can escape in a
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...
, and they both crash into the room below. Por Yai's tusks break Kham's fall. Ultimately, Inspector Lamond forgives Mark, and Kham is reunited with Kohrn.
Cast
*
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 ...
as Kham
** Nutdanai Kong as a young Kham
*Sotorn Rungruaeng as Kham's father
*
Petchtai Wongkamlao as
Sergeant
Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
Mark
*
Bongkoj Khongmalai as Pla, a
call girl
A call girl or female escort is a prostitute who (unlike a street prostitution, street walker) does not display her profession to the general public, nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by ...
.
*
Xing Jin as Madame Rose, a
transsexual
A transsexual person is someone who experiences a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desires to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance (incl ...
member of a Chinese gang in
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
.
*
Damian De Montemas as
Inspector
Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it.
Australia
The rank of Inspector is present in all Australian police forces excep ...
Vincent
*David Asavanond as Rick, Sergeant Mark's partner.
*
Nathan Jones (credited as Nathan B. Jones) as T.K., a giant wrestler.
*
Johnny Tri Nguyen as Johnny, a Vietnamese gangster and a subordinate of Madame Rose.
*
Lateef Crowder as a
capoeirista
*
Jon Foo (Jonathan Patrick Foo) as a
wushu
Wushu may refer to:
Martial arts
* Chinese martial arts, the various martial arts of China
* Wushu (sport)
Wushu () (), or kung fu, is a competitive Chinese martial art. It integrates concepts and forms from various traditional and modern ...
exponent.
Cameo appearances
*
Pumwaree Yodkamol as a Thai tourist in a Sydney street scene.
* Wannakit Sirioput as Mark's new partner.
* An
impressionist
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
portrays
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born Chan Kong-sang; 7 April 1954), known professionally as Jackie Chan,; is a Hong Kong actor and filmmaker, known for his slapstick, acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically perf ...
, whom Kham briefly encounters at the airport in Sydney.
* Another impressionist portrays Thai rocker
Sek Loso, the pitchman for the M-150 energy drink.
* Actors
Don Ferguson,
Erik Markus Schuetz,
Lex de Groot (uncredited) and
Damian Mavis (uncredited) appear as bodyguards.
* Strongmans
Heinz Ollesch,
Phil Pfister, and
Rene Minkwitz appear as wrestlers.
Production
Technical aspects
Compared to ''
Ong-Bak'', which was noted for its lack of
wirework and
CGI, this movie uses CGI in several scenes, from the obvious (helicopter scene, and an entirely computer-animated dream sequence), to the subtle (a glass window shattering in the four-minute
steadicam
Steadicam is a brand of camera stabilizer mounts for motion picture cameras invented by Garrett Brown and introduced in 1975 by Cinema Products Corporation. The Steadicam brand was acquired by Tiffen in 2000. It was designed to isolate the ...
long take
In filmmaking, a long take (also called a continuous take, continuous shot, or oner) is Shot (filmmaking), shot with a duration much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in general. Significant camera mov ...
that follows Jaa up several flights of stairs as he dispatches thug after thug in dramatic fashion).
The largest example of CGI is Tony Jaa's dramatic leap from the top of a building to attack Madame Rose with a double knee attack. While the background was blue screen with the Australian backdrop added in post production, the long fall shown on screen was real as Jaa and a stuntperson pulled the scene off, landing on large mats below. Even in scenes like this with blue screen, normally a stunt double would be called in for the lead actor, but Jaa once again made sure he did the stunt himself.
Fighting styles
Tony Jaa and Panna Rittikrai created a new style of
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 ...
for this movie called ''muay kodchasaan'' (มวยคชสาร roughly translated as "elephant boxing"), emphasizing grappling moves. "I wanted to show the art of the elephant combined with muay Thai," Tony told the Associated Press in an interview, adding that the moves imitate how an elephant would defend itself, with the arms acting as the trunk.
Stuntwork
Many aspiring stuntmen sent demo tapes, hoping to be cast in the film. An American stunt actor was cast but did not properly take the impact and was injured on the first take. "He kicked me, I used my arm to block his kick, and he fell down hard," Tony told the Associated Press.
However, no one was hospitalized in the making of the film, with injuries limited to "bumps and bruises, muscle tears, a little something like that. Nothing major," Tony said.
