Raging Phoenix (2009) User Reviews

Was that really it?

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 5 August 2011]

Having bought this movie solely on the reason because JeeJa Yanin was in the movie, and I was amazed with her performance in "Chocolate", so I had high expectations for this movie.

I must admit that it was somewhat of a struggle for me to fully sit through this movie to the end, because it had a tendency to drag out the story in a seemingly endless spiral, and took forever to go almost nowhere. The storyline was adequate enough, women getting abducted by Thai gangs, but drained of their pheromones to make a perfume? What? Are you kidding me? The story went horrible awry when that was revealed. Up until then, the movie was actually bearable.

The fighting scenes in the movie were well choreographed and well executed. There was lots of fast-paced, adrenalin-fueled action in the movie. And Thai movie makers really got a knick for this, and this movie is another dent in the belt.

That being said, then a lot of the movie, including the fight scenes, were rudely interrupted and tainted by a horrible attempt to add comedy to the movie, in the forms of the characters Pigshit and Dogshit, pardon my French, but they were actually named this in the movie. They were dreadful to look at and worse to listen to, with horrible lines and bad comedy. The movie really suffered from this approach to film making.

If you have seen "Chocolate", do not set your expectations up after that standard, because this movie is inferior to that movie by far, and inferior to the first "Ong Bak" as well. Sure, there are nice fighting scenes, but it is far from enough to carry the movie.

And what was up with the gang members jumping around on pogo-stilts? That was really lame. Who fights with such toys strapped to their feet? Come on... And the whole feeling to the underground lair of the gang was way out of proportions. Where would such a place be found? The complexity of its built, the depth in which it was found, and how would no one know of its location? Sure it looked somewhat nice, but it was too much.

For a Thai movie, it was very mediocre. Trust me, there are far better Thai action movies available. "Raging Phoenix" (or "Deu Suay Doo") might be worth a look if you are a big fan of JeeJa Yanin, but otherwise not really worth the time unless you got nothing better to do.

JeeJa Yanin is back, and she's still kicking ass

[zetes · 7/10 · 3 April 2011]

This is the second film of the supremely talented JeeJa Yanin, who starred in Chocolate a couple years back. Chocolate was like a trumpet blast followed by the announcement: "We now present to you the next great martial arts star, JeeJa Yanin!" Raging Phoenix is a perfect follow-up. Yanin plays a punk band drummer who is kidnapped by a ring of white slavers. A group of young men who have had women in their life harmed by these people save Yanin and train her in the martial art of Thai drunken boxing. Like most martial arts movies, the plot is pretty negligible. It's actually kind of weird, because it begins as the same kind of gritty realism of Chocolate but eventually veers into a more fantastical landscape where the villains are abducting women to extract their tears, which they make into a perfume that drives men crazy. Or some such nonsense. Who cares? The bottom line is that Yanin kicks every ass that anyone chooses to hand to her. And she's super freakin' cute while doing it. I'd probably rank it below Chocolate, but I'd say it's about at the same level. If you liked that film, this is a no-brainer.

A Nutshell Review: Raging Phoenix

[DICK STEEL · 7/10 · 24 November 2009]

Fans of martial arts action films in this region would find reason to celebrate recently with the introduction of Iko Uwais showcasing some combat Silat in Merantau and while I had counted him in amongst peers such as Tony Jaa, Jija Yanin stands out for being the only female of the lot who can dish out as much punishment as she could receive, and breakthrough performances aside, I think the real test comes in the follow up film, if it's either more of the same, or if it'll have enough bandwidth to allow the martial artist to go some distance from their maiden performance.

And I had enjoyed Raging Phoenix a lot more than Chocolate, which I felt had plenty of room in which to improve upon, especially in the editing department which didn't quite do that film justice in having Jija's character seem to go through each fight sequence like a video game, beginning each scene with the on-guard position. However, that film allowed her to showcase a whole range of moves and weapons, and in this one, her character sticks to one, which is a Chinese drunken fist equivalent, where the pupil downs gallons of alcohol, and through that intoxicated state, learn to internalize the alcohol and purge that high energy into something more hard hitting, channeling that deep down hurt and heartfelt pain they have to intrinsically possess into power through the knuckles.

