Member daisho2004 Posted August 17, 2012 Member Share Posted August 17, 2012 OK I wanted to see what you Guys think who do you think is better/favorite,Iko Uwais or Tony Jaa? Now I'm a big fan of both but as far as ruthless fighting skills I would say Tony Jaa has a slight edge and I mean slight. But that was before The Raid came out. But it would be AWESOME to see them both in a movie together. Now Iko Uwais showed us a different point of him by using a gun, in a modern action thriller. I would like to see Tony get down like that now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Phoenix Posted August 18, 2012 Member Share Posted August 18, 2012 Yeah, I'd like to see them work together. Tony's team has the fights looking more brutal in a way that every heavy hit seems to have a lot of impact, and Tony is way more acrobatic. The Raid, storyline wise, although very simple and a Die Hard clone in many ways, works on a better level as a whole than Ong Bak and TYG, I think. I can't forget the first time I saw Ong Bak and then I had to show it to people I know, when it was gaining a rapid cult following. I just hope The Raid has the Thais step their game up and go back to doing what they're capable of. I know people here liked OB2 due to the different styles but I would much rather see Jaa do films with a modern setting. His build and looks kind of remind me of Donnie Yen during the 90s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member razorclam Posted August 18, 2012 Member Share Posted August 18, 2012 I think they're both pretty great, but Yayan Ruhian as Mad Dog in The Raid easily steals that movie. I'd like to see him headline a movie. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Tosh Posted August 18, 2012 Member Share Posted August 18, 2012 I think they're both pretty great, but Yayan Ruhian as Mad Dog in The Raid easily steals that movie. I'd like to see him headline a movie. James I think that's a major problem with the Thai movies, you need a great villain to make a great movie, Jaa never has an equal, though the guy with the buzzsaw got some good licks on him in Ong Bak, the two Muay Thai boxers get a couple good hits on him in OB2, then you had a couple steriod freaks throw him around in TYG, Johnny Nguyen was wasted in that movie. Chinese flicks have been going in that direction too, just watched IP Man, Yen gets punched once by the end fight, boring... Yayan Ruhian was awesome, he's a throwback to Hwang Jang Lee's villains. Not sure who's better but Jaa and the Thai film industry(and everyone else for that matter) better step it up after the action in The Raid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShaOW!linDude Posted August 18, 2012 Member Share Posted August 18, 2012 Well, Jaa did have the awesome end fight with the Burmese henchman in Ong Bak. But Tosh raises valid points. There really needs to be a certain equality among the skill sets of the opponents. The end fight in OB3 could've been so much better, but it was lopsided in Jaa's favor over Chupong. Jaa has an obvious love for his homeland style of Muay Thai, and he showcases it well in OB and TYG. But he seems to have a love for all martial arts and pays homage to them, especially in OB2. And I love that. He also seeks to use combatants of other martial arts to create an opposition of style. I want more of that kind of thing in MA films. He shows great technique interspersed with acrobatics and stunts. The impact of his strikes are crazy good! Iko only has the 2 films under his belt, but sheesh! What great displays of Silat! The choreography in both films is superb and reminiscent of the "old school" intricacy of those awesome 70's films. And they're freakin' brutal! So far, he's had killer boss end fights and this just struck me: In Merantau, it was him against 2 brothers; in The Raid, it's he and his brother against Mad Dog. Both are classic 2-on-1 scenarios. (Wonder if that was his or Gareth's idea.) Having just watched The Raid last night, like Tosh, I also noted the similarity of Yayan Ruhian (Mad Dog) to HJL. Not necessarily in superb kicking skills, but in viciousness and deadliness as a villain. I just really didn't think anyone would be able to take him down. I don't know that he's a leading man though, but I'd love for him to get a shot at it. I hope Jaa has taken note of Iko and Yayan, and it inspires him to step up his game. The Raid is a benchmark film, but Ong Bak was the benchmark film that paved the way for it, so for now I'm siding with Jaa. Hope his next fare doesn't disappoint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member daisho2004 