2006, The Weinstein Company, Dir. Prachya Pinkaew - Starring Tony Jaa, Petchtai Wongkamlao, Bongkoj Khongmalai, Xing Jing, Nathan Jones, Johnny Nguyen, Lateef Crowder, Jon Foo, Damian De Montemas, David Asavanond, Sotorn Rungruaeng

The first thought that hit my mind while writing this review is a fictional battle: Tony Jaa versus the Weinsteins. The action and fury that fueled last year’s Ong-Bak (one of my guilty pleasures of 2005) is still present in its unrelated follow-up, but the poor editing jobs from the new Weinstein Company lead to a mediocre final cut. I’ve become a great fan of Jaa’s work so far, and he proves once again to be a charismatic lead in this Thai blockbuster. But Harvey and Bob, despite their willingness to distribute it in America, leave the movie improperly advertised and cut. If there’s one thing more unattractive in the movie business than Steve Buscemi, it’s dubbing. There’s never a need to dub. A movie should always remain in its original state - and it’s sad to see Jaa’s latest to be chopped and ripped apart by some halfwit executive. Regardless, martial arts buffs and audiences will be easily attracted by the top-notch action that Protector has to offer, showing much hope for Jaa’s future.

The first titlecard explains how purebred elephants (if there are such) have remained a tradition in Thai culture, claiming that the greatest elephants are sold to the living king. The elephant’s power is attained by said ruler, and are a sacred symbol of Thai royalty. In a village where the pachyderms are kept safe and pampered, a young man named Kham (Jaa) is raised to protect them. When Kham’s father (Rungruaeng) is killed by a group of hateful poachers, the young warrior must avenge his death - and save the precious elephants which have been stolen from them. Kham learns of a crime ring drawing all the way to Sydney, Australia, where a family tied to the police bureau has extended itself power throughout the continent. Kham is determined to get his revenge, as he uses the help of a disgraced police officer (Wongkamlao) to take down the evil Madame Rose (Jing) and other various goons she’s employed to conversely take down Kham.

Tony Jaa serves as both actor and martial arts choreographer in Protector, showing brilliance in both regards. Fights like these are sure to blow anyone’s mind, unless they’re too attached to Sir Quentin Tarantino to admit it. (Oddly enough, QT actually presents this movie.) Jaa can walk in a room and change its mood in a split-second. With barely any dialogue, his role as the silent-but-deadly vigilante is sure to become trademark in a few more projects. Therefore, all he has to master are his expressions and movement - and he does so instantaneously. Petchtai Wongkamlao, who served as Jaa’s sidekick in Ong-Bak, proves to be good comic relief once again. Beyond these two actors, I have little to say about the remaining cast. They are all either drastically stretched stereotypes or fighters matched against Jaa - all which are eventually defeated and therefore test their screen presence. And whoever saw any WWE wrestlers entering the ring against Tony? I wish them the best.

I’m sure I would have enjoyed the original cut for director Pinkaew’s movie, rather than the American recut. It’s a grave sin to ever dub a film, and it results in some cringe-worthy faceoffs. It’s hard to take some heavy dialogue seriously when the character’s lips can’t match their threats. Was the Weinsteins’ editor a 23 year old computer science major with a copy of VideoStudio 7? The film looks messy here and there, as scenes are melded with no transition and minimal SFX. But when it comes to the cinematography, the Weinsteins would have been moronic to change anything. The Protector unleashes some mind-boggling sights: an uncut four-minute fight scene ascending four stories and staircases, a ‘Crazy-88′ homage where Jaa endlessly breaks bones in Muay Thai fashion, and an epic final scene against the crime family. These aren’t stunts you can see in your local theater. It’s high-octane perfection.

But it’s not all perfect (sorry to rain on your parade.) But don’t complain to Jaa, complain to Harvey and Bob (write it down). They are the masterminds to wrecking what could have been a fantastic flick. Still, for those who appreciate good martial arts, and still want in on the Ong-Bak craze, Protector has what it takes.