''Tom-Yum-Goong'' (
Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
: ต้มยำกุ้ง, ) is a 2005 Thai
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
action
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
film starring
Tony Jaa
Tatchakorn Yeerum ( th, ทัชชกร ยีรัมย์, , ; formerly Phanom Yeerum ( th, พนม ยีรัมย์, ); born 5 February 1976), better known internationally as Tony Jaa and in Thailand as Jaa Phanom ( th, จา ...
. The film was directed by
Prachya Pinkaew
Prachya Pinkaew ( th, ปรัชญา ปิ่นแก้ว; ; born September 2, 1962) is a Thai film director, film producer and screenwriter. His films include '' Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior'' and ''Tom-Yum-Goong'', both martial arts films s ...
, who also directed Jaa's prior breakout film ''
Ong-Bak
''Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior'' ( th, องค์บาก, ), also known in the United States as ''Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior'' is a 2003 Thai martial arts film directed by Prachya Pinkaew, featured stunt choreography by Panna Rittikrai and starr ...
''. As with ''Ong-Bak'', the fights were choreographed by Jaa and his mentor,
Panna Rittikrai
Panna Rittikrai ( th, links=no, พันนา ฤทธิไกร; ) or birth name Krittiya Lardphanna ( th, links=no, กฤติยา ลาดพันนา; , February 17, 1961 – July 20, 2014) was a Thai martial arts action choreo ...
. The film was distributed as ''Warrior King'' in the United Kingdom, as ''The Protector'' in the United States, as ''Thai Dragon'' in Spain, as ''Revenge of the Warrior'' in Germany, and as ''Honor of the Dragon'' in Russia and CIS countries. In India, it was named Haathi Mere Saathi (literally elephant, my partner), from a name of another Bollywood film starring Rajesh Khanna.
Plot
Kham is the last of a family line of guards who once watched over the
King of Thailand
The monarchy of Thailand (whose monarch is referred to as the king of Thailand; th, พระมหากษัตริย์ไทย, or historically, king of Siam; th, พระมหากษัตริย์สยาม) refers to the c ...
's
war elephant
A war elephant was an elephant that was trained and guided by humans for combat. The war elephant's main use was to charge the enemy, break their ranks and instill terror and fear. Elephantry is a term for specific military units using elephant ...
s. Following tradition, he takes great care in raising the animals. Kham grows up forming close relations to his elephant, Por Yai and its calf, Kohrn. During the
Songkran
Songkran is a term derived from the Sanskrit word, ' (or, more specifically, ') and used to refer to the traditional New Year celebrated in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, parts of northeast India, parts of Vietnam and ...
festival, the animals are stolen by elephant poachers, with help from Mr. Suthep, a local
MP, and his son. Kham raids Mr. Suthep's house and beats up the poachers. However, the elephants are now in the hands of Johnny, a
Vietnamese
Vietnamese may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia
** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam.
* Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam
** Overse ...
gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...
who runs Tom Yum Goong Otob, a Thai restaurant in
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.
Kham arrives in Sydney and is immediately taken hostage by a wanted thief. Sydney police officers Mark, a Thai-Australian, and his partner Rick corner the thief, who holds Kham at gunpoint. However, a second policeman, Inspector Vincent, shoots the thief dead. He then arrests Kham, accusing him of being another thief. In the car, Kham spots Johnny at Tom Yum Goong. Kham becomes erratic and urges Mark and Rick to arrest Johnny, to no avail. After causing the car to crash, Kham escapes. He follows Johnny , who flees, forcing Kham to fight his henchmen. Hs coerces a henchman to lead him to Johnny's hideout, interrupting a drug deal. Outraged, Johnny summons
extreme sports
Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extreme tourism overl ...
enthusiasts to fight Kham. After defeating the thugs, Kham is exhausted and falls asleep in an alley. Pla, a prostitute that Kham met while confronting Johnny, brings him to her apartment.
