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{{otheruses4|the 2005 Thai action film|the Thai food dish|Tom yum}} {{Short description|2005 Thai martial arts film}}
{{About|the 2005 Thai action film|the Thai food dish|Tom yum kung}}
{{Infobox Film
{{Infobox film
| name = Tom-Yum-Goong | name = Tom-Yum-Goong
| image = Tom yum goong film.jpg | image = Tom yum goong film.jpg
| caption = The English-language Thai movie poster. | caption = The English-language Thai movie poster
| director = ] | director = ]
| producer = ],<br>Prachya Pinkaew,<br>Sukanya Vongsthapat | producer = Prachya Pinkaew<br>Sukanya Vongsthapat
| eproducer = | writer =
| screenplay = Napalee<br>Piyaros Thongdee<br>Joe Wannapin<br>]
| aproducer =
| writer = Prachya Pinkaew,<br>],<br>Napalee,<br>Piyaros Thongdee,<br>Joe Wannapin | story = Prachya Pinkaew
| based_on =
| starring = ],<br>],<br>],<br>],<br>]|
| starring = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]
| music =
| narrator =
| music = Zomkiat Ariyachaipanich
| cinematography = Nattawut Kittikhun | cinematography = Nattawut Kittikhun
| editing = | editing = Marut Seelacharoen
| studio = Sahamongkol<br>Baa-ram-ewe
| distributor = {{flagicon|Thailand}} ]<br>{{flagicon|US}} ]
| distributor = ] (Thailand)<ref name="BOM">{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=spiderman.htm | title=Spider-Man (2002) | website=] | access-date=February 5, 2009 }}</ref><br />] (International)<ref name="bfi">{{cite web |title=Heroic Bloodshed: How Hong Kong's style was swiped by Hollywood |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/heroic-bloodshed-hong-kong-hollywood-cycle-influence |website=] |access-date=9 September 2019 |date=11 July 2019}}</ref>
| released = {{flagicon|Thailand}} ] ]
| released = {{Film date|2005|08|11|df=yes}}
| runtime = 110 minutes | runtime = 110 minutes
| country = ] | country = Thailand<br>Australia
| language = Thai<br>English<br>Mandarin<br>Vietnamese<br>Spanish
| awards =
| budget = $5 million
| language = ],<br>]
| budget = 300 million ] | gross = $27 million
| gross =
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
| amg_id = 1:327360
| imdb_id = 0427954
}} }}
'''''Tom-Yum-Goong''''' (]: ต้มยำกุ้ง, {{IPA|th|tôm jam kûŋ|IPA}}) is a 2005 Thai ] directed by ] and stars ] in the lead role. Pinkaew also directed Jaa's prior breakout film '']''. As with ''Ong-Bak'', the fights were choreographed by Jaa and his mentor ].


The film was distributed as '''''Warrior King''''' in the ], as '''''The Protector''''' in the ], as '''''Thai Dragon''''' in ], as '''''Revenge of the Warrior''''' in ], and as '''''Honor of the Dragon''''' in ] and CIS countries. In ], it was named as '''''Haathi Mere Saathi''''' from a name of ] starring ].
'''''Tom-Yum-Goong''''' (]: ต้มยำกุ้ง; {{IPA2|tɑmjɑmkuŋ}}, distributed as '''''Warrior King''''' in the UK, as '''''The Protector''''' in the US) is a ] ] ] starring ]. The movie was directed by ], who also directed Jaa's prior breakout film '']''. As with ''Ong-Bak'', the fights were choreographed by Jaa and his mentor, ]. In the United States, it is being endorsed by ] as "Quentin Tarantino Presents The Protector".

