Tom Yum Goong (2005) created Thai movie history this weekend by storming the US box office charts to #5. The lame plot, the cliché dialogue, and choppy 
editing would normally relegate this film to the garbage heap, however Tony Yaa catapults the action to a new level. A 4 minute fight sequence is the centerpiece of the movie, where Tony’s character, a Thai mahout in search of his two elephants, takes on dozens of assailants without breaking a seat. I watched this on DVD and double-checked to make sure there was no trickery. This boy doesn’t need smoke and mirrors. Unlike Claude Van Damm, Tony Yaa is no ballerina.
A movie this bad reaching #5 in the USA must baffle the critics, until realizing that the demographics of the movie going public are 50% pimply-faced boys 
wanting to be heroes or WWF wrestlers. Tony Yaa shines as he breaks arms legs and bust skulls with a non-FX viciousness. He is capable of Jackie Chan’s acrobat’s, but I would bet money on him to win hands down with most kung-fu fighters from Hong Kong and that’s what sells tickets.
Reality.
Like you really believe he could knock the snot of the muscloid Goldberg 
opponent.
Plot. Who cares? Tony Yaa can backflip onto his knees.
Acting? Tony busts a kick and breaks a lamp about ten feet over his head.
Directing? Prachya Prinkaew knows enough to stay out of the way.
Writing? I wish Tony Yaa could get a good script.
But for now his audience only cares about ‘lights, camera, action’ and there’s plenty of this to come.