The form of the martial arts clearly has plenty of Muay Thai in it, with the usual exploitation of elbows and knees to inflict maximum damage, though this time round the choreographers smartly fused some hip-hop break dancing moves into the martial arts, since those dance movies would already prep you that those spins and turns, and feigns with the feet, could actually translate to deadly assault steps to incapacitate any enemy. Yes you read me right, but it didn't turn out as bad as it sounded, and soon enough you just won't feel that it's an amalgamation of two different forms, at least not when the catchy Thai hip hop song Yong- Wai stops playing.

As the story goes (yes, you still need one), it was a wee bit different from the usual to say the least, though the inevitable melodramatic moments did prolong the runtime without welcome. The narrative for Raging Phoenix played out just like its title, where it starts off really slowly and in some ways quite the bore, before its form got junked and transformed, into something more engaging as the story progressed, right after Jija's Deu gets saved from the clutches of the evil Jaguar Gang, whose mission statement is to kidnap girls with unique pheromones. Cue obligatory training montage as she becomes the protégé of Sanim (Kazu Patrick Tang), Dog, Pig and Bull, and convoluted initiation rites later, she gets accepted into the vigilante group, seeking out the Jaguars to exact their individual vendettas.

Ranging Phoenix didn't turn out to be a one-woman show, which meant Jija had to step aside to allow her co-stars to shine, especially since her character is the rookie in this form of martial arts, and have to rely on the others to save her hide at first. It was a little painful to watch since we all know that this girl can really kick butt, though it made it all the more sweeter when she finally does. What she cannot do though, despite her new hairdo and cute- as-a-button features, is to play that romantic role given that there's a subplot involving unrequited love with her trainer Sanim, which was somewhat essential to fuel that new found strength (from depression actually) in the finale.

​A Thai film would seem incomplete without the obligatory evil transsexual, and Raging had one featured early for some comic relief. The chief villain, played by Roongtawan Jindasing, a body building champion, cuts a figure quite similar to Grace Jones's May Day in A View to a Kill, matching our heroine strength for strength, though triumphing with her D-cups, which I thought in a battle sequence she had used to knock Deu off her feet. Fight sequences had resorted to MTV-styled quick cut editing, though it did pace itself nicely through some slow- motion when required to allow the audience to take it all in. Fights were also nicely framed, especially when killer moves get employed, or when director Rashane Limtrakul decides to want to show you just how close and realistic the actors and stunt crew can get when they pull off hard hitting, bone-crunching action.

I would have thought that the film would have featured some outtakes – you know, for the filmmakers to show off that "real fights, real injuries" tagline, but to my surprise there was absolutely none. I would have loved to see whether some suspicion in the use of wire-work could be proved through the outtakes, since there were definitely some moves which were too hard to believe they can be executed without employing one. Padding also was visible though, for safety's sake of course, but don't let that distract you as much as it did to me.

Raging Phoenix isn't perfect, but it is yet another milestone for Jija Yanin to prove what she can do. Call me a fan as I am liking her films already, and can't wait to see her in more action films!

Fun action, but little rewatch value

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 31 March 2013]

RAGING PHOENIX, a high-kicking Thai martial arts film, marks Jeeja Yanin's follow-up to her outstanding debut, CHOCOLATE. While proving to be a mildly entertaining movie with some great fight action to recommend it, it's an inevitable disappointment to those of us weaned on the likes of ONG BAK and WARRIOR KING, as it just doesn't hold a torch to the calibre of those two movies – or, indeed, Yanin's aforementioned debut.

The problem with this movie is pretty much everything aside from the action: the characters are cardboard-thin, the plot is shallow and the script is completely stupid. By the time we're introduced to the storyline of the villains harvesting the tears of their victims, you'll be rolling your eyes and saying "oh please". In addition, the acting is strictly drama school, and that includes Yanin; none of these guys would make it in a film requiring real performances.

Good news, then, is that the action is what this film is all about, and it lifts what could have been a debacle into something pretty entertaining; no WARRIOR KING, certainly, but something to be enjoyed at least once. The dance-infused combat sees Janin and her anarchist rebel friends battling a series of nefarious villains, and it inevitably builds up into a massive battle in the bad guys' lair (a ridiculous CGI underground chamber).

At the end, Yanin finally meets her match – a hulking Amazonian fighter by the name of Roongtawan Jindasing, a real-life bodybuilder and judo expert. The resultant fight takes in multiple locations, some exquisite camera (the bridge scene in particular) and goes on for about half an hour without ever getting dull; seasoned action director Panna Rittikrai ensures he gets the maximum mayhem for his money.

