Panna Rittikrai's Born To Fight (1986 version)

[One Armed Boxer]

I've been meaning to watch some of Panna Rittikrai's early work since I first heard they'd be getting a release, and finally got around to watching this the other night. I'd heard that it didn't really have any relation plot wise to the 2004 re-make with Dan Chupong, so had been curious to see exactly what the similarities where.

The films non-existent budget is glaringly obvious (as expected), and the terrible cropped transfer doesn't help matters, but sure enough when the action kicks in it drew the same gasps of amazement from me as when I first watched Ong Bak & Tom Yum Goong! Many of the key stunts from the re-make are here, which is probably the reason why the 2004 version bares the same title (only in Thai action cinema could a film be classed as a re-make based on sharing the same stunts as opposed to the same plot!).

Considering most people questioned the safety of the stunt work in the 2004 version, stating that Thai safety regulations are probably a lot less stringent than in Hong Kong, which lets face it has churned out some of the craziest stunts we've ever seen, then to see some of the same stunts performed nearly 20 years earlier on no budget whatsoever is quite a feat.

Person riding a motorbike head first into the front of a pickup truck...check (and in the originals case it's Panna himself on the bike)...person riding a motorbike off the side of a road straight through a billboard...check...people swinging at each other with flaming 4x4 planks of wood...check! Watching it you can't help but feel that Panna & his stunt team wanted to make up for the lack of budget by including as many squint worthy money shots as possible. When people get punched and kicked (often in the face), it's full force, and every time gets the multiple angle or slow motion/normal speed multiple take treatment just for good measure. If you thought Donnie Yen punching Xing Yu in the face in Flash Point is brutal...these guys take it to the next level.

Its a shame these releases (Spirited Killer was also released which I have yet to see) seem to have got such a negative response from people, it seems mailny due to the poor production values and acting, as I'd love to see more of his early work. Has anyone else seen the original Born To Fight & have any opinions, or any of Panna's other early works for that matter?

[KUNG FU BOB]

<I've been meaning to watch some of Panna Rittikrai's early work since I first heard they'd be getting a release, and finally got around to watching this the other night.>

Yeah, this is full of jaw dropping stunts, and it's entertainment factor outweighs it's poor print problem IMO.

<The films non-existent budget is glaringly obvious (as expected), and the terrible cropped transfer doesn't help matters, but sure enough when the action kicks in it drew the same gasps of amazement from me as when I first watched Ong Bak & Tom Yum Goong!>

Ain't that the truth. I watched this with a bunch of friends and we all winced, and yelled along with the action.

<Many of the key stunts from the re-make are here, which is probably the reason why the 2004 version bares the same title (only in Thai action cinema could a film be classed as a re-make based on sharing the same stunts as opposed to the same plot!).>

LOLXD Right you are!

<Person riding a motorbike head first into the front of a pickup truck...check (and in the originals case it's Panna himself on the bike)>

The most amazing thing about this stunt (which I've probably watched 30 or 40 times) is that they appear to have packed and hidden protective pads in the back of the pickup for Panna to land in. But he barely touches these- sailing completely over the truck onto the ground!

<people swinging at each other with flaming 4x4 planks of wood>

Which, unlike the remake, does not seem to use balsa wood boards, but real 4x4s!

<When people get punched and kicked (often in the face), it's full force, and every time gets the multiple angle or slow motion/normal speed multiple take treatment just for good measure. If you thought Donnie Yen punching Xing Yu in the face in Flash Point is brutal...these guys take it to the next level.>

And you have to take into consideration- the fist that Donnie used on Xing Yu was a padded, prosthetic hand extension (with Yen's real hand in the fake one's wrist), while Panna and his crew were doing everything sans FX. JUST PUNCHING EACH OTHER FOR REAL.

<Its a shame these releases (Spirited Killer was also released which I have yet to see) seem to have got such a negative response from people, it seems mailny due to the poor production values and acting, as I'd love to see more of his early work.>

Yes, I agree. His work is not polished, but certainly worthy of respect.

<Has anyone else seen the original Born To Fight & have any opinions, or any of Panna's other early works for that matter?>

I've collected several of his early films, and each one has great action stuff. If you like to see some of them, drop me a line. I sent you a pm.

(I'M NOT SURE HOW TO USE THE MULTI-QUOTE FEATURE)

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Horrible movie!! But definitely worth watching for the awesome stunts and full contact stuff. And I actually liked the other movie that came with it more. Thai Police Story I think.

[One Armed Boxer]

the fist that Donnie used on Xing Yu was a padded, prosthetic hand extension (with Yen's real hand in the fake one's wrist)

Really!? Now that I did not know!

I actually liked the other movie that came with it more. Thai Police Story I think.