Posted August 19, 2012 Author Member Share Posted August 19, 2012 WOW! Great points all around the board. I think Tony did have a good villain at the end of OB, but in OB2 when he went old school MA with the weapons that to me was his best movie so far. So I would like to Iko do a period film I think that would be really interesting to see. But also I would like to see Tony step up and do a movie like The Raid an all out Action Kill Fest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member BLfan Posted August 19, 2012 Member Share Posted August 19, 2012 I would say it is a tied between the two, Tony Jaa was explosive when he first entered the scene but then he had his career blip with trying to direct the Ong bak sequels. I agree with daisho2004 that Ong bak 2 had his best fighting because he moved away from Muay Thai a bit and showed everyone that his can use a different style and still look excellent. Iko Uwais would of be second fiddle to Tony Jaa if Raid had not come out. Although I think Yayan Ruhian (Mad Dog) has better fighting skills than Iko. So if Iko had Yayan Ruhian skills then he would of been better than Tony Jaa. Tony Jaa needs to be star in a film outside of Thailand as that market is saturated with everyone doing acrobatic kicks and endless knee/elbow attacks. Iko is moving in the right direction but we will always be looking at the next film he stars in to once again make our judgement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member daisho2004 Posted August 20, 2012 Author Member Share Posted August 20, 2012 @BLfan: WOW you said it all with that statement. And true I would love to see Mad Dog get his own starring role even as a Head Villain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member gorhama Posted August 20, 2012 Member Share Posted August 20, 2012 Having just watched The Raid...I love Iko Uwais and his presenation of silat. I think he's very similar to Tony Jaa and it's difficult to compare their skills as they are both tremendous martial artists and screen fighters. I will say that while Iko rocks in the right scenes....I feel he's a natural when it comes to acting and I would give him the edge. I mean when I watched Merantu I thought he did a great job and he was able to deliver dialog and not fee like a stunt man reading lines. So I mean he had more lines in Merantu than Tony Jaa has had in all his movies combined. Jaa just needs a better vehicle to have him act in and gain that experience. I will jump onto the Yayan (Mad Dog) should be the main villian in the next Iko movie as he was totally awesome. The right mixture of villian demeanor, insane look and awesome fighting skills!! So in conclusion Jaa and Uwais in a movie together.......YES PLEASE!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member daisho2004 Posted August 21, 2012 Author Member Share Posted August 21, 2012 Now can you imagine Tony Jaa as the villain in the next movie! OMG! That would be totally Off The Hook! Its gonna be hard to replace or get a villain as good as Yayan (Mad Dog) in the next movie, I hope Gareth takes his time in searching for one, or atleast found someone already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted August 21, 2012 Member Share Posted August 21, 2012 Tony Jaa= Jackie Chan, Iko Uwais= Jet Li Donnie Yen=Donnie Yen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member odioustrident Posted August 21, 2012 Member Share Posted August 21, 2012 Let's wait til they've done some more films. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted August 21, 2012 Member Share Posted August 21, 2012 I think it's early days for both and admit to being a huge fan of both. However, I will say that, as of right now, I'm more optimistic about Iko Uwais. He seems to have a strong backing, superb talent and a solid choreography team with him. Tony Jaa may have the same, but his output of of late has been somewhat caught up in itself. "Ong Bak 3" was a mess, to say the least and "Ong Bak 2" seemed like a real struggle for him. Iko Uwais was a low key joy in "Merantau" and, of course, "The Raid" is superb. Not only that but he seems to have the motivation in him. He's stepped out of "The Raid" and immediately into "Berandal," not to mention whatever role he has in Keanu Reeves' directorial debut. I hate to say it but Tony Jaa needs to break free from stereotypical Thai cinema. We know what Tony can do so let's SEE IT. I'm sick of watching him do slow motion back flips. How about some more weapons work or shapes? We saw some in "Ong Bak 2" and, in my opinion, that's the best he's been. Do you recall after "Ong