Mark and Rick are taken off the case and reassigned to provide security for the Police Commissioner's meeting with Mr. Sim. In that meeting, Pla acts as a hostess girl and dancer to the two men. Mr. Sim and the Commissioner are then murdered by someone hired by Vincent. However, the murder is caught on the commissioner's camera. Vincent kills Rick and puts the blame on Mark, who is later captured.
With Pla's help, Kham enters Tom Yum Goong Otob. He fights his way into the VIP area and reaches the dining hall at the top. In the protection of his men, Johnny taunts Kham with Kohrn's bell. This enrages Kham, who beats up his opponents. He enters the storage area, containing various exotic animals ready to be butchered and eaten. Kham finds and frees Mark and Kohrn, escaping minutes before the police arrive.
Inspector Vincent initiates a search for Kham and Mark, who are hiding in a
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
monastery. Soon after their departure, the monastery is set on fire by Vincent and his men. Believing that the temple and its inhabitants might be in danger, Mark and Kham decide to return. After arriving, Kham is confronted by three assassins: a fierce
capoeirista
Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. Born of the melting pot of enslaved Africans, Indigenous Brazilians and Portuguese influences at the beginning of the 16th centu ...
, a sword-wielding
wushu expert, and T.K., a giant wrestler. Kham defeats the first two, but T.K. proves too strong for him. Kham is about to be killed when the police arrive, and Mark comes to help him flee. Mark is later discovered by several policemen and sent to deal with Inspector Vincent, whom Pla has been revealed to be the murderer.
Kham arrives at a hall where Madame Rose, the leader of the Chinese gang, is having a press conference. Kohrn runs in, scaring off people while Kham engages the gangsters. Mark apprehends Vincent, who Johnny then fatally shoots to "settle the score."
Finding himself with Kohrn in a huge room, Kham is shown the skeleton of Por Yai, encrusted with jewels as a gift to Madame Rose. Her men then attack Kham, who now fights more brutally than ever before, breaking many of the men's arms and legs. T.K. is called in, along with three others. Kohrn is thrown through a glass wall, and Kham is knocked into the elephant ornament, causing two leg bones to fall off. Eventually, Kahm defeats the four wrestlers by using the sharp ends of the bones to slice their tendons. He stops Madame Rose before she can escape in a
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
, and they both crash into the room below. Kham's fall is broken by Por Yai's tusks.
At the end, Mark is forgiven by his boss, Inspector Lamond, and Kham is finally reunited with Kohrn.
Cast
*
Tony Jaa
Tatchakorn Yeerum ( th, ทัชชกร ยีรัมย์, , ; formerly Phanom Yeerum ( th, พนม ยีรัมย์, ); born 5 February 1976), better known internationally as Tony Jaa and in Thailand as Jaa Phanom ( th, จา ...
as Kham, the last of a family line of guards who once watched over the
King of Thailand's war elephant
A war elephant was an elephant that was trained and guided by humans for combat. The war elephant's main use was to charge the enemy, break their ranks and instill terror and fear. Elephantry is a term for specific military units using elephant ...
s. Kham is characterized by the juxtaposition of his red
krama
A krama (; km, ក្រមា ) is a sturdy traditional Cambodian garment with many uses, including as a scarf, bandanna, to cover the face, for decorative purposes, and as a hammock for children. It may also be used as a form of weaponry. Bo ...
scarf throughout the film. As he grows up, he bonds closely with his elephant Por Yai and its calf, Korn. When they are stolen, Kham journeys to Sydney, Australia to get them back. Actor
Nutdanai Kong portrays 9-year-old Kham.
*Sotorn Rungruaeng as Kham's father, who taught Kham the fighting style of the Jaturangkabat, the royal guardians of the Thai war elephants. It has been Kham's father's dream that his elephant Por Yai would be selected as one of the Royal Thai elephants. However, during a fake inspection staged by a local member of parliament, his elephants are stolen, and he is wounded by a gunshot.
