CHOCOLATE (New Thai Fight Flick)

Godzooki · Post by **Godzooki** » 06 Jan 2008, 12:05

CHOCOLATE (New Thai Fight Flick)

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Check out this, the latest from the team that brought us Ong Bak!

Chocolate is the latest directorial effort from Prachya Pinkaew, the man at the helm of both Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong / The Protector. While Pinkaew and his star Tony Jaa have had a fairly public falling out recently - no doubt triggered in part by Jaa’s desire to direct Ong Bak 2 himself and resulting in Pinkaew’s cancellation of Jaa feature project Sword - he is quite confident he has a new star here in Nicharee “Jeeja” Vismistananda. Don’t let youth or gender fool you, Vismistananda has been training under the personal guidance of Jaa’s mentor and fight choreographer Panna Rittikrai for years in preparation for this role so you know she’s got the goods. In Chocolate she plays an autistic girl who goes on a mission to collect debts to save her ill mother, a course of action that puts her on a collision course with gangs of both the local Thai and Japanese varieties. Japanese film fans will recognize popular Japanese leading man Hiroshi Abe as one of the yakuza bosses.

Check out the trailer on Twitch

http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/the-tra ... y-arrives/

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 06 Jan 2008, 13:26

Crazy thai people.

If only they'd spent five more minutes on the script, they could've turned Ong Bak into a proper film.
I bet this is going to be more of the same.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 06 Jan 2008, 13:32

Hopefully more like Tom Yum Goong. There they got the script right.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 06 Jan 2008, 13:52

Finally there is a trailer. I have been anticipating this one a lot. Thanks, mate!

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 06 Jan 2008, 16:19

HungFist wrote:Hopefully more like Tom Yum Goong. There they got the script right.

You have got to be fucking joking! TYG, good script? Maybe the sequel can switch to something more plausible, like Walrus smuggling in Afghanistan!

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 06 Jan 2008, 16:28

HungFist wrote:Hopefully more like Tom Yum Goong. There they got the script right.

They got the english speaking Thai right as well I guess

it was like having needles poked into my eyes

Godzooki · Post by **Godzooki** » 06 Jan 2008, 17:02

Yeah i reckon its going to more of the same and deviod of any plot or decent script but then again i only watch these movies for the action!

Also action wise it looks to be a return to form for Panna Rittikrai and his stunt team, the action looks much better than in Born to Fight, Dynamite Warrior and Mercury Man.

One other new ingredient here is this girl Jeeja, she moves very well and moves on par with Tony Jaa in my books!! I have not seen a women tear it up like that since that scene with Joyce Godenzi Vs the VC in Eastern Condors!! 8)

Godzooki · Post by **Godzooki** » 06 Jan 2008, 17:03

HungFist wrote:Hopefully more like Tom Yum Goong. There they got the script right.

I hope you were being sarcastic!

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 06 Jan 2008, 17:06

Very few Thais can speak decent English, they're not known for speaking it well.

Ironically I plan to watch my UK TYG DVD soon. After Ong-Bak my expectations are low. If I dislike it I won't be bothering with Tony Jaa's/Prachya Pinkaew's films again. Then again a female lead does make it sound more interesting.

Shingster wrote:You have got to be fucking joking! TYG, good script? Maybe the sequel can switch to something more plausible, like Walrus smuggling in Afghanistan!

Hung does have a very unusual opinion on what makes a decent film

p.s - Is this going under another name? It's not listed on IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1272773/

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 06 Jan 2008, 17:19

Shingster wrote:
HungFist wrote:Hopefully more like Tom Yum Goong. There they got the script right.
You have got to be fucking joking! TYG, good script? Maybe the sequel can switch to something more plausible, like Walrus smuggling in Afghanistan!

I never understood why people insist on martial arts films having some pathetic "real storyline" so that they wouldn't have to feel quilty about enjoying the action. Once Upon a Time in China having a seriously taken storyline? Give me a break.

TYG worked so well because the storyline never got on the way of action. It's not like they are able to tell anything interesting, so it's better that they won't even attempt. Besides, the elephant plot was brilliant in its simplicity.

romerojpg wrote: They got the english speaking Thai right as well I guess it was like having needles poked into my eyes

What could possibly be more fun than poking needles into Romero's eyes?

