Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with a little look at a film called BORN TO FIGHT from the nutso fight team behind ONG BAK. I don't know how many of the original team is still living after that movie, but I'm glad the remaining team is still honoring the memory of those who perished under ONG BAK's merciless kicks to the neck by continuing to work. So, how is the flick? I haven't seen it, so let me pass you on to someone who has! Enjoy!
So there I was, on my way to Bangkok. The plan was to move away from North America for 12 months. I was on a plane when X-Men 2 was released, and my only concern was whether or not it would be shown in Thailand. When I was younger I read box loads of comics and was very excited about characters I grew up with on the big screen. To my relief X-Men was being showed in Bangkok, I saw it my second night in town.
Up until that point I was a bit worried whether I would see many movies in the time I was in Thailand. I was happy to find out most bigger budget movies are released the same day as in North America, and with the time change, I actually see movies 12 hours before you guys do. Middle of the road budget movies are released, but delayed a few weeks or months. And smaller movies aren’t released at all.
I didn’t worry too much about that last one because, like most North Americans, I was under the (mis)conception that foreign films are better than big budget, well, at least they are different and original and worth watching. Sadly, this is not the truth. With great excitement I entered many Thai theatres with the hopes of seeing entertaining, if not great movies. I was disappointed. Like a glutton for punishment, I kept going back hoping to find a gem, but left unhappy. Aside from a few movies reaching the ‘ok’ level, no Thai movie really did it for me.
Then one afternoon I was on a bus coming home from the beach when a movie was put on for our ‘entertainment.’ I’m sure I thought something like, ‘ great another movie about a cross-dressing kick boxer’(I’m not kidding). I decided to give it a chance, a glutton, remember. The opening scene grabbed me, it was gorgeous. It looked like nothing I had seen before, beautiful. I continued watching, the movie wasn’t subtitled, so I didn’t understand any of the dialogue, but it didn’t matter. The movie was filled with great original fight sequences and amazing ‘how the f*ck did he do that stunts.’ In a word; awesome. The movie was ‘ONG BAK.’
Then about 10 months later I was checking ‘aintitcool.com’ like most days, and saw a reference to the gem I discovered. I was happy to see the world had noticed.
Last week I was sitting in a theatre waiting to see Halle Berry in tight leather, when a trailer for a movie came on. It was filled with high paced action and amazing stunts. I thought it had a bit of resemblance to Ong Bak, so after a bit of research I discovered it was from the same fight choreographer and stunt coordinator. That was enough for me to be there opening night to watch ‘Born to Fight.’
I went in to the movie with high expectations. I really wanted to love it and announce to the western world the coming of a great movie. I wanted to see a director doing something new and groundbreaking, a guy to follow in John Woo’s footsteps and make it to Hollywood. Hollywood can always use a new voice and I was hoping this could be it. I was a little disappointed. The director was mediocre at best, very amateurish at worst. He didn’t seem to care too much about the story, he only wanted to get to the next action scene. And once there it was non-stop, not even slow down, action for long spans of time. There were no beats. I don’t think the director understands beats, there was a 20 minute long action scene with no break. The editing was sloppy and choppy, and down right painful at times.
The story was simple, it was basically Die Hard 2. A police officer arrests a big time drug dealer, then goes on holiday with his sister and her national sports team. They all go to a border village and distribute blankets and other goods, to the poor villagers. Then a militant group decides to come into the village, killing people as they go. They hold the village hostage for the release of the drug kingpin arrested in the opening scene. They also have a nuclear missile aimed at Bangkok, for some reason. So the police officer tries to stop the bad guys. He gets caught, but then sparks some patriotic emotion in the camp and insights the villagers to fight back.
The characters were simply and many. They were surprisingly well done, considering the small amount of dialogue and the sheer number of them. There were at least 10 good guys, each done well, each with a recognizable face and understandable personality. They were kept very simple, but rightfully so, or many would have been lost and forgotten about.
The story and characters were very simple, they had to be. It was an action movie’s action movie. The story was a vehicle for amazing stunts and mind-blowing fights. Hollywood should pay attention to this movie. They could learn a lot about stunts and fighting. People were falling off buildings, hitting their heads on the way down with enough force to feel it in the theatre. A guy flies off a motorcycle and smashes through a burning wall at easily 30-km per hour. The movie is loaded with stunts and fights, I won’t try to describe any more. Take my word for it, they are awesome.
The movie was good despite the direction and editing. The stunts were enough to carry the entire movie, they were that good. The movie would be easily viewed, if not better, without subtitles. It was an action lovers feast. I don’t think it will make it across the Pacific any time soon, however. The story wasn’t good enough for Hollywood to redo, and the stunts were too good for them to re-attempt. It is a worthy DVD to add to any movie junkie’s collection. So keep your eyes open.
The plan has changed, I have long over stayed my original 12 months in Thailand. I will be here for the foreseeable future, and I will continue venturing into Thai cinemas hoping to find another film to get you excited about. Until then I am the
Piper at the Gate
