I confess, my boyfriend had to literally bribe me to accompany him to this movie, as I am not generally into this genre. Being told that it was not a cinematic wonder like 'Hero' or 'Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'didn't help matters, as I had enjoyed those movie for their sheer cinematic beauty, without having to appreciate the fighting scenes too much. The trailers for this flick heavily advertised the 'au natural' nature of the athletic feats performed; no wires or digital effects here.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying the movie. It reminded me greatly of 'Bloodsport' - that Jean Claude Van Damme vehicle from the 80's that I was quite partial to as a teenager. The lead actor, newcomer Tony Jaa, is an amazing athlete as well as an adequately charismatic character. There was only the flimsiest of plot, of course, but the awe-inspiring action sequences more than made up for this weakness.

I did find the constant instant-replay of the particularly impressive feats to be a bit tiresome though, in the same way a sitcom laugh track annoys me.