Fights ruined by phony looking wire work

[udar55 · 4/10 · 6 February 2010]

Wow, all of that credit that female lead JeeJa Yanin built up with the enjoyable CHOCOLATE (2008) is blown away in one quick yank of a wire harness. Seriously, one of the things that has made the recent explosion of Thai action cinema enjoyable is that 99% of the time the actors were doing these flips and kicks for real. It was refreshing after Hong Kong had - for the most part - retreated into the wacky world of wire work in the 1990s. So it truly saddened me to see JeeJa, who did some amazing stuff in CHOCOLATE, look like a floating fairy as wires help her achieve some ridiculous looking stunts, especially during the final fights. I was hoping for more realism along the lines of Tony Jaa's "No harness, no wires!" motto.

Drunk and disorderly.

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 15 April 2011]

Thai sensation JeeJa Yanin burst onto the martial arts movie scene in 2008 with Chocolate, wowing fight fans worldwide with her amazing performance as adorable but bad-ass autistic girl Zen (and earning her the title of 'the female Tony Jaa' in the process). Expectations were naturally high for her next film Raging Phoenix, but although Yanin once again displays incredible agility, skill, and speed, the film as a whole must be considered something of a disappointment, lacking the simplicity, charm, originality, and raw power of its predecessor.

The script flits brazenly from one nonsensical scene to the next and is irritatingly indifferent to its main gimmick, the drunken fighting style of Meyraiyuth, so carefully developed in the first half of the film yet completely ignored in the second; almost as brash are the fight scenes that vary wildly in style from bone-crunching realism to comic-book excess (with naff wire-work employed for 'cool' gravity defying moves), most of which are so highly choreographed that they are more like immaculate dance routines than amazing displays of martial arts prowess (impressive to watch, certainly, but hardly adrenaline pumping). Meanwhile, Yanin desperately struggles to create another endearing character in Deu, but thanks to far too many embarrassingly over-melodramatic moments, her street urchin with attitude comes across as more pathetic than sympathetic.

Throughout the film, there are plenty of scenes that display promise, but all ultimately fail to deliver the levels of genius that have made recent Muay Thai movies like Ong-Bak, Warrior King and Chocolate so memorable; the fact that this potential for awesomeness is so frequently and readily wasted makes Raging Phoenix an all the more frustrating experience.

An unsatisfying 5.5 out of 10, generously rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

Disappointing

[dbborroughs · 4/10 · 30 November 2009]

This is the story of a girl who has been abandoned by everyone in her life, from her mother to her band mates. While drunk one night she is kidnapped and carried off. She gets away only be chased down by the villains. She is then rescued by a group of people who have had their loved ones taken by the kidnappers. She ends up joining them in the fight to stop the kidnapping.

I had this film pressed into my hands by the owner of a shop in Chinatown who assured me that I was going to love this. Normally he's right on target, but this time I think he missed the mark. I found this film dull and draggy. Sure its great to look at and some (notice I said some) of the fights are good, but to me there was too much talk and not enough good action. Yes the film stars JeeJa Yanin of Chocolate, but I don't think she was anything special here. Its a moody film where were given caricatures instead of characters. I also am not a fan of many of the fight scenes which were much too staged for my tastes. I felt like I was watching a circus performance and not an action film (it was too showy and it was too aware of looking cool). Ultimately I just didn't care.

For hardcore action fans only with and finger on the fast forward.

An Outstanding Sophomore Effort. Quite Possibly the Best Girl Fighting Movie Ever Made.

[ebossert · 9/10 · 25 November 2009]

I wasn't expecting much from JeeJa Yanin's original film ("Chocolate"), but her physical talents were showcased in spectacular fashion and won me over despite the shortcomings in terms of scriptwriting. That film grew on me more and more after repeat viewings, but there still was room for improvement in the pacing and storyline elements. Enter "Raging Phoenix", which not only avoids a sophomore slump for JeeJa, but actually surpasses "Chocolate" in total entertainment value.

