If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

"Ong Bak" refers to a really old statue of The Buddha that sits in a small Thai village. Thieves from Bangkok disrespect and decapitate the statue and take the head with them. Believing their village is now cursed without it, the upset villagers determine to recover it. One of the villagers, Ting, played by Muay Thai legend Tony Jaa, volunteers to travel to Bangkok. His logical starting point is Don, a drug dealer who attempted to buy the statue and so begins his spiritual warrior journey into the depths of Bangkok's criminal underworld.As a Thai I admit I am biased but this is one of the great martial arts films of all time. The action is incredible and the fact that there is no cgi makes it all the more epic and rewarding. No wire work either. It is a battle of good vs evil elevated to epic status since the hero's journey is spiritually justified. Muay Thai and Taekwondo fans will recognise many of the moves. This is an exciting introduction to Thai Culture and our people.

The simple story of "Ong-Bak" is enough to carry the audiences through, but poorly developed characters means that the martial arts by Tony Jaa are the real highlight of the movie. The martial arts work are impressive and varied from scene to scene and mixing chases with fights against increasingly difficult opponents means that you will be excited to see what comes next. Some of the stunts here are unlike anything you have ever seen (except maybe in exaggerated animated films) and if you're a fan of kung-fu films, or if you're OK with non-stop action with a thin storyline and non-characters, you'll be blown away.Watching this movie, it got me thinking. In this age of CGI and quick-cut editing, there's a real lack of material for people who like seeing real physical performances like dancing, martial arts/fighting, singing and other stunt work. There's probably a lot of that market that can be crossed over as well. I mean while we have "Step Up" style extreme dancing, maybe the thin story lines those movies have can be spiced up with the elements of these type of martial arts films. You already have people jumping around and doing flips and crazy stunts so why not? Maybe a kung-fu musical where we don't get a thousand cuts and we get the actors to sing as they are doing the actions (instead of dubbing them in post) could be a real eye-opener for fans of either genre. Does that sound so crazy? It's starting to make sense to me. With that in mind, even if a movie about martial arts doesn't sound like your thing, give this one a try because the stunt work is impressive and there is a lot of enjoyment that can be had knowing that on screen you're actually seeing real people throwing punches and kicks at each other. (On DVD, August 12, 2012)

You don't watch a movie like 'Ong-Bak' for the plot--which is a good thing because there really isn't much of one. You watch it for the relentless, dazzling action, and it's here that it delivers.After a bit of a slow, clunky start, 'Ong-Bak' hits the gas for the better part of its (over-long) near 2-hour running time. While there's a certain level of diminishing returns with that much action, it's still thrilling to watch the amazing Tony Jaa leap, flip and kick his way in, around and through various goons and obstacles.While it certainly would have benefited from a more polished script, 'Ong-Bak' is an entertaining action diversion.

When the head of an ancient statute known as Ong-bak is stolen it is up to Ting, a proud Muy Thai martial artist must battle urban chaos and organized crime to get it back.This is beyond a shadow of a doubt one of the most action packed martial arts films I have seen in a very long time. With some of the most spectacular stunt work this side of any Jackie Chan, a spring board for Tony Jaa as a martial arts sensation. The story why clichéd and not at all without flaw is not the reason to watch this film. The sheer brilliance and beauty of the action sequences are what make this film a true cinematic wonder to behold. No CGI, no wire work whatsoever make this a pure action film. Spawning two less than impressive sequels, the Ong-bak films are not known for their story or plot but for there hardcore death defying action sequences. I can't recommend this film enough to any fan of Asian cinema.