*
Petchtai Wongkamlao
Petchtai Wongkamlao, ( th, เพ็ชรทาย วงษ์คำเหลา, , ; born on June 24, 1965, in Yasothon province, Thailand, is a Thai comedian, actor and film director. He is best known in Thailand by his stage name, Mum Jokmok ...
as Sergeant Mark, a Thai-Australian policeman who patrols an area of Sydney populated by Asians. He is so popular there that the locals often do him favors like giving him free mangoes and haircuts.
*
Bongkoj Khongmalai
Bongkoj Khongmalai ( th, บงกช คงมาลัย; ), nickname "Tak" ( th, ตั๊ก; born 15 April 1985), is a Thai actress, model and producer.
Career
Films she has appeared in include ''Tom-Yum-Goong''. She portrayed a young Th ...
as Pla, a Thai student in Sydney who is forced to be a
call girl
A call girl or female escort is a sex worker who (unlike a street walker) does not display her profession to the general public, nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by an escort agency.< ...
to repay the debt of her former boyfriend, the late Wittaya who used to own Tom Yum Goong Otob, a Thai restaurant.
*
Xing Jin as Madame Rose, a
transsexual
Transsexual people experience a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desire to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance (including sex reassignment ...
member of a Chinese gang in Sydney, who is in conflict with the leader, her Uncle Mr. Sim.
*
Damian De Montemas as Inspector Vincent, a corrupt policeman in Sydney who collaborates with Madame Rose.
*David Asavanond as Officer Rick, Sergeant Mark's partner.
*
Nathan Jones (credited as Nathan B. Jones) as T.K., a giant wrestler proves to be more than a match for Kham.
*
Johnny Tri Nguyen
Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females.
Varia ...
as Johnny, a Vietnamese gangster and he use of martial arts is
Vovinam
Vovinam (short for ''Võ Việt Nam''; literally meaning Vietnamese Martial Arts, or vi, Việt Võ Đạo (越武道), meaning Vietnamese Way of Martial Arts) is a Vietnamese martial art,
It was founded in 1938 by Nguyễn Lộc. It is based ...
is a subordinate of Madame Rose. He is responsible for her drug deals and the running of the Tom Yum Goong Otob.
*
Lateef Crowder
Lateef Crowder dos Santos (born November 23, 1977) is a Brazilian-American actor, martial artist, and stuntman. As a member of the ZeroGravity stunt team since 2000, he has been featured in multiple internet short videos and demo reels, such ...
as a
capoeirista
Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. Born of the melting pot of enslaved Africans, Indigenous Brazilians and Portuguese influences at the beginning of the 16th centu ...
who fights Kham in the Buddhist monastery. He has the word "''Pray"'' carved to his chest.
*
Jon Foo
Jonathan Patrick Foo (born 30 October 1982) is a Singaporean–English actor, martial artist and stunt performer known for his role as Jin Kazama in the 2009 live action film ''Tekken''. .
Early life
Foo was born in London to a Chinese Singapo ...
(Jonathan Patrick Foo) as a
wushu exponent who is Kham's second opponent in the monastery.
Cameo appearances
*
Pumwaree Yodkamol
Pumwaree Yodkamol ( th, ภุมวารี ยอดกมล; ; born February 9, 1982 in Bangkok) is a Thai film and television actress. She co-starred in '' Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior'', portraying Muay Lek alongside Tony Jaa. Other roles i ...
, who co-starred in ''
Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior'', is seen briefly, portraying a Thai tourist in a Sydney street scene. She berates a friend of hers about DVD piracy.
* Wannakit Sirioput who also co starred in Ong Bak (as Don) cameos at the end of the film as Mark's new partner.
* An
impressionist
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
portrays
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
, whom Kham briefly encounters at the airport in Sydney. In real life, Chan is one of Jaa's idols .
* Another impressionist portrays Thai rocker
Sek Loso, the pitchman for the M-150 energy drink, which is among the brands with
product placement
Product placement, also known as embedded marketing, is a marketing technique where references to specific brands or products are incorporated into another work, such as a film or television program, with specific promotional intent. Much of th ...
throughout the film.