One way it does this is to allow JeeJa to express her camera presence and charisma. This was surprising to me personally, because her previous role in "Chocolate" was so introverted and robotic that it was essentially impossible to determine whether or not this girl could steal a scene without beating someone's brains in. In "Raging Phoenix", however, she really cuts loose during the opening half as she jokes around, engages in some funny dialogue, and participates in some light-hearted fight scenes involving drunken styles of martial arts. That one-vs-many boat brawl is – now wait for it – a boat-load of fun. JeeJa exhibits a natural likability that her fellow countryman Tony Jaa severely lacks. Don't misunderstand me, because I am a fan of Tony's films, but he has some serious limitations as all of his screen presence is earned through his (phenomenal) physical skills. JeeJa, on the other hand, portrays her character in a way that is very endearing. In other words, I'd love to have her as a younger sister. This charm is a major reason why this film is so entertaining. When the action scenes are bridged by good "non-action stuff", that's a huge plus.

The mood gets more serious when the kidnapping plot line is fleshed out more, but even here the film stays attention-grabbing with an interesting twist involving drug dealing. Now, I'm not saying that the script is incredibly strong. It's not going to win any awards in that realm, nor is it as strong as more dramatic action films like "Kill Zone" (2005), but it does build anticipation for the finale and establishes characters a bit more than usual. In addition, "Raging Phoenix" one-ups "Chocolate" by introducing a very strong lead antagonist during the latter half (played by Roongtawan Jindasing – Asian Pacific Women's Bodybuilding Champion). This lady is one tough son-of-a-gun who proves incredibly difficult to take down, which automatically makes things a bit more exciting than having JeeJa beat down random stuntmen the entire time.

Which brings us to the action scenes. There are some one-vs-many scenarios early on, but that shifts decisively towards one-on-one and two-on-one battles afterward, which results in some outstanding fist-a-cuffs. The "purists" need to stop complaining every time wires are used. I'm getting sick and tired of their whining, especially regarding movies like this that use wires effectively. The cavern hideout finale lasts a solid 30 minutes, and Roongtawan Jindasing hands out a great deal of damage to JeeJa and her buddies. It escalates to the point of making one's hairs stand on end, especially when JeeJa gets her second wind and slugs it out in EPIC fashion. That sequence must be an instant classic (at least in terms of girl vs girl mayhem). Heck, this entire film is an instant classic.

If you liked "Chocolate", you need to see this. If you didn't like "Chocolate", you need to see this anyways. It's truly an excellent action film, and quite possibly the best girl fighting movie ever made.

Another Thai martial Arts movie... all in the fighting....

[destroyerwod · 24 August 2011]

OK i have to admit i am generous when i give an 8, because i was to other movies as well a couple years ago. I know when i watch a martial arts movie to not look too much at the story, more on the fights. But since i started to go back on martial arts around 2 years ago and started my collection(which is now over 300 movies) i find the same problem going on with every THAI martial arts movie. To the Tony Jaa's to the unknown's. The fights are always very impressive, but the story is always CRAP !!! This movie is no exception. Some could say the initial synopsis is not that bad, gang abducting womens and heroes going after them. But where TAKEN(with Liam Neeson) succeeded in that department, this movie does not, going from one weird thing to the other and so on. The heroine training is pretty good and the initial plot seem pretty find, its later it become like "whatever". At least the fight are VERY impressive and well choreographed so you never get bored and always stay in the movie. But i would wish sometimes the Thais would learned that a good yet simple plot of a movie is the best way to showcase awesome martial arts. You don't need fancy stuff, you don't need weird stuff, you don't need stuff the audience would be like "huh....ok" . With Thais movie, its always the same thing, either a relic has been stolen and the hero goes after it, or its supernatural stuff. I don't know, maybe they should check the simple, yet effective formula of the US movies of the 90s. Hero got his ass kick, go back and train to a master, come back and kick the ass of the bad guy. I don't know... sometimes in martial arts the simpler plots work best, if you have good fighting to display and i can assure you this movie has.... Please people from thailand... leave the supernatural out of the martial arts movie... we don't wanna a cross over between star wars and bloodsport... we want just good ol martial arts.

The perfume is made of what?

[SamuraiNixon · 7/10 · 27 December 2010]

JeeJa Yanin has had an auspicious start to her martial arts movie career. He first film Chocolate (2008) was a solid martial arts film that showcased her ability and allowed her to downplay acting by having her being mute. She gets to talk in this film and is generally fine with her acting abilities, but her strong points are still her martial art abilities. JeeJa is the most exciting female martial artist in cinema right now. While that might not be saying much, I do find her fun to watch. Much like Tony Jaa, I feel with the right script both could do much more than with the material they are currently given.