==Cast==

* ''']''' as '''Kham''', the last of a family line of guards who once watched over the ]'s ]. He grows up forming close relations to his elephant, Por Yai and his calf, Korn. When they are stolen, Kham journeys to Sydney, Australia to get them back.
* ''']''' as '''Kham's father'''. Kham's father taught him about the fighting styles of the Jaturangkabart, 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.
* ''']''' 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.
* ''']''' as '''Pla''', a Thai student in Sydney who is forced into prostitution to repay the debt of her former boyfriend, the late Wittaya who used to own Tom Yum Goong Otob, a Thai restaurant.
* ''']''' as '''Madame Rose''', a transexual member of a Chinese gang in Sydney, who is in conflict with the leader, her Uncle Mr. Sim. It should be noted that the actress who plays Rose is a transexual herself.
* ''']''' as '''Inspector Vincent''', a corrupt policeman in Sydney who collaborates with Madame Rose.
* ''']''' as '''Officer Rick''', Sergeant Mark's new partner.
* ''']''' as '''T.K.''', a giant wrestler who proves to be more than a match for Kham.
* ''']''' as '''Johnny''', a Vietnamese gangster in Sydney who is a subordinate of Madame Rose. He is responsible for her drug deals and the running of the Tom Yum Goong Otob.
* ''']''' as a ] fighter who fight Kham in the Buddhist monastery.
* ''']''' as a ] fighter who is Kham's second opponent in the monastery.

===Cameo appearances===
* ], who co-starred in '']'', 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 ] portrays ], whom Kham briefly encounters at the airport in Sydney.
* Another impressionist portrays Thai rocker ], the pitchman for the M-150 energy drink, which is among the brands with ] throughout the film.


==Plot== ==Plot==
Kham is the last of a family line of guards who once watched over the ]'s ]s. Following the tradition, Kham takes great care in raising the animals and grows up forming close relations with his elephant, Por Yai, and its calf, Kohrn. During the ] festival, the animals are stolen by elephant poachers with the help of Mr. Suthep, a local ], 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 ] ] who runs Tom Yum Goong Otob, a Thai restaurant in ], ]. 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, ] Vincent shoots the thief dead and then arrests Kham, accusing him of being another thief. In the car, Kham spots Johnny at Tom Yum Goong, where he becomes erratic and urges Mark and Rick to arrest Johnny, but to no avail. After causing the car to crash, Kham escapes and follows Johnny, who flees, forcing him to fight his henchmen.
]'s ].]]
Kham is the last of a family line of guards who once watched over the ]'s ]. He grows up forming close relations to his elephant, Por Yai and his calf, Korn. During ] festival, the elephants are stolen with help from Mr. Suthep, a local ] and his son who are collaborating with elephant poachers. Kham discovers that they are in the hands of Johnny, a Vietnamese gangster who runs a Thai restaurant named Tom Yum Goong Otob in Sydney, Australia.


Kham coerces a henchman to lead him to Johnny's hideout, interrupting a drug deal. Outraged, Johnny summons ] enthusiasts to fight Kham. After defeating the thugs, Kham 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 ]'s meeting with Mr. Sim. In that meeting, Pla is a hostess girl and dancer to the two men. Someone hired by Vincent murders Mr. Sim and the police commissioner. However, the murder is caught on the commissioner's camera.
Kham arrives in Sydney, and is stalked by the police as soon as he leaves the airport. He is eventually caught by Inspector Vincent and driven away in Mark's car. When the car stops outside Tom Yum Goong Otob, Kham sees Johnny leaving. He escapes and finds Johnny talking to Pla, a prostitute. Kham follows a minion as he jumps off a bridge. He takes that gangster out and manages to coerce another to lead him to Johnny's hideout, interupting a drug deal. Outraged, Johnny summons countless ] enthusiasts, who arrive to fight Kham. Kham defeats them one by one, and finally faces a ] rider, whom he takes down as well.


Vincent kills Rick and blames Mark, who is later captured. With Pla's help, Kham enters Tom Yum Goong Otob, where he fights into the VIP area and reaches the dining hall at the top. Johnny taunts Kham with Kohrn's bell to protect his men. Enraged, Kham beats up his opponents and enters the storage area, where it contains various exotic animals ready to be butchered and eaten. Kham finds and frees Mark and Kohrn, escaping minutes before the police arrive. Vincent searches for Kham and Mark, hiding at a ] monastery. Soon after their departure, Vincent and his men set the monastery on fire.
Exhausted, Kham falls asleep in an alley. Pla brings him to her apartment. In his sleep, he dreams of an epic battle involving war elephants and the Jaturangkabart, the elephant protectors. When Pla leaves, Kham wakes up to the sound of police sirens, and climbs down a pipe to make his escape.