EDIT: typo

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 06 Jan 2008, 17:28

HungFist wrote:I never understood why people insist on martial arts films having some pathetic "real storyline" so that they wouldn't have to feel quilty about enjoying the action. Once Upon a Time in China having a seriously taken storyline? Give me a break.

It's at an acceptable level. For me if the plot/script are so awful I just cannot enjoy the action. I really cannot. Any film needs a decent script, regardless if the central focus is action.

Danny the Dog for instance has a slightly ropey script but for an action film it's so good I can forgive the slightly ropey script overall. Kiss of the Dragon on the other hand has some excellent action but so little time is spent on character development the fails ultimately fails IMO.

I disagree they cannot create a decent script in a martial arts film. Action films and Martial Arts films share a similar central focus: Fun action! Die Hard and the first two Terminator films have oodles of excellent action but all three have sharp scripts too. Fist of Fury also has a decent script too.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 06 Jan 2008, 17:49

bradavon wrote:

HungFist wrote:I never understood why people insist on martial arts films having some pathetic "real storyline" so that they wouldn't have to feel quilty about enjoying the action. Once Upon a Time in China having a seriously taken storyline? Give me a break.
It's at an acceptable level. For me if the plot/script are so awful I just cannot enjoy the action. I really cannot. Any film needs a decent script, regardless if the central focus is action.

Danny the Dog for instance has a slightly ropey script but for an action film it's so good I can forgive the slightly ropey script overall. Kiss of the Dragon on the other hand has some excellent action but so little time is spent on character development the fails ultimately fails IMO.

You're probably right... because I did indeed enjoy Kiss more than Dog (despite the horrible soundtrack). But Dog is a pretty decent film, too. The storyline wasn't handled that well but it didn't sink it either. In fact, I'd say Dog was more of a story film than than an action film. The problems usually appear when it's the other way round.

bradavon wrote: I disagree they cannot create a decent script in a martial arts film. Action films and Martial Arts films share a similar central focus: Fun action! Die Hard and the first two Terminator films have oodles of excellent action but all three have sharp scripts too. Fist of Fury also has a decent script too.

I didn't mean MA films can't have a good script, just that film-makers shouldn't attempt to insert a "storyline" when even they themself know they're not gonna succeed in it. If they think they've got what it takes, then go ahead and try. But they shouldn't think that they have to add some sort of complicated storyline just for the sake of having a "respectable" storyline.

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 06 Jan 2008, 17:53

HungFist wrote:I never understood why people insist on martial arts films having some pathetic "real storyline" so that they wouldn't have to feel quilty about enjoying the action. Once Upon a Time in China having a seriously taken storyline? Give me a break.

LOL no one in this thread has demanded that TYG have a brilliantly woven narrative, but merely reacted to you highlighting the script as worthy of merit, which even a 5 year old child could tell you, it isn't! The very fact that romero and tigercage actually agree with me on this one says it all, neither of them let a bad script spoil their enjoyment of good action - nor do I actually, but TYG really fucking pushes it!

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 06 Jan 2008, 18:19

Its a hilarious plot for TYG, so funny its off the scale of silly.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 06 Jan 2008, 18:22

Shingster wrote: LOL no one in this thread has demanded

That's why I said "people" instead of referring to a specific person.

Shingster wrote: but merely reacted to you highlighting the script as worthy of merit, which even a 5 year old child could tell you, it isn't! The very fact that romero and tigercage actually agree with me on this one says it all, neither of them let a bad script spoil their enjoyment of good action - nor do I actually, but TYG really fucking pushes it!

Okay, lets put it this way then. TYG’s scrip may not be quite that great, but 19/20 martial arts movies have worse script. They have 30 minutes of action and 60 minutes of storytelling. That’s 60 minutes of boredom due to the film-makers incapability to good storytelling. Like I said, no problem if they succeed with it. But usually they don’t. In my opinion either succeed (or at least try) but don’t go half-way because that’s when the storyline usually becomes a negative thing and takes your enjoyment out of the movie.

In TYG they could’ve tried to create some ”deep” storyline of a man who’s feeling suicidial because of the all the badness in the world, and decides to go Australia to drink himself to death, but then he meets a nice prostitute, falls in love with her although they both know that relationship has no future. And then he starts beating gangsters using muay thai...