* Actors
Don Ferguson,
Erik Markus Schuetz,
Lex de Groot (uncredited) and
Damian Mavis (uncredited) appear as bodyguards.
* Bodybuilders
Heinz Ollesch
Heinz Ollesch (born November 27, 1966) is a strongman from Germany. He won Germany's Strongest Man 12 times, and participated in the World's Strongest Man finals in 1995 and 1997.
Biography
Ollesch was born in Rosenheim, Bavaria and grew up i ...
,
Philip George Pfister, and
Rene Minkwitz appear as wrestlers.
Production
Technical aspects
Compared to ''
Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior'', which was noted for its lack of
wirework and
CGI, this movie uses CGI in several scenes, from the obvious (helicopter scene, and an entirely computer-animated dream sequence), to the subtle (a glass window shattering in the four-minute
steadicam
Steadicam is a brand of camera stabilizer mounts for Movie camera, motion picture cameras invented by Garrett Brown and introduced in 1975 by Cinema Products Corporation. It was designed to isolate the camera from the camera operator's movement ...
long take
In filmmaking, a long take (also called a continuous take or continuous shot) is a shot with a duration much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in general. Significant camera movement and elaborate blo ...
that follows Jaa up several flights of stairs as he dispatches thug after thug in dramatic fashion).
The largest example of CGI is Tony Jaa's dramatic leap from the top of a building to attack Madame Rose with a double knee attack. While the background was blue screen with the Australian backdrop added in post production, the long fall shown on screen was real as Jaa and a stuntperson pulled the scene off, landing on large mats below. Even in scenes like this with blue screen, normally a stunt double would be called in for the lead actor, but Jaa once again made sure he did the stunt himself.
Fighting styles
Tony Jaa and Panna Rittikrai created a new style of
Muay Thai
Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...
for this movie called ''muay kodchasaan'' (มวยคชสาร roughly translated as "elephant boxing"), emphasizing grappling moves. "I wanted to show the art of the elephant combined with muay Thai," Tony told the Associated Press in an interview, adding that the moves imitate how an elephant would defend itself, with the arms acting as the trunk.
Stuntwork
Many aspiring stuntmen sent demo tapes, hoping to be cast in the film. An American stunt actor was cast but did not properly take the impact and was injured on the first take. "He kicked me, I used my arm to block his kick, and he fell down hard," Tony told the Associated Press.
However, no one was hospitalized in the making of the film, with injuries limited to "bumps and bruises, muscle tears, a little something like that. Nothing major," Tony said.
[Pearson, Ryan. 5 September 2006]
"Breaking down the beatdown"
, Associated Press (retrieved 4 January 2007).
The fights include duels with:
* Wushu practitioner (portrayed by
John Foo
Jonathan Patrick Foo (born 30 October 1982) is a Singaporean–English actor, martial artist and stunt performer known for his role as Jin Kazama in the 2009 live action film '' Tekken''. .
Early life
Foo was born in London to a Chinese Singap ...
).
* A Vietnamese triad captain (portrayed by ''
Spider-man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
''
stunt double
In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes FOR another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...
Johnny Nguyen).
* A
capoeirista
Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. Born of the melting pot of enslaved Africans, Indigenous Brazilians and Portuguese influences at the beginning of the 16th centu ...
(portrayed by
Lateef Crowder
Lateef Crowder dos Santos (born November 23, 1977) is a Brazilian-American actor, martial artist, and stuntman. As a member of the ZeroGravity stunt team since 2000, he has been featured in multiple internet short videos and demo reels, such ...
of the
ZeroGravity stunt team).
* An extraordinarily large and strong bodyguard (portrayed by former
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
wrestler
Nathan Jones).
* A whip-wielding
triad boss (portrayed by world-renowned
ballerina
A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on yea ...
Jing Xing).
* Two
taekwondo
''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. T ...
fighters (portrayed by
Daniel O'Neill and
Dean Alexandrou) in a deleted two-vs-one scene in the temple.
