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Muay Thai Chaiya: New movie


Guest Daisho2004

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The Amazing Psycho Per

Here's what I thought when I saw it three years ago...

Just finished watching this recent Thai film and I thought it was pretty good...

If you want to know what to expect, think of what would happen if you put Crying Fists, Goodfellas and Thai Boxing in a blender... The result would be something like Muay Thai Chaya.

First, let me just say I suck at making synopsis so there you go:

The movie revolves around three childhood friends, who have been trained in the art of Muay Thai Chayia in a remote fishing village, trying to make it big in the Muay Thai world of Bangkok. Unfortunately, two of them will end up in the underground world eventually serving as hitman, while the other one will continue his rise as top fighter under his father guidance.

What we are given here is a very odd blend off sport, martial arts, gangster drama movies. The movie shifts frome genre to genre fairly well and boasts some stylish direction, both in terms of editing, camerawork and cinematography. Every trick from the book is used: split screen, slow motion, steady cam, etc...

The photography is worth noticing also, the colors are pretty vivid throughout the movie and the images at the fishing village early on are particularly stunning.

All this shouldn't come as a surprise since Wisit Sasanatieng, director of Tears of the Black Tiger and Citizen dog, serves as art director on this project.

Taken appart all the elements making this movie aren't original at all, but put together, they offer something fresh that looks genuinely Thai.

As for the action, it's nothing like what we have been used to see in recent years from Thailand. It's a much more grounded Muay Thai choreography that is presented here, and one that relies more on editing and sound, then on actual physical prowess.

However two parts in the movie don't seem to quite fit with the rest... One is when one of the main protagonist, Biak, enters a underground fighting rink. The tone of the movie seems to shift to something a little bit, I don't know how to put it but, exagerated... The second one being part of the ending I won't give it away. Don't get me wrong, it does deliver some very entertaining pieces, and some violent ones I might add, but you know, it felt at odds with the tone set by the rest of the film.

Overall a very satisfying movie, with a solid screenplay containing a few twists and turns, at least compared to what Tahiland action movies have been putting up lately. Don't expect an action fest a la Tom Yum Goong, but there are some good action pieces here and there to complete the drama that should satisfy most viewers.

If some of what I wrote don't make sense, well remember that english is not my native language ;).

Yep, I just quoted myself :yociexp102:

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Improvisation

God do I wish Thai movies would stop being re-released four years after their original release date and under different names. This one came back out in 2007.

I caught an import DVD of it and it was meh. The movie had good muay thai chaiya choreography but it was just way too long. I think it's a little over 130 mins but it felt like 3 hours. The story is extremely melodramatic, the film tries too had to be a triad drama, and the effect is that you just don't give a shit about these whiny characters and want to see them start kicking some muay thai ass already.

Good for diehard fans of muay thai. That's just about all I can say. Fighting Beat, on the other hand...that one was short, to the point, had better choreography, and was funny as hell. Check it out. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1264961/

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ShaOW!linDude
Fighting Beat, on the other hand...that one was short, to the point, had better choreography, and was funny as hell. Check it out. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1264961/

Love that movie!!!

The choreography in it is soooo sweet! I'd love to see more stuff like this. I actually wish this film would've run another 15 mins, or so longer.

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I didn't finish this movie, but it had promise. Like Improv said, I didn't care for some of the romance and crime stuff. The training was well done, the fights were decent...oh well.

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I watched it last night and I was pleased with what I saw. It wasn't another mindless Thai action film, but more of a cross between Goodfellas and Thai Boxing as APP mentioned. I enjoyed how the central characters of Pao, Piak, and Samor all grow up and eventually take different paths with some interesting twists to the plot. The action sequences were really well done and I was really surprised with American-born stuntman and martial artist Don Ferguson, who played "Diamond", the big bad fighter of the ring.

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ShaOW!linDude

@ AV

Loved your review, man. I'm wanting to check this out at some point.

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