Raging Phoenix succeeds on the action scenes but ultimately fails in the plot. JeeJa is Dea a confused slightly erratic woman down on luck with choosing boyfriends, removed from the band she was playing in because of attacking that boyfriend during a performance and of all the luck she is now targeted to be kidnapped by a gang called Jaguar who target specific smelling women who will be harvested of their pheromones to sell on the black market as a sex aphrodisiac. That just sounds silly doesn't it? Wait it gets better. She is saved by Sanim (Kazu Patrick Tang: Bangkok Adrenaline) a practitioner of a martial art called Meiraiyuth who is part of a group of marauding good guys who have lost their significant others to this nefarious gang. These include three others named Pig Poop (Nui Sandang), Dog Poop (Sompong Leartvimolkasame), and Bull Poop(Boonprasayrit Salangam) NOTE: I modified the names for IMDb. She then becomes their student in learning this martial art to use in destroying all of these kidnappers and in search of the head of the serpent of the gang played by Thai/Indian bodybuilding champion (and once was part of the Royal Thai Police) Roongtawan Jindasing in her first movie appearance. Of course she has to survive the training which involves imbibing much liquor and getting beaten up.

The first fight scene is partially impressive. I love the use of modified powerisers the bad guys have which are like a pogo stick per leg but longer and built with blades. I was skeptical at first, but it came out quite creative and entertaining. I would love to have those, though I would probably kill a few people while learning it and potential decapitating myself.

While the use of wires to accent the fight scenes is overused, they do help create an aesthetically pleasing martial arts style in Meiraiyuth. It is a mixture of drunken boxing, Muay Thai, break-dancing and Capoeira. While it may not always be advantageous to throw in a dance move while beating someone up it is impressive here. One problem that occasionally comes up is that when doing extremely flexible moves at impossible angles the impact of the blow comes off as very soft and the overreaction of the opponent is forced though I have seen this issue in many action films (as well as the mysterious blow that completely misses the person yet that person is blown over by the wind of the punch or kick).

But besides the plot I have one other issue that annoyed me. Some of the CGI use is pretty bad. This is especially evident when they are trying to break into the lair of Jaguar. At its worst is when they initially break in and fall or "slide" down to the lower depths. They basically looked like they were moving their arms and legs while the background is changing. The bridge fight scene is also hurt by this where much around them looks like they are in a computer game from the mid 1990s. When you watch something as impressive as the few fight scenes you wonder why they resorted to this phony graphics manipulation.

I have to admit I had a fun time watching this movie. The story is not as solid as Chocolate (though better than Ong Bak 2) and like many Thai action films they feel derivative (or homage) of other successful Asian films especially ones from Hong Kong. The incorporation of Meiraiyuth reminds me quite a bit of drunken boxing and it is impossible not to think of Drunken Master. Early on the manipulation of Deu's body as a weapon by Sanim certainly reminds me of its use in Dirty Ho, but a few Jackie Chan films as well. The film seemed to completely forget the drinking part of the art in the later part of the film.

I have the Magnet R1 release. It has two main extras: a "Making of Raging Phoenix" and "Behind the Scenes of Raging Phoenix." The "Making of Raging Phoenix" (11m.53s) is in Thai/French with removable English subtitles. It is a fun extra though you wonder how/why the director Rashane Limtrakul spent a year writing the script. Patrick Tang speaks French in the extra. The "Behind the Scenes of Raging Phoenix" (10m.35s) is pretty much showing them practice the fighting scenes (and some drum training) to a Thai(?) rap beat. However like in the end credits of a Jackie Chan film you get to see mishaps and the dangers of this type of film when JeeJa Yanin hurts her neck and gets put into a brace. And to top it off it has the international trailer (3m.34s) of this film and various trailers "Also From Magnolia Home Entertainment." There is an English dub and the English subs do not appear to be dubtitles though many of the sentences are the same.

cheesy unrealistic tosh

[dangermous · 2/10 · 22 December 2012]

This film doesn't even come close to chocolate the first film this girl was in.

It's childish, unrealistic, poor story, amateur camera work and so cheesy I sat there wondering if I was going to make it until the end. When I watched Chocolate her first film I was gripped all the way through.