Alternative versions
International sales rights (outside Asia) were purchased by
TF1, which made suggestions for re-editing to director
Prachya Pinkaew
Prachya Pinkaew ( th, ปรัชญา ปิ่นแก้ว; ; born September 2, 1962) is a Thai film director, film producer and screenwriter. His films include '' Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior'' and ''Tom-Yum-Goong'', both martial arts films s ...
, who then made some cuts that slightly reduce the film's running time from its original 108 minutes.
The UK title is ''Warrior King'', and the theatrical release was on 28 July 2006. In France and Belgium, the title is ''L'Honneur du dragon'', and in the Netherlands and other European it is ''Honour of the Dragon''. In Cambodia, the film is called ''Neak Prodal Junboth''. In India, it was named ''Haathi Mere Saathi'' (literally ''elephant, my partner''), from a name of another Bollywood
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
starring
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...
.
Deleted scenes
A two-vs-one fight scene taking place in the burning temple near the end of the film was deleted from currently released versions of the film. The taekwondo sequence, featuring Dean Alexandrou and
Daniel O'Neill is shown in part in nearly all promotional trailers for the film, but was cut due to unknown reasons from the final release. However footage can be seen in the making-of featurettes, and some behind-the-scenes VCDs. The two bodies are seen to mysteriously appear on the temple floor, near the beginning of the temple fight scene.
Prachya Pinkaew stated that he trimmed several of the fight scenes due to their length. Some of these include the sequence on the bridge in Sydney, when Kham confronts Johnny and his henchmen for the first time. One can see in certain trailers Kham launching himself off of the shoulders of one henchmen to elbow the other one. Another sequence that he trimmed considerably was the warehouse fight scene.
In the U.S. release of ''Tom-Yum-Goong'', where it was named ''The Protector'', there is a deleted scene of Kham beginning his ambush of the house party by the criminal group who stole his elephants. In all of its releases, the fight sequence begins with Tony Jaa throwing a henchman down the stairs. But this deleted scene shows where the fight really began.
US release
The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film studio, founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in March 2005. TWC was one of the largest mini-major film studios in North America prior ...
purchased the U.S. distribution rights for ''Tom-Yum-Goong'' and retitled it ''The Protector'' (also the name of a
1985 film starring
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
). This version was released theatrically on 8 September 2006. It was released in January 2007 on DVD on The Weinstein Company's
Dragon Dynasty
Dragon Dynasty is a joint venture started by The Weinstein Company and Genius Products. The company was created on May 23, 2006 for the sole purpose of distributing East Asian films on DVD in the U.S., whose licenses are held by, or will be acqui ...
label in a two-disc set that includes both the U.S. edit and the original Thai version of the film.
For the US theatrical cut, the film's length was reduced by at least 25 minutes, going so far as to trim down some of the fight scenes, even though it was given an
"R" rating restricting audiences to people aged 17 and over. Out of all cuts outside of Thailand, it is the shortest cut of the film, even more so than the European cuts. It also features a new score by
RZA. Some parts of the missing footage (including cuts to the "bone breaker" fight and Madame Rose envisioning herself in a red dress as queen) appeared in the U.S. trailer and TV Spots.
Also, ''The Protector'' is partially subtitled and partially dubbed, with all of Jaa's dialogue subtitled. Several changes were made to the plot through editing and subtitles that did not match the spoken Thai and Chinese dialogue.
Changes that were made to the US theatrical release include:
* The historical role of the Thai warriors is given in more detail in the opening prologue
* Scenes of TV reporters given tour of Sydney by Sgt. Mark are removed.
* Scenes of Sgt. Mark handling robbery and releasing the would-be assassin are removed.
* Kham's father, rather than being injured, died by the gunshot.
* Tony Jaa's lines now include "You killed my father!"
* Madame Rose loses face and is denied a "security" contract over bad turtle soup instead of the Chinese business leader's refusal to deal because of bad terms.
* Madame Rose's
transsexual
Transsexual people experience a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desire to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance (including sex reassignment ...
ity is never mentioned.