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 ], a sword-wielding ] 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 Vincent, who is revealed to be behind the murder of the police commissioner. 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.
Mark and are taken off the case and re-assigned to provide security for the Secretary-General's meeting with Mr. Sim. In that meeting, Pla acted as a hostess girl to the two men. During the meeting, Mr. Sim and the Secretary-General are murdered. The murder is instigated by Vincent, who kills Rick and puts the blame on Mark. Mark escapes, but is later captured. Pla manages to escape, taking a camera phone that contains evidence of the murder with her. She is saved from the police by Kham. Pla reveals that she used to be a waitress at Tom Yum Goong Otob. Since Johnny and his men took over the management, it has been awful for all those who work there. She reveals a secret VIP area in the back of the restaurant.


Finding himself with Kohrn in a vast room, Kham is shown the skeleton of Por Yai, encrusted with jewels as a gift to Madame Rose. Kham fights Madame Rose's men and brutally breaks many of the men's arms and legs. T.K., along with three others, are called. Kohrn is thrown through a glass wall, and Kham is knocked into the elephant ornament, causing two leg bones to fall off. Eventually, Kham defeats T.K. and the other wrestlers by using the sharp ends of the bones to slice their ]s; where he stops Madame Rose before she can escape in a ], and they both crash into the room below. Por Yai's tusks break Kham's fall. Ultimately, Inspector Lamond forgives Mark, and Kham is reunited with Kohrn.
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. Kham demands, "Where are my elephants?" and is met with the laughter of Johnny and his men. Johnny taunts Kham with Korn's bell. This enrages Kham and he fights and defeats his opponents. He enters the storage area, containing various animals ready to be butchered and eaten. Kham finds and frees Mark and Korn, escaping minutes before the police arrive. Meanwhile, Madame Rose is made the new leader of the Chinese gang after she murders two other possible successors.


==Cast==
Inspector Vincent initiates a search for Kham and Mark, who are hiding in a ] monastery. Soon after their departure, the monastery is set on fire. But then Kham returns, and he defeats a fierce ] fighter and a ] sword fighter. However, his third opponent, a giant wrestler proves way too much for Kham. When the police arrive, he flees with Mark. By morning, Kham goes on his way. Mark is discovered by several policemen and sent to deal with Inspector Vincent, whom Pla has revealed to be the murderer.
*] as Kham,
** Nutdanai Kong as a young Kham
*Sotorn Rungruaeng as Kham's father
*] as ] Mark
*] as Pla, a ].
*] as Madame Rose, a ] member of a Chinese gang in ].
*] as ] Vincent.
*David Asavanond as Rick, Sergeant Mark's partner.
*] (credited as Nathan B. Jones) as T.K., a giant wrestler.
*] as Johnny, a Vietnamese gangster and a subordinate of Madame Rose.
*] as a ]
*] (Jonathan Patrick Foo) as a ] exponent.


===Cameo appearances===
Kham arrives at a conference hall where Madame Rose is having a press conference. Korn runs in, scaring off everyone while Kham engages the gangsters. He later finds Korn in an elevator lobby, where Vincent threatens to shoot him. Mark suddenly arrives on the floor in an elevator and disarms Vincent, killing his men. He beats Vincent up while insulting him. Suddenly, Johnny enters and kills Vincent, telling Mark that he has come to settle the score before leaving.
* ] as a Thai tourist in a Sydney street scene.

