A Man Will Rise...

[Drunken Monk]

According to Twitch Film....

It was back in late January that rumblings began to emerge that Thai martial arts star Tony Jaa was slated to co-star with Jean Claude Van Damme in an upcoming international action film. The project at the time was titled Local Hero and we're told that project has shifted slightly with Dolph Lundgren now starring opposite Jaa and retitled A Man Will Rise.

The first images from behind the scenes have arrived, tipping the fact that it is some sort of Eastern / Western with Conan Stevens (Game Of Thrones) and - I believe - Patrick Kazu Tang (Raging Phoenix) also starring. We're told Tang may also be contributing on the fight choreography side of things.

Beyond the simple fact that this means that Jaa is now sprung from the limbo that is Tom Yum Goong 2 - the release date on that has been pushed back again, and is now looking at December of this year - this would also indicate that Jaa is now clear of his exclusive contract with Sahamongkol and free to take on international projects.

Thoughts?

[KUNG FU BOB]

Thoughts? F**K YEAH!

Dolph looks freakin' awesome as a cowboy! Who'd of thought that? Oh wait... apparently the filmmakers did. LOL

I see Tony is holding some horse shoes, and I suppose he's going to use them as a devastating weapon.

The whole thing sounds good to me. I'm excited to see him do as many films as possible. I don't care which country they are from. I'm down with watching Jaa in anything.

[One Armed Boxer]

I can't quite put my finger on what I feel about this.....perhaps subdued is the best way to put it.

While I'm excited to see a Jaa movie as much as the next person (which perhaps isn't such a worthy statement these days), there's just a number of things about this news which somehow don't sit as well as they should.

For a start, while people like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, & Chow Yun Fat all got cinematic outings for their first foray into the international scene along with solid marketing campaigns....I can't help but feel that this is going to be a direct-to-DVD effort, and despite Jaa's recent mishaps, I thought he deserved more of a big bang into the international market than that.

Also, the western theme with the Asian guy as a fish out of water has been done before many times, with 'Once Upon A Time In China & America', 'Shanghai Noon', & most recently 'The Warriors Way', so there is already a feeling of been there done that. There is no real mention either of a worthy opponent for Jaa to fight, unless he's going against Kazu. I believe this will also be the first time we've seen him under a choreographer other than Panna Rittikrai? I hope he's not just beating down on hapless extras for the whole thing.

Most worryingly though is that this appears like it's going to be filming while 'Tom Yum Goong 2' is still in production, which is a sure indicator that he mustn't have anything too spectacular to perform otherwise he'd burn himself out.

All in all I think I'll be looking forward to this as a western movie starring Dolph Lundgren (who I'm a big fan of), which also just happens to be the international debut of Thailand's biggest action star, Tony Jaa....as opposed to the other way around.

[KUNG FU BOB]

I can't quite put my finger on what I feel about this.....perhaps subdued is the best way to put it.

But bro, did you miss the part where I said "I see Tony is holding some horse shoes, and I suppose he's going to use them as a devastating weapon."? Our man Jaa is going to "Ong the Bak" outta some bad guys. Nuff said!

Kidding aside, I totally get what you're saying. And yes, it would be nice if the movie industry would be a whole lot more imaginative. But then again, when I first heard the plot for DRUNKEN MASTER 2 I thought "Really? Stolen national treasures again?"... groan. But, uh... that one turned out okay despite the tired old plot.

[reason108]

I may have to give this one a pass, I`m just not digging Tony`s hairstyle in this.

[One Armed Boxer]

Kidding aside, I totally get what you're saying. And yes, it would be nice if the movie industry would be a whole lot more imaginative. But then again, when I first heard the plot for DRUNKEN MASTER 2 I thought "Really? Stolen national treasures again?"... groan. But, uh... that one turned out okay despite the tired old plot.

It must have been deja vu then when you heard the plot for 'Chinese Zodiac'!