Bak" when his next film was going to be "The Sword?" An all weapons film? I was so excited! I would have liked to see him try something different. I love both, right now. I hope to see more from them and then, down the road, compare them appropriately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member daisho2004 Posted August 21, 2012 Author Member Share Posted August 21, 2012 @Drunken Monk: I agree with you its to early to compare them to the likes of Donnie Yen, Jackie Chan or even Jet Li. But if Iko's next movie can be just as good as The Raid he is definitely going in the right direction. As far as Tony goes he definitely needs a new director other wise we are going to see the same stuff all over again. And honestly I'm tired of the same Damn name for everyone of his movies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member blue_skies Posted August 22, 2012 Member Share Posted August 22, 2012 Tony Jaa= Jackie Chan, Iko Uwais= Jet Li Donnie Yen=Donnie Yen Can you translate that? Well I haven't seen The Raid just yet so it's difficult to say. But based on Merantau and Tony Jaa's 4 movies I would have to give Tony Jaa the lead. Iko was very good in his debut but TJ simply blew me away. I very much agree that Tony Jaa needs to be in better movies with good choreographers and some amazing opponents. I think if he can do that and being some good international co-productions he is the better talent in my opinion. But I also agree that Iko has the better team around him by the sounds of what you guys have been saying about The Raid, they have taken Merantau to the next level, which sounds very promising for the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Youal Posted August 22, 2012 Member Share Posted August 22, 2012 Tony Jaa is nothing like Jackie Chan and vice versa. To say Tony is equal to Jackie is an insult to Jackie's excellent body of work. I don't understand this comparison. Jackie has directed martial arts classics in his prime while Tony went AWOL when he was handed directorial duties. In terms of stuntwork, Tony is no where near the level of Jackie. On the screen, Tony has a personality of a rock while Jackie is funny and has a likeable quality. I could see why Iko and Jet is similar since both are proficient and excel in weaponry combat. I just saw Jet in The Expendables 2 and he has a great fight scene against multiple assailants with knifes. I won't spoiled it but what he did to handle the situation was cool. Btw, found this slipper commercial with Iko: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted August 22, 2012 Member Share Posted August 22, 2012 Tony Jaa is nothing like Jackie Chan and vice versa. To say Tony is equal to Jackie is an insult to Jackie's excellent body of work. I don't understand this comparison. Jackie has directed martial arts classics in his prime while Tony went AWOL when he was handed directorial duties. In terms of stuntwork, Tony is no where near the level of Jackie. On the screen, Tony has a personality of a rock while Jackie is funny and has a likeable quality. I could see why Iko and Jet is similar since both are proficient and excel in weaponry combat. I just saw Jet in The Expendables 2 and he has a great fight scene against multiple assailants with knifes. I won't spoiled it but what he did to handle the situation was cool. Btw, found this slipper commercial with Iko: If you were referring to my post, I was not making an accurate comparison in any way but a mindless post of before and after lineup of martial arts action star that have hit the mainstream markets... Let me be clear of what my post meant... For Asian Martial Arts stars who hit the mainstream market in 80s and 90s: Jackie Chan and Jet Li an Donnie Yen comes to mind... 2000s: Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais and Donnie Yen and a slew of others... If you follow my post I usually make light hearted humor when posting and I picked Donnie Yen towering over Tony/Jet/Iko/Jackie in all respects... Hope that helps.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Keung Posted August 22, 2012 Member Share Posted August 22, 2012 I think it's early days for both Hardly early days for Tony. Ong Bak is nearly ten years old and what has he done since then? An above average sequel, an absolutely terrible one and Tom Yum Goong. I'm losing my patience with the guy. Halting productions to get married, going off to be a monk for five fucking minutes. What's he playing at?! Tony Jaa = Jackie Chan Comparing Jackie to Tony is ludicrous, I'm sorry. Not even close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted August 22, 2012 Member Share Posted August 22, 2012 Hardly early days for Tony. Ong Bak is nearly ten years old and what has he done since then? An above average sequel, an absolutely terrible one and Tom Yum Goong. I'm losing my patience with the guy. Halting productions to get married, going off to be a monk for five fucking minutes. What's he playing at?! Comparing Jackie to Tony is ludicrous, I'm sorry. Not even close. Read post #18, the one above yours.