* Wannakit Sirioput as Mark's new partner.
Kham finds himself with Korn in a huge room, and he is shown the skeleton of Por Yai, encrusted with jewels as a gift to Madame Rose. Her men then attack Kham, and are dispatched immediately. The wrestler from the monastery is called in, along with three others. Korn is thrown through a glass wall, and Kham is knocked into the elephant ornament, causing two leg bones to fall off. Kham ties them around his arms and uses them as clubs to knock the wrestlers out. The two bones then splinter into two sharp fragments. Remembering something his father told him, Kham uses the splinters to sever the tendons of the wrestlers, who fall quickly. He stops Madame Rose before she can escape in a ], and the two crash through the roof and land in the room. Madame Rose is knocked unconscious, while Kham's fall is cushioned by the tusks of Por Yai.
* An ] portrays ], whom Kham briefly encounters at the airport in Sydney.

* Another impressionist portrays Thai rocker ], the pitchman for the M-150 energy drink.
Back in the lobby, Mark is shown Pla, and forgiven by Inspector Lamond. He is given a new partner who speaks Thai. Mark is then interviewed by a reporter about Kham. Finally, a narration from Mark is heard, with scenes of Kham's childhood shown. Mark explains that ] treat elephants like they are their brothers, and they hate people who hurt them. Thais love peace, but dislike people who take liberties. Kham is finally reunited with Korn.
* Actors ], ], ] (uncredited) and ] (uncredited) appear as bodyguards.
* Strongmans ], ], and ] appear as wrestlers.


==Production== ==Production==
===Technical aspects=== ===Technical aspects===
Compared to '']'', which was noted for its lack of ] and ], 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 ] shot that follows Jaa up several flights of stairs as he dispatches thug after thug in dramatic fashion). Compared to '']'', which was noted for its lack of ] and ], 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 ] ] 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 (as shown on the right) 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, a stunt double would be called in for the lead actor, but Jaa once again made sure he did the stunt himself. 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=== ===Fighting styles===
Tony Jaa and Panna Rittikrai created a new style of ] 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.
Tony Jaa incorporates a new style of ] into this movie
(มวยคชสาร, "muaykodchasarn", 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=== ===Stuntwork===
Many aspiring stuntmen sent demo tapes, hoping to be cast in the film. An American stunt actor was cast but didn't 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. 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.<ref name = "Pearson">Pearson, Ryan. September 5, 2006. , Associated Press (retrieved January 4, 2007).</ref> 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.<ref name="Pearson">Pearson, Ryan. 5 September 2006. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929212221/http://asap.ap.org/stories/851019.s |date=2007-09-29 }}, Associated Press (retrieved 4 January 2007).</ref>


The fights include duels with: The fights include duels with:
* ] martial artist (]). * Wushu practitioner (portrayed by ]).
* A Vietnamese triad captain (portrayed by '']'' ] ]). * A Vietnamese triad captain (portrayed by '']'' ] Johnny Nguyen).
* A ] fighter (] of the ] stunt team). * A ] (portrayed by ] of the ] stunt team).
* A 6' 10", extraordinarily strong bodyguard (former ] wrestler ] – ]'s first opponent in the movie '']'') * An extraordinarily large and strong bodyguard (portrayed by former ] wrestler ]).
* A whip-wielding ] boss (world renowned ] ]). * A whip-wielding ] boss (portrayed by world-renowned ] ]).
* Two ] fighters (portrayed by ] and ]) in a deleted two-vs-one scene in the temple.


==Alternate versions== ==Alternative versions==
International sales rights (outside Asia) were purchased by ], which made suggestions for re-editing to director ], who then made some cuts that slightly reduce the film's running time from its original 110 minutes. International sales rights (outside Asia) were purchased by ], which made suggestions for re-editing to director ], 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 July 28, 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''.<!--What does it mean?--> 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''.<!--What does it mean?--> In India, it was named ''Haathi Mere Saathi'' (literally ''elephant, my partner''), from a name of another Bollywood ] starring ].


