Tony Jaa and Panna Rittikrai finish off their Ong Bak-trilogy with what would chronically be the middle film. It begins where Ong Bak 2 ended, with Jaa’s character Tien being held prisoner by his nemesis Lord Rajasena. In the opening scenes Tien is beaten and tortured so badly that every bone in his body is broken, and even though he is rescued, literary from the executioner’s axe, he is in such a miserable state that he loses his will to live. After being saved once again, this time by a monk, his long journey of spiritual and physical recovery begins. His people have now been enslaved by the evil Crow Ghost and are in desperate need of a hero.
Tony Jaa has amazed us with his acrobatic martial arts style before in films like Tom Yum Goong and Ong-bak and continues to do so in this film. However, even though Ong Bak 3 contains a number of breathtaking, skillfully choreographed fighting (and dancing) scenes, its philosophical and spiritual ambitions are higher than earlier. For those fascinated by Thai culture and mysticism, this film should be right on the money. –Stockholm International Film Festival
This should have never been released, and should have been more appropriately saved for the Bonus features on a Ong Bak 1+2 boxset. This is Tony Jaa's "Game of Death".
A far more spiritualy deep movie than the other 2, but as the character becomes more at peace the fight scenes lose their ferocity too and lack the punch of the previous 2 films. All in all it rounds the trilogy off well enough, i just expected more.
