Holy action! When The Weinstein Company tells us that The Protector is action-packed we should have taken their word on it. The only problem is that the action's running-time is almost the same length as the film's running-time, which is good and bad.
DVD Review: The Protector
The official synopsis for The Protector makes one think that they are going to see something epic. To be honest, I still don't understand how the film earned its title. What is the story? Well, far from epic, we are given something closer to many Jackie Chan flicks that would rather concentrate on action and stunts than story. I can't really blame them, however, since the story involves an angry Thai warrior who goes on an er, adventure through Australia to find his favorite elephant. No joke.
As a film, The Protector doesn't really do it for me. The flashbacks, which were supposed to help give more history on our lead character, looked as if they were from a different film. Where the DVD will succeed is with the action. I found myself constantly rewinding choreographed sequences while throwing thanks to director Prachya Pinkaew for having the stunts performed without wires. At least, I didn't notice any.
That's right, a nice change of pace by having Asian warriors that can't float.
Another additional perk is that some action sequences take place in a single shot -- pay attention and you can see Tony Jaa become fatigued.
The special features fit the film with a featurette bragging about how no wires were used and a "Tony Jaa Martial Arts Demonstration."
I would have liked to see some glorious footage of performers breaking themselves during stunts with included outtakes, but that could just be because I am sick and twisted.
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