I get it, I just didn't expect Jaa's big international debut to be in a straight-to-DVD western movie, obviously playing the sidekick to Dolph Lundgren. For some reason I always imagined that if he was going to break out into the international market, it'd be in a modern day actioner going up against someone like Colin Chou, who's done plenty of Hollywood work...but that's my own fault.

Our man Jaa is going to "Ong the Bak" outta some bad guys.

Coming soon to a book shelf near you - Kung Fu Bob's Dictionary

C - Chiba Up - The act of toughening up in order to deal with a high stress situation.

Acceptable examples of Chiba-ing up include the forceful removal of another mans scrotum, and taking the bull by the horns (not figuratively, I mean literally taking the bull by the horns, then karate chopping it in the head)

O - Ong the Bak out of some bad guys - To deal with the wrong doers of the world via the means of delivering several elbows and knees to the heads of said persons.

If possible some of the strikes should be delivered via jumping off an elephant, or some other form of elephant involvement, although this is not strictly essential.

[Jox]

It's a Tony Jaa action comedy co-starring Dolph Lundgren and the other way around. Jaa called Lundgren up for the part, Dolph said yes if maybe Jaa would do a movie with him in America...

But seriously who really thought Jaa would be bigger than what he is? Can he do anything else than kicking? He's great at what he does but doesn't have the charisma or talent to be the next big star.

Plus he seems weird in his behavior, disappears from the set of movies he's supposed to be directing etc. Not a great thing in the film industry to be trusted for big international productions...

[Drunken Monk]

Can he do anything else than kicking?

I've heard a lot of people ask similar questions and I often wonder whether they've seen the same films I've seen.

Tony Jaa's kicks got a lot of emphasis but I have seen some fantastic handwork out him. The finale of "Ong Bak 2" demonstrated, in my opinion, his versatility. Granted, he may not have exhibited a full array of hand-to-hand fight sequences but the talent is most certainly there.

As for this project? I can't say I'm that excited for it. When I saw Lundgren, I immediately assumed it was going to be a lackluster straight-to-DVD effort as well.

Knowing that Jaa approached Dolph and not vice versa fills me with a little hope though. We'll just have to see how it takes shape as more details leak.

[KUNG FU BOB]

It must have been deja vu then when you heard the plot for 'Chinese Zodiac'!

Yes!

I get it, I just didn't expect Jaa's big international debut to be in a straight-to-DVD western movie, obviously playing the sidekick to Dolph Lundgren. For some reason I always imagined that if he was going to break out into the international market, it'd be in a modern day actioner going up against someone like Colin Chou, who's done plenty of Hollywood work...but that's my own fault.

Is the "straight to DVD" thing confirmed, or is it just speculation?

I agree that Tony Jaa deserves a big budget "welcome to America" movie. I always wished that somebody like Oliver Stone- a self-professed Asian cinema fan- would put aside his serious films and direct a martial arts flick. Can you guys imagine something with the intensity and emotional impact of PLATOON or his recent film SAVAGES, but starring Tony Jaa?

Coming soon to a book shelf near you - Kung Fu Bob's Dictionary

C - Chiba Up - The act of toughening up in order to deal with a high stress situation.

Acceptable examples of Chiba-ing up include the forceful removal of another mans scrotum, and taking the bull by the horns (not figuratively, I mean literally taking the bull by the horns, then karate chopping it in the head)

O - Ong the Bak out of some bad guys - To deal with the wrong doers of the world via the means of delivering several elbows and knees to the heads of said persons.

If possible some of the strikes should be delivered via jumping off an elephant, or some other form of elephant involvement, although this is not strictly essential.

Heh heh hah... you like that? Love your definitions. Looks like we'll have to team up for this proposed book. You know, we'll have to Deadly Duo that bitch into existence! LOL

It's a Tony Jaa action comedy co-starring Dolph Lundgren and the other way around. Jaa called Lundgren up for the part, Dolph said yes if maybe Jaa would do a movie with him in America...