The fight scenes seem so unreal. It's more like fancy dance / acrobatics. The strikes seem weak and feeble yet the bad guys still fall over. That's the problem with a lot of Asian martial arts films. Whilst you can't help but admire their skill and acrobatics you always think to yourself just one solid punch and that skinny little / bony wimp will be on his back........ In this respect western martial arts films are better as when the guy hits someone you believe they are going to be knocked out! Never mind maybe her next film will be better. She has the skills etc or maybe chocolate was just a very good story.

If you want plot outline read IMDb synopsis - these are just my thoughts after watching the film.

Unique, original kick ass flick

[grafxman · 10/10 · 22 October 2011]

I greatly value originality in any story or flick. When I see something I've seen before, I recognize it and it's somewhat off-putting. This flick has a lot of martial arts that's unique but that's not the half of it. This is a martial arts flick with amazing, unique locations. Best of all it has a unique and original story line. One of the sets appears to be an abandoned hotel at the beach that was demolished in Thailand by the tidal wave. Another set is a labyrinth of tunnels and sewers. That's not all. This movie has atmosphere to spare. The characters are also original but I will not reveal anything about the unique, original story line.

Great Gymnastic Martial Arts

[bemyfriend-40184 · 7/10 · 2 June 2022]

Sort of like the good old flick, Gymkata. But better. Were they doing all that flying work for real; or were they wired? I guess I could look it up. I don't expect anyone to think this review is helpful. But yeah, great martial arts, and that's all. Seen on Tubi, the free streaming site, which also has live TV.

Drags on to mediocrity

[p-stepien · 3/10 · 22 October 2010]

Deu (JeeJa Yanin) is a young adolescent going through an existential crisis after being thrown out of a punk rock band. Trying to cope with her negative emotions she gets stoned. A mysterious and very dangerous underground organisation decides to use this occasion to kidnap our heroine for secretive and vile purposes. Fortunately a mix-up between her kidnappers and a last minute rescue by a savvy group of drunken martial arts masters saves her troubled backside. A couple of drunken break dancing fights later she decides to join the group and learn their fighting techniques...

In general the whole plot is quite ridiculous, but than again you get the sense that it was always supposed to be tongue-and-cheek - believe me when I say that treating this plot seriously is nigh impossible. The real problem however delves from the overlong build-up of the plot together with slow-mo dramatic sequences that reek of corny Brazilian soaps. Even the excellent cinematography can't help with hiding this pathetic excuse for storytelling. I normally don't mind sub-par acting or bad plots in a martial arts movie, as long as the fight sequences are done nicely. But this movie delves too much into the dramatic elements, which derails the otherwise fun parts of the movie (waiting times in between are too long).

What's worse it seems that all the best ideas for fight sequences were used up in the first 30 minutes, while the remainder of this overlong martial arts flick reeks of repetitiveness. For some reason the whole motley crew sobers up in the second half of the movie (for no apparent reason) and gone are the innovative drunken break-dance fight sequences, which made the movie a real spectacle for the first half an hour.

Rashane Limtrakul seems to have wanted too much in his debut, but didn't have the proper base material or experience to make this movie work. A lot of editing and cutting-down of the script properly would have done a world of good for the movie... In the end this is by far the worse Baa-Ram-Ewe I have had the pleasure to watch.

Rating 7 only and only because of JeeJa Yanin

[gk303007 · 7/10 · 8 March 2020]

Movie as such is pretty simple and straight forward with a twist in between which actually jinxed me. However, saying that, the only reason I watched it was JeeJa Yanin and her martial arts skills.

I was browsing through action videos in youtube and came across this movie's last action sequence which kind of so much impressed me that I was curious to watch the full movie. It went smooth and I wasn't expecting much too. But, by God, this lady had some skills and showed perfectly in martial arts. I remember watching Tom Yoom Gung earlier of Tony Jaa and that action star is the only other Thai actor which impressed me with his techniques. Bravo. JeeJa Yanin, in the same way, performed her own style and who knows, it could be taken as a reference in other action movies. Am now eager to watch her movie Chocolate. Fingers crossed.

Terrible beyond words

[paradux · 4/10 · 24 April 2017]

If this sort of disjointed nonsensical MTV/MMA hybrid is the future of Thai cinema, then Thai cinema may not have a future.

The good news is that I was intrigued by Yanin and went out of my way to find a copy of Chocolate which is an unusual, well-written, and well-directed Thai MMA film. And highly recommended.

The bad news is that this film has virtually no identifiable sense of narrative or story or continuity or character development. The music track will finish you off if the bad acting and terrible direction don't.

Raging Phoenix

[Tweekums · 6/10 · 11 January 2015]

Things aren't going well for Deu; while performing as a drummer see sees her boyfriend chatting to another girl she overreacts and loses both the boyfriend and her place in the band. It looks like things can't get much worse but then she is kidnapped by people who intend to sell her to the infamous Jaguar Gang. She is rescued by Sanim and soon meets his friends 'Dog' and 'Pig'. She learns that they each had loved ones taken by the gang and are tried to destroy the gang. She asks to be taught their strange martial art; Meyraiyuth… a skill which requires its user to be drunk! After training, they go up against the Jaguar Gang; things don't go quite as planned and they will be in a lot of danger as they search out the gang's fearsome leader.

This film is a bit of an odd one; it is sold as an action movie with emphasis on the fact that it is JeeJa Yanin's second film after the bone-crunching 'Chocolate' but much of this seems far more comic. The fighting seems more like stylised dance moves; impressively choreographed but for the most part lacking the impact one might expect. The story itself is fairly silly; the gang are kidnapping select people to extract their pheromones to make expensive perfume and the final scenes take place in what appears to be a bottomless pit with criss-crossing rope bridges that seem to serve no purpose other than to provide a nice setting for a multilevel fight! The cast do a decent enough job and if you can laugh at the silliness it is quite fun but nowhere near as memorable as 'Chocolate'.

These comments are based on watching the film in Thai with English subtitles.

With all the respect, avoid this at all cost

[dierub · 3/10 · 11 December 2015]

How can I start?, well let me say: First I hate the voice of the main female character, horrible. Second, the fights look more than a Brazilian capoeira, not even closer to a real fight. Third, the plot is ridiculous. Fourth, please tell me how a woman with no more than 80 pounds, can resist brutal fight against strong men. Fifth and above all, please explain how can she catch with her tiny arms, two persons?

I can continue all night, but as a summary, I wanted to like the movie, I personally love Asian films, Ong Bak trilogy, The Raid, the Protector, etc., but this movie is garbage, a complete waste of time.

I didn't see Chocolate, but with this movie, and because of her awful voice (like a whistle), I will pass it.

another great movie from yanin

[pdqpaul · 10/10 · 18 June 2020]

I have yet to watch a movie with her in it that I did not like, she is adorable, good actress, and the movie is fantastically entertaining as far as I'm concerned. plenty of action and great filmiing.

Creative fight sequences

[KineticSeoul · 7/10 · 5 April 2013]

This is the first movie that has JeeJa Yanin as the leading role. I know she first hit a bit of fame with the movie "Chocolate"(2008) which shows off her martial arts stunt work. And I was actually quite impressed with her physical abilities in this one. Which sorta made me want to check out her previous movie and the ones that came after this one. As a matter of fact JeeJa and the guy that played Sanim spent over 4 yrs training for this movie. Which is quite a lot of dedication. And just about everyone in this flick pulled off there own stunts without relying much on wire works. I actually watched this movie with English dub which is just terrible but I actually found it to add comedic value to this flick. And the acting is pretty bad, but again that isn't the main focus for these types of movies. Which is fine because this one has quite a bit of creative and entertaining fight sequences. Which is composed of some muy thai break dancing fighting style and a bit of drunken boxing. Yeah, some of these fight scenes are far from being believable but it's still entertaining to watch. My main gripe with this flick though is that the cinematography isn't all that good. You can see everything that is going on without all that choppy fight sequence stuff in modern day action movies. But a bit of a better cinematography for the fight sequences would have added a lot of value to this one. The story is also laughable and I wouldn't be shocked if they got some of the ideas from the movie "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer". So yeah although the plot is not that well written and can come off laughable, I didn't find it irritating to watch. And the story blended in with the action decently. And was still entertained with this movie just about all the way through. I can see quite a bit of effort was put into this action flick, well at least with the resources they had and it was worth it.

7.4/10

Expected a bit more.

[RatedVforVinny · 6/10 · 29 May 2019]

A disappointing Thai Martial Arts caper (yes they do exist). JeeJa Yanin, was unconvincing and robotic . She plays in only one decent scene here, the one that she is performing a sort of drunken master, style of Kung Fu but a female Tony Jaa, she certainly is not.