=== Subtitle issues === === 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 ] 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.
As with '']'' English-language subtitled ]s of ''Tom-Yum-Goong'' were not made available when the movie was distributed for home video in Asia. One of the ] versions of the movie had subtitles that refer to the main character as "Jin" despite it saying "Kham" on the back of the box. Also, the subtitles for the spoken English did not match what was being said. Counterfeit editions of the DVD also marketed the film as "Ong Bak 2", which was the Thai working title of the film but has been re-applied to the sequel to ''Ong-Bak'', '']''.


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.
===US release as ''The Protector''===
] purchased the US distribution rights for ''Tom-Yum-Goong'' and retitled it ''The Protector'' (also the name of a 1985 ] ]). The film was released theatrically in the US on September 8, 2006. It was released in January 2007 on DVD on The Weinstein Company's ] label in a two-disc set that includes both the US edit and the original Thai version of the film.<ref> (retrieved January 11, 2007).</ref>


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.
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 ] 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 ]. 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 US trailer and US TV Spots.

===US release===
] purchased the U.S. distribution rights for ''Tom-Yum-Goong'' and retitled it ''The Protector'' (also the name of a ] starring ]). This version was released theatrically on 8 September 2006. It was released in January 2007 on DVD on The Weinstein Company's Dragon Dynasty label in a two-disc set that includes both the U.S. edit and the original Thai version of the film.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070730022600/http://adg.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=1571&pid=15007&st=0&#entry15007 |date=30 July 2007 }} (retrieved 11 January 2007).</ref>

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 ] 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 ]. 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. 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: Changes that were made to the US theatrical release include:
{{Spoiler}}
* The historical role of the Thai warriors is given in more detail in the opening prologue * 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 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. * 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. * Kham's father, rather than being injured, died by the gunshot.
* Tony Jaa's lines now include "You killed my father!" * 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 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 ] is never mentioned. * Madame Rose's ]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. * 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. * 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. * 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. * 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.
{{Spoiler-end}}


==Reception== ==Reception==
===Box office=== ===Box office===
''Tom-Yum-Goong'' opened in Thailand on August 11, 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.<ref name = "MojoThai">, ], retrieved January 4, 2006.</ref> It ended its Thai run with US$4,417,800, blockbuster business by Thai standards.<ref name = "MojoThai2">, ], retrieved January 4, 2006.</ref> ''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.<ref name = "MojoThai">, ], retrieved 4 January 2006.</ref> It ended its Thai run with US$4,417,800, blockbuster business by Thai standards.<ref name = "MojoThai2">, ], retrieved 4 January 2006.</ref>


] released ''Tom-Yum-Goong'' in North America in a heavily-edited version entitled ''The Protector'', which was the first release by their '']'' label. It was also given the "] Presents" brand, which had proven lucrative in the past for films like ''Hero'' and ''Hostel''. It opened in 1,541 cinemas on September 8, 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.<ref name = "MojoUS1">, ], retrieved January 4, 2007.</ref> In the US, it ranks 67th among ] and 14th among foreign films. ] released ''Tom-Yum-Goong'' in North America in a heavily edited version entitled ''The Protector'', which was the third release by their ''Dragon Dynasty'' label. It was also given the "] 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.<ref name = "MojoUS1">, ], retrieved 4 January 2007.</ref> In the US, it ranks 67th among ] and 14th among foreign films.


The film's total worldwide box office gross is $25,715,096 USD. It is the most successful ] film released in the US.<ref name = "Mojo">, ], retrieved January 4, 2007.</ref> The film's total worldwide box office gross is US$25,715,096. It is the most successful ] film released in the US.<ref name = "Mojo">, ], retrieved 4 January 2007.</ref>

=== Critical response ===
On ] website, ] gives the American edit of 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."<ref>{{Citation|title=The Protector (Tom yum goong) (Warrior King) (2005)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/protector|language=en|access-date=2019-03-25}}</ref>