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Keung Posted August 22, 2012 Member Share Posted August 22, 2012 Fair enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted August 22, 2012 Member Share Posted August 22, 2012 Hardly early days for Tony. Ong Bak is nearly ten years old and what has he done since then? An above average sequel, an absolutely terrible one and Tom Yum Goong. I'm losing my patience with the guy. Halting productions to get married, going off to be a monk for five fucking minutes. What's he playing at?! Comparing Jackie to Tony is ludicrous, I'm sorry. Not even close. Saying "early days" isn't referring to time, per se. I mean it's early in terms of the amount of projects he's given us. Look at Donnie Yen. He made some awful films early in his career and yet he's now considered one of the foremost geniuses of the genre. Time doesn't really mean anything. Also, I think it's unfair to say comparing Tony to Jackie is ludicrous. It isn't, really. Both actors have strong acrobatic skills that allows them to do their own stunts. They both coined their own style very early on in their career and both went into directing at a young age (granted, with varying results). Granted, Jackie's legendary status is etched in stone, but there comparisons to be made. Granted, they might not both have the same inside leg measurement but, career wise, there are similarities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted July 16, 2014 Member Share Posted July 16, 2014 Recently re-watched Tony Jaa's films and have grown liking him more. Tony redefined muay thai onscreen with various modern and traditional fighting techniques along with a different set of timing, pacing and execution showcasing them all in a way unlike stuff made before. The tricking/acrobatics in between the actual fighting can be distracting at times but thankfully it's not too often that happens. His last film didn't live up to expectations but nonetheless he delivered the goods having two great fight scenes with up-and-coming martial artist-turned-actor Marrese Crump. Is he done like most action movie fans claim and will he be able to reestablish himself with his next coming films? We'll see. Iko Uwais' films as a whole speaks volumes but his mere onscreen fighting doesn't. He uses silat but altogether his fighting looks so Hong Kong-ish (trading punches, kicks, blocks, grappling, < repeat) with a bit of Thai flavor in there, and lacks charisma and distinct feats in his movements compared to Tony. After repeated viewings, it's getting repetitive and boring fast (no offense). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member D1 Ma Posted July 17, 2014 Member Share Posted July 17, 2014 To me, it's Tony Jaa. I just like that style of choreography, with flashy moves, acrobatics and stunts thrown in the mix. Tony has very unique skills and I can't think of any other MA who could do the stuff he does.(Well, maybe Yuen Biao when he was young) As for Iko - I'm certain, you can replace him with any OK-ish Silat practitioner and nobody will see the difference. What sold his movie - was the direction by Gareth and brutal choreo of the fights. (And to be honest, I was VERY disappointed with his Raid 2) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Lionclaw Posted July 17, 2014 Member Share Posted July 17, 2014 I like both but what Tony Jaa did in the final battle of Ong Bak 2 was like a tribute to all martial arts movie. I've never seen someone fight two guys, switching back and forth between styles like that. It blows my mind till this day. Iko has some rapid moves and intensity but I'd have to see him in other movies besides The Raid to accurately judge. Either way these two need to fight on screen......like now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted July 17, 2014 Member Share Posted July 17, 2014 The movie where Tony Jaa shines in: Ong bak Ong Bak 2 The Protector Movies where Iko shines in Merantau The Raid The Raid2 They seemed pretty equal to me. Until SPL2 comes out they are neck and neck for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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