Ah... thanks for that clarification Jox.

I don't have a problem with two kick ass dudes in one film. There's a great history of great martial artists teaming up to make good films- Ti Lung and David Chiang, Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh, Sammo and Biao, Tadashi Yamashita and Sonny Chiba... So I'm basically already in line for tickets to these projects.

But seriously who really thought Jaa would be bigger than what he is? Can he do anything else than kicking? He's great at what he does but doesn't have the charisma or talent to be the next big star.

I think Jaa's way more than kicks. I really admire his overall fighting abilities and I even think his acting has come a long way too.

Plus he seems weird in his behavior, disappears from the set of movies he's supposed to be directing etc. Not a great thing in the film industry to be trusted for big international productions...

Remember, the guy grew up living the simple life. He lived in the jungle with his family raising elephants and had minimal education. So I can understand why he got overwhelmed. I think he just bit off more than he could chew. We've all done that, but fortunately, most of our mistakes weren't broadcast for the whole world to judge us.

As for weird behavior in the film business... ever heard of Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, Joan Crawford, Nicholas Cage, etc? These people all did things "their way" and managed to have long careers.

I've heard a lot of people ask similar questions and I often wonder whether they've seen the same films I've seen.

Tony Jaa's kicks got a lot of emphasis but I have seen some fantastic handwork out him. The finale of "Ong Bak 2" demonstrated, in my opinion, his versatility. Granted, he may not have exhibited a full array of hand-to-hand fight sequences but the talent is most certainly there.

I feel the same way. He uses kung fu, thai boxing, grappling, a large variety of weapons... I seriously cannot understand how some people think ONG-BAK 2 was either "just okay" or even "bad" as personally I rate it in my top 10 martial arts films of all time. I love it!

As for this project? I can't say I'm that excited for it. When I saw Lundgren, I immediately assumed it was going to be a lackluster straight-to-DVD effort as well.

Knowing that Jaa approached Dolph and not vice versa fills me with a little hope though. We'll just have to see how it takes shape as more details leak.

Yeah, and did you hear... I think he's going to punch people with horseshoes on his hands! Obsessed? Me? I think that may be a fair assessment.

[One Armed Boxer]

Is the "straight to DVD" thing confirmed, or is it just speculation?

This was just speculation on my part.

However when you combine a guy like Dolph Lundgren, whose last cinematic outing as a headlining co-star was the 1992 'Universal Soldier', over 20 years ago, with a guy like Tony Jaa, whose last movie was a flop even on his home soil of Thailand, together in a genre which is currently out of trend, I don't think it's going to equate to a theatrical run.

There's a great history of great martial artists teaming up to make good films- Ti Lung and David Chiang, Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh, Sammo and Biao, Tadashi Yamashita and Sonny Chiba

You forgot Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee! Oh God, I hope if Tony Jaa has any lines in English none of them involve mentioning the size of Dolph's manhood.

[One Armed Boxer]

Twitch have posted an update to the original article with corrected information -

UPDATES: We have been in touch with a producer of the film since running this additional post and have some additional news and details. First, we are told that the JCVD rumors were never really more than that - a story that grew somewhat under its own power after a somewhat chance meeting between Jaa and Van Damme at one of the producers' houses. Van Damme was already committed elsewhere - he is about to shoot Swelter with Alfred Molina - and was never available for this. The key cast are Tony Jaa, Dolph Lundgren, Conan Stevens, David Ismalone and Jakkrit Kanokpodjananon, so clearly the guy in the photo I thought may have been Patrick Kazu Tang was not. Story?

The film is an action film with comedy elements set in 1950's Thailand. A local gangster terrorizes a town. When a young local man stands up to the gangster the villain brings in a group of foreign hit men who like to dress as cowboys to pacify the town. Ultimately only one man can rise up to bring them down and save the town.

So, yes, that's Dolph as a cowboy hitman.