[Pearson, Ryan. 5 September 2006]
"Breaking down the beatdown"
, Associated Press (retrieved 4 January 2007).
The fights include duels with:
* Wushu practitioner (portrayed by
John Foo).
* A Vietnamese triad captain (portrayed by ''
Spider-man
Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
''
stunt double
In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes for another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...
Johnny Nguyen).
* A
capoeirista (portrayed by
Lateef Crowder of the ZeroGravity stunt team).
* An extraordinarily large and strong bodyguard (portrayed by former
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
wrestler
Nathan Jones).
* A whip-wielding
triad boss (portrayed by world-renowned
ballerina
A ballet dancer is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. Ballet dancer ...
Jing Xing).
* Two
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 ...
fighters (portrayed by
Daniel O'Neill and
Dean Alexandrou) in a deleted two-vs-one scene in the temple.
Alternative versions
International sales rights (outside Asia) were purchased by
TF1
TF1 (; standing for ''Télévision Française 1'') is a French commercial television network owned by TF1 Group, controlled by the Bouygues conglomerate. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network.
TF1 is part ...
, which made suggestions for re-editing to director
Prachya Pinkaew, who then made some cuts that slightly reduce the film's running time from its original 108 minutes.
The UK title is ''Warrior King'', and the theatrical release was on 28 July 2006. In France and Belgium, the title is ''L'Honneur du dragon'', and in the Netherlands and other European it is ''Honour of the Dragon''. In Cambodia, the film is called ''Neak Prodal Junboth''. In India, it was named ''Haathi Mere Saathi'' (literally ''elephant, my partner''), from a name of another Bollywood
film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
starring
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...
.
Deleted scenes
A two-vs-one fight scene taking place in the burning temple near the end of the film was deleted from currently released versions of the film. The taekwondo sequence, featuring Dean Alexandrou and
Daniel O'Neill is shown in part in nearly all promotional trailers for the film, but was cut for unknown reasons from the final release. However footage can be seen in the making-of featurettes, and some behind-the-scenes VCDs. The two bodies are seen to mysteriously appear on the temple floor, near the beginning of the temple fight scene.
Prachya Pinkaew stated that he trimmed several of the fight scenes due to their length. Some of these include the sequence on the bridge in Sydney, when Kham confronts Johnny and his henchmen for the first time. One can see in certain trailers Kham launching himself off of the shoulders of one henchmen to elbow the other one. Another sequence that he trimmed considerably was the warehouse fight scene.
In the U.S. release of ''Tom-Yum-Goong'', where it was named ''The Protector'', there is a deleted scene of Kham beginning his ambush of the house party by the criminal group who stole his elephants. In all of its releases, the fight sequence begins with Tony Jaa throwing a henchman down the stairs. But this deleted scene shows where the fight really began.
US release
The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company, LLC (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film production and distribution company, which was founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein on March 10, 2005. TWC was one of the larg ...
purchased the U.S. distribution rights for ''Tom-Yum-Goong'' and retitled it ''The Protector'' (also the name of a
1985 film starring
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born Chan Kong-sang; 7 April 1954), known professionally as Jackie Chan,; is a Hong Kong actor and filmmaker, known for his slapstick, acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically perf ...
). This version was released theatrically on 8 September 2006. It was released in January 2007 on DVD on The Weinstein Company's Dragon Dynasty label in a two-disc set that includes both the U.S. edit and the original Thai version of the film.
For the US theatrical cut, the film's length was reduced by at least 25 minutes, going so far as to trim down some of the fight scenes, even though it was given an
"R" rating restricting audiences to people aged 17 and over. Out of all cuts outside of Thailand, it is the shortest cut of the film, even more so than the European cuts. It also features a new score by
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs (born July 5, 1969), better known by his stage name RZA ( ) or the RZA, is an American rapper, record producer, composer, actor, and filmmaker. He is the '' de facto'' leader of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, having pro ...
. Some parts of the missing footage (including cuts to the "bone breaker" fight and Madame Rose envisioning herself in a red dress as queen) appeared in the U.S. trailer and TV Spots.