Or, fuck all that shit. Tony Jaa’s elephant is stolen and he has to go to Australia to beat every motherfucker in the country. They’re know not gonna succeed in making Leaving Las Sydney, so they don’t even try. The elephant plot is so hilarious it will make you smile and laugh till the end of the movie... whenever you’re not too busy watching the action scenes.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 06 Jan 2008, 18:35

Once Upon A Time In China has a more seriously taken storyline than Ong Bak

Even CTHD has a "story" which boils down to - "Chow yun Fat's favourite sword is stolen and now he wants it back, so he chases after Zhang ZiYi"

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 06 Jan 2008, 18:37

19/20 martial arts films don't have a worse script than TYG at all, what a ridiculous thing to say! I bet you'd struggle to list 19 martial arts films that people on here will agree have a weaker script than TYG.

In TYG they could’ve tried to create some ”deep” storyline of a man who’s feeling suicidial because of the all the badness in the world, and decides to go Australia to drink himself to death, but then he meets a nice prostitute, falls in love with her although they both know that relationship has no future. And then he starts beating gangsters using muay thai...

And that'd be just about the most pretentious story for a film like TYG (or any martial arts film) that I have ever bared witness to. It's a film about elephant abduction, featuring oiled up australian giants in the big fight finale, so silly it is unintentionally hilarious at times. At the exact opposite end of the story spectrum to that example.

Again, to reiterate my original point: I do not expect some gripping character study ala: Leaving Las Vegas from my martial arts films. I just expect a story that is either intentionally ludicrous/fantastical, or half believable and actually, genuinely engaging or tolerable when the fights end. TYG fails miserably on all counts.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 06 Jan 2008, 18:56

Shingster wrote: And that'd be just about the most pretentious story for a film like TYG (or any martial arts film) that I have ever bared witness to. It's a film about elephant abduction, featuring oiled up australian giants in the big fight finale, so silly it is unintentionally hilarious at times. At the exact opposite end of the story spectrum to that example.

I thought it was intentionally hilarious, but it doesn't matter in my opinion. I don't like funny movies because they are meant to be funny, but because they are funny. Intentional or unintentional, that's irrelevant.

Shingster wrote: Again, to reiterate my original point: I do not expect some gripping character study ala: Leaving Las Vegas from my martial arts films. I just expect a story that is either intentionally ludicrous/fantastical, or half believable and actually, genuinely engaging or tolerable when the fights end. TYG fails miserably on all counts.

ok, different views we got.

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 06 Jan 2008, 19:01

The only intentional comedy in TYG that I can recall involved the Thai cop working in Australia - and his scenes were as funny as lung cancer. But yes it is fair to say we have completely opposing opinions on this film!

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 05 Feb 2008, 17:21

Yi-Long wrote:Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVtKwUMUsIU

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 05 Feb 2008, 20:21

Dragon Dynasty seem to have the US distribution rights for this.

http://www.dragondynasty.com/blog/show/75

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 05 Feb 2008, 20:28

thelostdragon wrote:Dragon Dynasty seem to have the US distribution rights for this.

http://www.dragondynasty.com/blog/show/75

...
-sigh-

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 05 Feb 2008, 21:12

Cool animated GIF.

Why are you sighing though? You'd prefer if Tai Seng picked it up?

Just like HKL in the UK if they didn't exist someone else worse would only pick it up. We've been here before.

Chocolate looks awesome and I'm chuffed an label as great as DD has picked it up. They're one of the best Asian specific labels working today.

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 05 Feb 2008, 21:17

I rather NO western company would pick them up, instead of a western company that has a history of cutting their movies (or delaying release all the time). That way, we'll have a higher chance of the Thai and HK DVD's having english subs.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 05 Feb 2008, 21:26

Yi-Long wrote:I rather NO western company would pick them up, instead of a western company that has a history of cutting their movies (or delaying release all the time).

Get over it. I think only 1 maybe 2 of DD's DVDs have been cut. Actually I don't know but I know it's minimal, if any at all.

Stop comparing them to a completely different company. When will you get it that it's not the same person running the show? You'd think you'd be pleased quality DVDs of Martial Arts films are finally coming to America.

Your reasoning is so warped. I doubt DD could do anything to please you. I'm convinced you'll find something to blame DD for when they release Fist of Legend. Oh look the cover art is too pick. I'm refuse to buy it!

Yi-Long wrote:That way, we'll have a higher chance of the Thai and HK DVD's having english subs.

That's very unlikely.

I'd rather a choice in the market place then being stuck with buying either a HK or Thai DVD.