Despite Todd Brown rather embarrassingly mixing up David Ismalone (the guy standing on the pieces of wood for extra height in the second photo:tongue:) for Patrick Kazu Tang, the article raises some interesting points. For a start, it appears that this isn't Jaa's international debut after all, rather the case of it being the Thai movie debut for Lundgren. Curiously there's still no mention of who the director will be, is it possible it's Jaa himself?

The inclusion of Ismalone could make for an interesting watch, a guy who started out doing stunts on 'Ong Bak' and some sites have mentioned was the choreographer for 'Bangkok Revenge', I pulled this information off the internet about him -

David Ismalone was one of the first European professional athletes to enter the traditional circuit Thai boxing. With more than 68 professional fights with 64 wins, he went on to become a world champion. He retired from the professional sport in 2001 and began working as a stuntman in international films shot in Thailand, Hong Kong and throughout Asia. He is also a choreographer and stunt coordinator.

[Jox]

I think Jaa's way more than kicks. I really admire his overall fighting abilities and I even think his acting has come a long way too.

Kicks, fighting, whatever, can he do anything else as an actor or a star? Does he have an aura or this charisma that big stars have? I'm not a specialist on him so I'm genuinely asking.

More set pics

http://twitchfilm.com/2013/04/lundgren-and-jaa-in-action-in-new-shots-from-the-set-of-a-man-will-rise.html

[Drunken Monk]

Jaa has been confirmed as the director.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

Shanghai Fukin Noon again??? What happened to the cop/buddy formula???

[HyperDrive]

This sounds like it has elements of Dynamite Warrior in it. I hope it doesn't copy that too much.

[KUNG FU BOB]

Kicks, fighting, whatever, can he do anything else as an actor or a star? Does he have an aura or this charisma that big stars have? I'm not a specialist on him so I'm genuinely asking.

I think he does. But it's really such a subjective thing.

There are plenty of "big stars" that most people really admire that don't do anything for me. So... do you dig Tony? If not, then you don't.

I can't remember if you've said before, but what did you think of his other films Jox?

[Tosh]

Kicks, fighting, whatever, can he do anything else as an actor or a star? Does he have an aura or this charisma that big stars have? I'm not a specialist on him so I'm genuinely asking.

I've never seen why everybody is so down on Jaa like this, what big stars are you talking about? Can these "big" stars even show half the physical ability that Jaa has? If your talking the likes of say Jackie Chan, I never believed he could act out of a paper bag beyond his goofy shtick(though some of his recent movies he's gotten better like Shinjuku Incident, but it took what? 30 years), Yen-Li are just as wooden actors as they've always been, well maybe Yen has gotten better but once again how many movies did it take?

I'll say once again you can't place the whole blame on Jaa, the Thai film industry as a whole needs to step up their game, but I'll take Jaa over some J/K pop idol they shoehorn into a MA film anyday.

Hopefully Jaa has learned his lessons with his directorial debut mistakes, I think having someone like Lundgren(another guy that hasn't exactly had oscar performances through his career) might help, I'm looking forwardd to seeing Jaa step out of his mold and do something different, for better or worse.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Tosh, I would like to hear your definition of acting, and what it is.

[Tosh]

Tosh, I would like to hear your definition of acting, and what it is.

Go watch some 50's - 60's Samurai movies with actors like Tatsuya Nakadai, Raizo Ichikawa, Tetsuro Tamba, (I could go on)... you'll have my answer:wink:

[Tosh]

And let me say I'm not trying to take a dig at the Chinese actors, I think the older generation of Shaw actors like Ku Feng and Yueh Hua were great actors too, but anytime you take a real life fighter or stuntman your going to have a trade off, granted guys like Gordon Liu and Chen Kuan Tai had great (screen or otherwise)charisma, but I don't mistake that for actual acting ability, I don't believe either could pull off the emotional impact an actor like Nakadai did in a movie like Seppuku.

