Welcome back to MuayThaiArt.com/weblog! We’re back with another old movie. However this old movie I’m talking about was made by a Legend, Bruce Lee. So that makes it a lot more interesting to watch.

The Way of the Dragon is considered to be Lee’s best film. He wrote, directed and starred in this action movie. He took a role of a na?ve country boy sent to Rome to help his relatives. A calm and kind Asian like himself will turn into a killing machine once he’s pissed by some bad guys.

If the hero is an Asian guy, so the bad guy has to be a Caucasian. Real-life Karate Champion Chuck Norris took this role and he had to fight against Bruce in the film. So you imagine how well the fighting scenes had turned out. The fight scene against Chuck Norris remains supreme to this day. Bruce had to take hours of Boxing and Wrestling class just for this scene.

However, there are some funny scenes when Bruce had a difficult time adjusting into a new environment. But that makes the film plot really similar to many other of his films like The Big Boss (since there are quite number of the same people appearing in both films) and it could be boring for many critics because they always want to find something new.

Note: Mohammed Ali, the great heavyweight boxer at that time, had an influence in Bruce’s style of fighting. If you have noticed, in this film, Bruce is more on his toes not flat footed as in his earlier movies.

When it first ran at the Asian cinemas, the Way of the Dragon grossed $HK 5 million. For Bruce Lee fans, the Way of the Dragon still remains the greatest Bruce Lee film of all time.

So if you get a chance to rent or even better buy this film to your martial arts collection, I recommend you should do so. If you really are martial arts fan, this movie can never disappoint you.

Here is another boxing movie. It’s quite hard to find specific film with specific things you want to see. And of course if you like Muay Thai, you would want to see Thai boxing films. However, movie production in Thailand is not really that good. So there are very little numbers of Muay Thai films released. Unlike in the West, that movie production started long time ago, and it has been developed uncountable times until it is as good as you can see today.

Boxing was in films long long time ago. Today’s is another classic one called “Golden Boy”. It was released in 1939. That’s like almost 80 years ago, so ancient I know. Some of you might have seen it on TMC. However old movie doesn’t mean it’s not good. It is actually pretty good and very inspiring!

The movie is about Joe Bonaparte, a born violinist but feeling he’s getting worse and worse and practice doesn’t make perfect for him. So he decided to quit and start to box. His dad, however, who has been so proud of his son music skill, got his dream turned down. Joe fought for the first time and he won, so he took it as a sign that he should keep on boxing. But one day he finds his inner conscience telling him to return to his violin. His lover, Lorna Moon, who knows him very well, also tries to persuade him to give up fighting. At the end his undecided decision finally ends, when he kills his opponent in one fight. He discards his gloves and return to his love, his father, his violin and his Lorna.

So if you get to a chance to see it sometimes, watch it. Even though it is old and still in black and white, the value of the movie is still there. This is one good movie that you can’t find in years.

Hi guys! It’s time for a new Thai film. This one might not consists of lots of incredible actions like Tony Jaa’s movies. But this one really guarantees the fun and laughs. Here we go. The movie is called Pattaya Papaya or Thai’s name “Somtum” our famous papaya salad. You’ll find out later why this name.

The story is about a big guy named Barny who somehow traveled to Thailand and got robbed. Having nothing left, he has to do something to survive. This point leads him to find two girls who’re being hunted by Pattaya mafia gang. One of the girls happens to know Muay Thai and is actually really good at it. Barny got hurt from trying to save the girls finally get something back. Both girls took him back to their mom who owns a Somtum restaurant. Barny tried it for the first time and that’s when he feels the fire inside because of the heat from this food running through everything destroying the restaurant. He got no choice but to find a way to repair it somehow.

The friendship between this huge guy and 2 tiny girls has begun. But then these naughty girls again get into trouble and are hunted by a gang of diamond robbers.

So what do you think? The movie is just in Theater a few days ago and I hope you will find it in DVD soon outside Thailand. I really hope you will get to see this film. But as I said, the Muay Thai actions in the movies are performed by a girl. If you expected it to be so cool, think again. But as I have heard, the girl is really good. She actually knows the martial arts. As a kid, she did give a really good performer.

Back with us again at MuayThaiArt.com/weblog. I guess some of you might have seen this movie already. Strength and Honor, if you take a look at its trailer I’m putting below here, I think you might think the same way I do that it looks ace…and kinda like an epic gypsy film. Many think it’s the best both story and acting. Now let’s take a look at the trailer, if you haven’t seen it.

Strength and Honour theatrical trailer from YouTube.com

It does look promising right. When I first watched it, I really wanna give this one 2 thumbs up. I was over come by the vid. And the music is so touchy. Really brilliant!!

Here’s the synopsis

STRENGTH AND HONOUR tells the story of an Irish-American boxer, Sean Kelleher (Michael Madsen), who accidentally kills his friend in the ring and promises his wife that he will never box again. However, years later, when he discovers that his only son is dying of the same hereditary heart disorder which has taken his wife, he is forced to break his promise in order to raise the substantial funds needed for the surgery that could save his son’s life.

STRENGTH AND HONOUR is a human drama of love and friendship, sacrifice and devotion, set against the violent underground world of bare-knuckle boxing.

Director: Mark Mahon

Starring: Michael Madsen, Vinnie Jones, Patrick Bergin, Pat Shortt

When I first heard about this film that it was about to create a center of attention of global spectators, I was intrigued and had to see it for myself. Before I bring this here, I saw Strength & Honour twice already. The acting was outstanding!!! Except for the awful Irish accents.

So I believe overall most of the people who’ve seen it liked it. There are however complains on the actors’ bad Irish accents.

You gotta see it! It is a very brilliant and well put together film. It’s one of the best films I’ve seen all year.

Every times we think of martial arts movies, we tend to think more about the actor of the movie. One Great and most well-known actor of these whole martial arts films is Bruce Lee. No need to tell who he was. Enter the Dragon was the most popular film Lee lastly and completely stared in before he died. Sad thing, he actually died only 6 days before the movie was released.

I know, it’s not a Muay Thai, but Kungfu film. But I chose to introduce you this film today because even though it’s produced in Hong Kong, it was the first kungfu film made by Hollywood making it as a leader of other later Kungfu films and just because I am a Bruce Lee fan, just like other millions of people. I’ve been watching his movies since I was very little like the famous, Fist of Fury and Way of the Dragon.

Synopsis:
Lee plays a Kungfu master wanted by an international intelligence organization to enter a martial arts tournament organized by Han who was once a Shaolin student just like him. Han chose immoral way for his life, becoming a drug dealer and owning a prostitution business. Lee also found out later on that Han’s right hand bodyguard killed Lee’s sister, even encouraging him to enter the fight.

The Hall of Mirrors run towards the end of the film is until now legendary, as are Lee’s extraordinarily athletic and martial arts abilities. More many decades this great film has remained an enjoyable, winning action movie.

Enter The Dragon Cover Picture from Wikipedia.com

Directed by Robert Clouse
Produced by Fred Weintraub and Paul Heller
Written by Michael Allin
Casts: Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Ahna Capri, Shih Kien…
Distributed by Warner Brothers

I really recommend you to see this film. I was such a huge success since it was first released. I believe until these days whoever sees this movie will still love it.