Yeah I watched this last night, it leans more towards constant (& I mean constant) fight action than stunt work in this one...although the Panna vs 4 guys on top of a moving truck may have provided the inspiration for the truck chase sequence that opens up the 2004 Born To Fight.

If theres one thing that Thai Police Story displayed its that the close quarter rapid fire sparring that Jackie Chan specialises in isn't just restricted to Hong Kong. Some great fight sequences, brutal blows and people getting thrown into things left right and centre. No doubt if Panna was from Hong Kong he would have been massive.

I presume at 55 minutes though that a lot of this movie has been cut, pretty much the last half of it plot wise was completely lost on me!

[KUNG FU BOB]

Back when ONG-BAK first came out, I asked a friend that's Thai to recommend some other movies by Panna. So I bought a handfull of VCDs, none with English subs, and all full frame with atrocious looking prints. You know what? I still enjoyed every one of them.

Best title among them- BIBLE OF LOAFER!

[lightning hopkins]

Back when ONG-BAK first came out, I asked a friend that's Thai to recommend some other movies by Panna. So I bought a handfull of VCDs, none with English subs, and all full frame with atrocious looking prints. You know what? I still enjoyed every one of them.

Best title among them- BIBLE OF LOAFER!

Reminds me of a comment Panna made in an interview a few years ago, when he said that the biggest fan base for his films, and the ones who keep buying them on VCD, is guys like cab drivers and construction workers. Visit any video store or sidewalk vendor selling VCDs in Thailand and you'll see for yourself -- loads of his old action classics (as well as countless unknown others) available for only 39 baht each.

And yeah, with Panna's films, entertainment value more than makes up for the readily evident budgetary limitations. You guys can keep your anamorphic progressive whatever....for me, watching an awful copy of "Black Killer 2" or "Singh Siam" on someone's beat-up TV in the evening heat somewhere in Southeast Asia is about as good as it gets this side of the old Saturday afternoon channel 5 kung fu movies of youth.

[KUNG FU BOB]

And yeah, with Panna's films, entertainment value more than makes up for the readily evident budgetary limitations. You guys can keep your anamorphic progressive whatever....for me, watching an awful copy of "Black Killer 2" or "Singh Siam" on someone's beat-up TV in the evening heat somewhere in Southeast Asia is about as good as it gets this side of the old Saturday afternoon channel 5 kung fu movies of youth.

I'm there Man! That's all you need.

But... I'm also about having more than I need... in the air condition watching on a HD big screen. XD

The print still looks bad, I'm just way more comfortable looking at it.

But I wouldn't trade those old days. Sure when I watched THE STREETFIGHTER on an old worn out VHS is was like viewing it through a keyhole it was so cropped. And the tape made a "squeek... squeek..." sound the whole time, but it was good. Pure goodness.

[AlbertV]

If you also notice, some of the stunts used in BTF '86 were also used in Ong-Bak as well. The plot was crap, but you gotta love those stunts...I mean who really watches these action packed films for the story anyway...some do and it depends, but I'm more of a stunt and fight fanatic.

[One Armed Boxer]

If you also notice, some of the stunts used in BTF '86 were also used in Ong-Bak as well.

Yeah I did notice that, the way Panna finishes off the final bad guy, by punching him off a high ledge then jumping off himself, kicking the guy mid-fall, is used by Tony Jaa both when the western fighter smashes though the window of the room where the bad guys place their bets in Ong Bak, and also in Tom Yung Goong when one of Johnny Nguyen's thugs tried to jump off the top of a truck to escape.

[blue_skies]

I thought I would revisit this movie tonight and really enjoyed it. I think last time round I didn't enjoy the film half as much although I did enjoy the finale last time round. This time I enjoyed everything, well just about.

Luckily it wasn't worth selling or I would have gotten rid of it back then!

Got to love the full contact fighting and stunts and as one armed boxer has mentioned all the similarities to Born To Fight...And Ong Bak too.

One thing that struck me watching today was the fight sequence where they were knocking each other off of motorcycles. Which reminded me of in the line of duty four with Donnie yen. His sequence always stuck with me, so I paused the movie and did a check and it's three years before it appeared in its Hong Kong contemporary movie counterpart. Just out of curiosity was this a new idea? Yen's has always stuck with me I don't remember seeing it anywhere else.

[DiP]

One thing that struck me watching today was the fight sequence where they were knocking each other off of motorcycles. Which reminded me of in the line of duty four with Donnie yen. His sequence always stuck with me, so I paused the movie and did a check and it's three years before it appeared in its Hong Kong contemporary movie counterpart. Just out of curiosity was this a new idea? Yen's has always stuck with me I don't remember seeing it anywhere else.

Does the finale of Police Story ring a bell?

It's known that Panna was a big fan of Chan's work so surely he must've got the idea from that film.

[blue_skies]

Does the finale of Police Story ring a bell?

.

Haha thanks :redface: