I'll admit from the outset that the first WARRIOR KING is one of my favourite films of all time; a top-notch martial arts epic that you can watch over and over again. It has everything I'd ever want from a movie, so this belated sequel had plenty to live up to. Inevitably, it simply can't hold a candle to the first movie.
But wait...everyone's panned this film, saying it's pretty terrible. I say otherwise. It's no WARRIOR KING, but it is better than the horrid ONG BAK sequels, at least. Sure, the power of the first film is diluted here with the needless and rubbish CGI effects, the unnecessary wirework and the greater silliness of the storyline, but at times there are flashes of the old magic.
One of the biggest disappointments is Tony Jaa himself. He's noticeably aged and just doesn't cut it like in the early days of ONG BAK. I expected more from him. Still, it's nice to have Thai film regulars like Petchtai Wongkamlao and CHOCOLATE's Jeeja Yanin on board, even if their screen time is limited. Unfortunately, somebody decided that the appalling rapper-wannabe-film-star RZA (THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS) would make a good villain, and boy, were they wrong.
Admittedly, WARRIOR KING 2 starts off on a poor footing; the whole look is incredibly cheesy, and that dumb chase seems to go on forever. But then things change, and after a time the plot melts away to leave the whole second half of the film one big action sequence. And this was the part I really enjoyed, laughing at the whole "all black guys are evil" theme, enjoying the unstoppable Marrese Crump, and taking delight in the fight choreography. This movie's no classic, but fans of the genre will probably enjoy it anyway.
But wait...everyone's panned this film, saying it's pretty terrible. I say otherwise. It's no WARRIOR KING, but it is better than the horrid ONG BAK sequels, at least. Sure, the power of the first film is diluted here with the needless and rubbish CGI effects, the unnecessary wirework and the greater silliness of the storyline, but at times there are flashes of the old magic.
One of the biggest disappointments is Tony Jaa himself. He's noticeably aged and just doesn't cut it like in the early days of ONG BAK. I expected more from him. Still, it's nice to have Thai film regulars like Petchtai Wongkamlao and CHOCOLATE's Jeeja Yanin on board, even if their screen time is limited. Unfortunately, somebody decided that the appalling rapper-wannabe-film-star RZA (THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS) would make a good villain, and boy, were they wrong.
Admittedly, WARRIOR KING 2 starts off on a poor footing; the whole look is incredibly cheesy, and that dumb chase seems to go on forever. But then things change, and after a time the plot melts away to leave the whole second half of the film one big action sequence. And this was the part I really enjoyed, laughing at the whole "all black guys are evil" theme, enjoying the unstoppable Marrese Crump, and taking delight in the fight choreography. This movie's no classic, but fans of the genre will probably enjoy it anyway.