* The ending has been trimmed to imply that Madame Rose is dead rather than just injured after her fall through the roof.
* Johnny does not return to kill Vincent after Vincent was apprehended by Mark.
* Exposition is given to further explain the cutting of tendons to defeat the bruisers at the end.
* The ending epilogue given by Sgt. Mark in the US version is significantly different and nobler than the Thai version, which is whimsical and comic relief in tone and is much less concerned with resolution.
Reception
Box office
''Tom-Yum-Goong'' opened in Thailand on 11 August 2005, and grossed US$1,609,720 in its first weekend and was No. 1 at the Thai box office (normally dominated by Hollywood imports) for two weeks in a row.
[2005 Thailand Box Office Index](_blank)
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
, retrieved 4 January 2006. It ended its Thai run with US$4,417,800, blockbuster business by Thai standards.
[Thailand Box Office 1–4 September 2005](_blank)
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
, retrieved 4 January 2006.
The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film studio, founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in March 2005. TWC was one of the largest mini-major film studios in North America prior ...
released ''Tom-Yum-Goong'' in North America in a heavily edited version entitled ''The Protector'', which was the third release by their ''
Dragon Dynasty
Dragon Dynasty is a joint venture started by The Weinstein Company and Genius Products. The company was created on May 23, 2006 for the sole purpose of distributing East Asian films on DVD in the U.S., whose licenses are held by, or will be acqui ...
'' label. It was also given the "
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...
Presents" brand, which had proven lucrative in the past for films like ''Hero'' and ''Hostel''. It opened in 1,541 cinemas on 8 September 2006 and ranked No. 4 in its opening weekend, grossing $5,034,180 ($3,226 per screen). It ended its run with $12,044,087.
[Weekend Box Office, 8-10 September 2006](_blank)
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
, retrieved 4 January 2007. In the US, it ranks 67th among
martial arts films
Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature numerous martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expres ...
and 14th among foreign films.
The film's total worldwide box office gross is US$25,715,096. It is the most successful
Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
film released in the US.
[The Protector](_blank)
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
, retrieved 4 January 2007.
Critical response
On
Review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website,
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
gives the film a score of 53% out of 91 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10. The critical consensus reads, "Despite some impressive fight scenes, this trimmed-down version of the Thai action pic is an off-putting mix of scant plot, choppy editing, and confusing subtitles and dubbing."
Combat sports
A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a competitive contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the oppo ...
and striking analyst
Jack Slack
Jack Slack is a pen name of an anonymous British freelance writer, podcaster, analyst and amateur historian of combat sport; most notable as a mixed martial arts (MMA) striking analyst, writing detailed, analytical breakdowns of fighters, fightin ...
has written that Tony Jaa's multiple attackers scene in the film is "the best fight in movie history".
Sequel
A sequel, ''
Tom Yum Goong 2
''Tom Yum Goong 2'' ( th, ต้มยำกุ้ง 2), known in the US as ''The Protector 2'', in the UK as ''Warrior King 2'' and in Germany as ''Return of the Warrior''. It is a 2013 Thai martial arts film directed by Prachya Pinkaew. The fil ...
'', was released in 2013. It was also released in the US as ''The Protector 2''.
See also
References
External links
The elephant Plai Bua Barn, starring in the film. (The elephant database)*
*
*
*
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2019
2005 films
2005 action films
2000s Mandarin-language films
Thai-language films
Fiction about animal cruelty
English-language Thai films
Capoeira films
Films about organised crime in Australia
Films set in Sydney
Films set in Thailand
Films shot in Sydney
Films shot in Thailand
Films with live action and animation
Thai martial arts films
Thai Muay Thai films
Muay Thai films
Sahamongkol Film International films
Wushu films
Films directed by Prachya Pinkaew
Transgender-related films
Films about elephants
Films about trans women
2005 LGBT-related films
Triad films
2000s English-language films
Thai LGBT-related films
2000s Hong Kong films