[KUNG FU BOB]

And let me say I'm not trying to take a dig at the Chinese actors, I think the older generation of Shaw actors like Ku Feng and Yueh Hua were great actors too, but anytime you take a real life fighter or stuntman your going to have a trade off, granted guys like Gordon Liu and Chen Kuan Tai had great (screen or otherwise)charisma, but I don't mistake that for actual acting ability, I don't believe either could pull off the emotional impact an actor like Nakadai did in a movie like Seppuku.

Ooohhh... I get what you're saying brother, and yes, Japanese chanbara cinema definitely was more serious than most kung fu films, and therefore a better platform for "actors". But Gordon Liu's performance in EIGHT DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTERS is really fantastic and moving. Despite his voice being dubbed (in every version, Chinese and otherwise), the acting is in his face, his eyes, his body language. I think he does an incredible job here, and in many of his other films as well. How about the scene in 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN where he is still an innocent student and sees the Manchus torturing the rebel hero? The look on his face is priceless.

Now Chen Kuan-Tai was certainly a better fighter than actor. Though I'm still a big fan of his, and love the charisma and all that he puts into his characters, his acting was fairly wooden most of the time. For a few really moving examples of his "acting" ability, I suggest his performance in the uncut version of IRON MONKEY (1977), as some of the cut scenes were very character oriented, and his stand-out role in the recent GALLANTS.

Still... Nakadai is hard to beat.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

@ Tosh

So in your mind, good acting is being all serious and somber? Well, yes that is ONE aspect of acting. Different roles calls for different performances. JC did action comedies for most of his career, and did it pretty well. Just because those roles didn't call for what you consider "good acting", that doesn't make him a bad actor. He could convey real and believable emotion, as shown in Heart Of The Dragon, Crime Story, New Police Story etc. But for most of his movies, that wasn't the objective.

Donnie is another guy who I think gave strong performances when called upon to do so, though it was rarely asked of him. But you don't think he was good in OUATIC 2 or New Dragon Gate Inn or Iron Monkey?

And Jet, though I never was a huge fan, but what about OUATIC series, My Father Is A Hero, Fist Of Legend, Fearless and on and on...??

You obviously prefer one style of acting, but that doesn't mean all other styles in the thespian realm are inferior.

[Tosh]

Ooohhh... I get what you're saying brother, and yes, Japanese chanbara cinema definitely was more serious than most kung fu films, and therefore a better platform for "actors". But Gordon Liu's performance in EIGHT DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTERS is really fantastic and moving. Despite his voice being dubbed (in every version, Chinese and otherwise), the acting is in his face, his eyes, his body language. I think he does an incredible job here, and in many of his other films as well. How about the scene in 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN where he is still an innocent student and sees the Manchus torturing the rebel hero? The look on his face is priceless.

Gordon definitely had fire, he also showed some good comedy chops, he cracks me up everytime I see him shake his ass playing his guitar:tongue:

[One Armed Boxer]

I managed to train wreck this thread didn't I?

It's salvageable!

I think the original point was can Jaa act, which this movie will probably be a good test of. So far the range his movies have required him to go from pretty much consist of - angry, really angry, enraged, upset followed by enraged, completely furious. (Which he's damn good at)

So to hear he's going to be showing his comedy chops, which dare I say if they follow the normal Thai formula will involve some slap stick, and the possibility of Jaa having to regularly use the muscles which make a smile, should be pretty interesting.

The funny thing is a lot of people are bashing 'Tom Yum Goong 2' for looking similar to the original and 'Ong Bak'....but I bet by the time a trailer for this comes out there will be people asking why is Jaa doing comedy, he should stick to doing what he does best like in 'Tom Yum Goong 2'!

[Tosh]

@ Tosh

So in your mind, good acting is being all serious and somber? Well, yes that is ONE aspect of acting.

Did I ever say that? did you derive that from me saying Chan had a goofy shtick? I happen to love a good comedy.