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The Protector (2006) DVD Review
The Protector (2006) DVD Credits:
The Protector (2006) Directed by:
Prachya Pinkaew
The Protector (2006) Written by:
Prachya Pinkaew
The Protector (2006) Cast:
Tony Yaa, Mum Jokmok, Xing Jing
The Protector (2006) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
The Protector (2006) DVD Release Date:
16th January 2007
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The Protector (2006) Synopsis:

A young fighter named Kham must go to Australia to retrieve his stolen elephant. With the help of a Thai-born Australian detective, Kham must take on all comers, including a gang led by an evil woman and her two deadly bodyguards.

The Protector (2006) DVD Review:

The US Theatrical version of the film was reduced to less than an hour and a half, although most of the action was kept. It was mostly the plot filling dialogue and footage leading to the fight which was removed, and that might be difficult for American audiences to appreciate anyways. There is so much emphasis on the elephants in the international version that viewers might start questioning the silliness of the plot with considerably larger gaps in between the incredible fight sequences. Although the ceremonies for the elephants may wear on audience’s patience if all they want is action, these sequences are just as meticulously shot, leaving the entire film with a polished visual style.

Tony Jaa is given an upgrade in his follow up martial arts film to Ong-Bak. The fight sequences are more extravagant as are the situations. There are scenes of incredibly well planned choreography making the progression of the fight quite incredible to watch. While Ong-Bak mostly just put Jaa in a pit and made his martial arts skills the focus, The Protector makes the cinematography part of the action as well. In one fantastic scene Jaa makes his way up a circular set of stairs, destroying anyone in his path. For the little guy that he is Jaa fills the screen with energy not often seen. Comparisons to Bruce Lee, Jet Li, and Jackie Chan are inevitable and Chan even appears for a quick cameo in The Protector.

Jaa is once again a member of a simple civilization built upon tradition and honor. This time his world is disturbed when poachers steal his family elephants, so the small-stature Thai follows them, uncovering a disturbing secret at an elite restaurant. The restaurant owner is a thief and a killer, but most impressively has an army of challenging fighters to pit against Jaa. The fights take full importance in the US version, but there is a lot more waiting in the longer international version, but either version have an impressive display of stunts without CGI, wires or stunt doubles.

This Two-Disc Ultimate Edition allows for separate discs for each version of the film. The first disc contains the U.S. theatrical version and most of the special features. The special features on this disc include an extra fight scene from the film, a few featurettes, including one guided by the director, and a commentary with Asian film expert Bey Logan. There is also an impressive video of a martial arts demonstration by Jaa and a cell phone video. Disc two contains the international version of the film and the short films from the “Take on Tony Jaa” contest.

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The Protector (2006) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

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