Also, ''The Protector'' is partially subtitled and partially dubbed, with all of Jaa's dialogue subtitled. Several changes were made to the plot through editing and subtitles that did not match the spoken Thai and Chinese dialogue.
Changes that were made to the US theatrical release include:
* The historical role of the Thai warriors is given in more detail in the opening prologue
* Scenes of TV reporters given tour of Sydney by Sgt. Mark are removed.
* Scenes of Sgt. Mark handling robbery and releasing the would-be assassin are removed.
* Kham's father, rather than being injured, died by the gunshot.
* Tony Jaa's lines now include "You killed my father!"
* Madame Rose loses face and is denied a "security" contract over bad turtle soup instead of the Chinese business leader's refusal to deal because of bad terms.
* Madame Rose's
transsexual
A transsexual person is someone who experiences a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desires to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance (incl ...
ity is never mentioned.
* The ending has been trimmed to imply that Madame Rose is dead rather than just injured after her fall through the roof.
* Johnny does not return to kill Vincent after Vincent was apprehended by Mark.
* Exposition is given to further explain the cutting of tendons to defeat the bruisers at the end.
* The ending epilogue given by Sgt. Mark in the US version is significantly different and nobler than the Thai version, which is whimsical and comic relief in tone and is much less concerned with resolution.
Reception
Box office
''Tom-Yum-Goong'' opened in Thailand on 11 August 2005, and grossed US$1,609,720 in its first weekend and was No. 1 at the Thai box office (normally dominated by Hollywood imports) for two weeks in a row.
[2005 Thailand Box Office Index](_blank)
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray ...
, retrieved 4 January 2006. It ended its Thai run with US$4,417,800, blockbuster business by Thai standards.
[Thailand Box Office 1–4 September 2005](_blank)
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray ...
, retrieved 4 January 2006.
The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company, LLC (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film production and distribution company, which was founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein on March 10, 2005. TWC was one of the larg ...
released ''Tom-Yum-Goong'' in North America in a heavily edited version entitled ''The Protector'', which was the third release by their ''Dragon Dynasty'' label. It was also given the "
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...
Presents" brand, which had proven lucrative in the past for films like ''Hero'' and ''Hostel''. It opened in 1,541 cinemas on 8 September 2006 and ranked No. 4 in its opening weekend, grossing $5,034,180 ($3,226 per screen). It ended its run with $12,044,087.
[Weekend Box Office, 8-10 September 2006](_blank)
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray ...
, retrieved 4 January 2007. In the US, it ranks 67th among
martial arts films
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 ...
and 14th among foreign films.
The film's total worldwide box office gross is US$25,715,096. It is the most successful
Thai film released in the US.
[The Protector](_blank)
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray ...
, retrieved 4 January 2007.
Critical response
On
Review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
website,
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
gives the American edit of the film a score of 53% out of 91 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10. The critical consensus reads, "Despite some impressive fight scenes, this trimmed-down version of the Thai action pic is an off-putting mix of scant plot, choppy editing, and confusing subtitles and dubbing."
''High On Films'' gave a positive review and wrote "Tom-Yum-Goong ranks amongst the finest exhibitions of martial arts in cinema, and is definitely worth a shot."
Combat sports
A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the opponent (''knocko ...
and striking analyst
Jack Slack has written that Tony Jaa's multiple attackers scene in the film is "the best fight in movie history".
Sequel
A sequel titled ''
Tom Yum Goong 2'' was released in 2013 and was also released in US as ''The Protector 2''.
See also
References
External links
The elephant Plai Bua Barn, starring in the film. (The elephant database)*
*
*
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2019
2005 films
2005 action films
2000s Mandarin-language films
Thai-language films
Fiction about animal cruelty
English-language Thai films
Capoeira films
Films about organised crime in Australia
Films set in Sydney
Films set in Thailand
Films shot in Sydney
Films shot in Thailand
Films with live action and animation
Thai martial arts films
Thai Muay Thai films
Muay Thai films
Sahamongkol Film International films
Wushu films
Films directed by Prachya Pinkaew
Transgender-related films
Films about elephants
Films about trans women
2005 LGBTQ-related films
Triad films
2000s English-language films
Thai LGBTQ-related films
2000s Thai films
English-language action films
Thai films grossing over 100 million baht