Raging Phoenix [DVD] [2009]

Film=5*, Subs=2*, Audio=3*

i also own original thai version of this (import before release) which worked 100% but with this version half the subs are wrong.. there's a couple bits where they missed the subs completely.. basically the film has been changed because subs are incorrect... either get version from thailand or download it & get the subtitles separately, at least they will be right! The audio is slightly out of sync as well.. someone gets hit, then the sound plays.. thats on pc, ps3 or blu ray player.. How can this be a legit blu ray with so much wrong with it???... Honestly it's getting to the stage where 'pirate' copies are actually better quality than the legit versions & you dont have menu's you cant skip on pirates ;)

The film itself is amazing, with awesome action packed fight scenes, a really good story thats original... not a cliché here :) but as a gd part of the film is training Jija you dont see as much of her kickin butt as you'd like.

when film is saying who characters are it missis Sanim's... still comes up saying his name is Sanim but on thailand ver its 'Sanim (Iron Rust)', which it dont say on this ver. Sanim's wife 'Pie' as its spelt in this is actually spelt 'Pai'... Why is amazon red lining 'spelt' according to the dictionary its spelt like that...

Ultimately a slightly disappointing combination of the usual acrobatic high-flying bonecrunching Thai martial arts with a faintly silly then utterly ludicrous plot. The gorgeous Jija Yanin is kidnapped by some bad guys but rescued by some bloke (Patrick Tang) using crazy martial arts. He introduces her to his mates, who use the same box of tricks, based on being drunk to confuse the enemy: unlike Chinese drunken style, which involves random movements to simulate a drunk, this style actually involves being drunk (not sure what that would do for the co-ordination, but I'm not Thai...). Jija learns the style and becomes top-class at it in the space of about a week (hmmmm....), and the group set out to track down the bad kidnapping guys, whose thing to steal girls to turn their tears into perfume (I did say this got ludicrous, didn't I?) and who had stolen Patrick Tang's wife on the day of their wedding.

Eventually, using Jija as bait, they find their way to the bad guys' underground hideout, which turns out to have enormous chasms reminiscent of Mordor, crossed by rope bridges to allow for some interesting fight scenes. But, damn, if someone threw me headfirst into solid rock, I'd be _hurt_, not able to carry on fighting for another 10 minutes. With that caveat, the fighting throughout is acrobatic, extended, and great to watch. Jija herself is pretty damn good and just about believable as a kickass queen.

But the whole thing is let down by the ridiculous plot (almost as bad as elephants being trafficked to Australia...) and, by the same token, the overextended nature of the fights: I know it's convention, but real fights don't go on for 10 minutes or more, across and between bridges, up and down rock steps, bouncing off rock walls, and so on. It's very well done, and I bet a good many bruises were sustained, but it ain't remotely real. Chocolate was just as silly but rather more fun, I think.

This second effort from Jeja Yanin takes a new route with a more modern martial arts film. While her character in Chocolate immitates classic martial arts stars in Raging Phoenix she works in a post modern mix of martial arts and hip hop dance. If you like old school martial arts films you may not find this one very interesting. The plot is decent for this kind of film. A gang of human trafficers kidnap women special to a group of men who come together to help fight against the gangs and free them. Deu/Neu played by Jeja Yanin (the box and subtitles do it different not sure which is correct) is almost kidnapped by the gang and is rescued by Sanim played by Patrick Tang who introduces her to the group and agrees to train her in their unique art style. She then joins them in their mission to stop the trafficers.

It's simple and has some comedy to mix in with the action and acrobatics which are impressive with a fun mix of martial arts styles.

If you enjoy modern asian action movies go ahead and pick this up while it's cheap it'll provide some fun on a quiet night in with some popcorn.

If you're obsessed with Bruce Lee movies and don't like anything outside of the 70's then avoid this you'll hate it.