''High On Films'' gave a positive review and wrote "Tom-Yum-Goong ranks amongst the finest exhibitions of martial arts in cinema, and is definitely worth a shot."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.highonfilms.com/the-protector-review-2005|title=The Protector Review : An Adrenaline-Fuelled & Action-Packed Muay Thai Mayhem|website=High on Films|date=8 August 2018 }}</ref> ] and striking analyst ] has written that Tony Jaa's multiple attackers scene in the film is "the best fight in movie history".<ref>{{Cite web|last=]|date=October 20, 2014|title=Jack Slack: Ong Bak in the Real World|url=http://fightland.vice.com/blog/jack-slack-ong-bak-in-the-real-world|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170422185824/http://fightland.vice.com/blog/jack-slack-ong-bak-in-the-real-world|archive-date=April 22, 2017|access-date=September 22, 2021|website=Vice}}</ref>

==Sequel==
A sequel titled '']'' was released in 2013 and was also released in US as ''The Protector 2''.

==See also==
{{Portalbar|Thailand|Asia|Film|Martial arts}}


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{Reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{commons}} {{commons}}
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*{{imdb title|id=0427954|title=Tom-Yum-Goong}}
* {{IMDb title|0427954}}
*{{rotten-tomatoes|id=tom_yum_goong|title=Tom-Yum-Goong}}
* {{Rotten-tomatoes|protector}}
*{{amg movie|id=1:327360|title=Tom-Yum-Goong}}
*{{mojo title|id=protector|title=The Protector}} * {{mojo title|id=protector|title=The Protector}}
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Latest revision as of 13:14, 22 December 2024

2005 Thai martial arts film This article is about the 2005 Thai action film. For the Thai food dish, see Tom yum kung.
Tom-Yum-Goong
The English-language Thai movie poster
Directed byPrachya Pinkaew
Screenplay byNapalee
Piyaros Thongdee
Joe Wannapin
Kongdej Jaturanrasamee
Story byPrachya Pinkaew
Produced byPrachya Pinkaew
Sukanya Vongsthapat
StarringTony Jaa
Petchtai Wongkamlao
Bongkoj Khongmalai
Jin Xing
Johnny Tri Nguyen
Nathan B. Jones
Lateef Crowder
Jonathan Patrick Foo
CinematographyNattawut Kittikhun
Edited byMarut Seelacharoen
Music byZomkiat Ariyachaipanich
Production
companies		Sahamongkol
Baa-ram-ewe
Distributed bySahamongkol Film International (Thailand)
The Weinstein Company (International)
Release date
  • 11 August 2005 (2005-08-11)
Running time110 minutes
CountriesThailand
Australia
LanguagesThai
English
Mandarin
Vietnamese
Spanish
Budget$5 million
Box office$27 million

Tom-Yum-Goong (Thai: ต้มยำกุ้ง, IPA: [tôm jam kûŋ]) is a 2005 Thai martial arts film directed by Prachya Pinkaew and stars Tony Jaa in the lead role. Pinkaew also directed Jaa's prior breakout film Ong-Bak. As with Ong-Bak, the fights were choreographed by Jaa and his mentor Panna Rittikrai.

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 as Haathi Mere Saathi 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's war elephants. Following the tradition, Kham takes great care in raising the animals and grows up forming close relations with his elephant, Por Yai, and its calf, Kohrn. During the Songkran festival, the animals are stolen by elephant poachers with the help of 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 gangster who runs Tom Yum Goong Otob, a Thai restaurant in Sydney, Australia. 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, Inspector Vincent shoots the thief dead and then arrests Kham, accusing him of being another thief. In the car, Kham spots Johnny at Tom Yum Goong, where he becomes erratic and urges Mark and Rick to arrest Johnny, but to no avail. After causing the car to crash, Kham escapes and follows Johnny, who flees, forcing him to fight his henchmen.

Kham coerces a henchman to lead him to Johnny's hideout, interrupting a drug deal. Outraged, Johnny summons extreme sports enthusiasts to fight Kham. After defeating the thugs, Kham 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 is a hostess girl and dancer to the two men. Someone hired by Vincent murders Mr. Sim and the police commissioner. However, the murder is caught on the commissioner's camera.

Vincent kills Rick and blames Mark, who is later captured. With Pla's help, Kham enters Tom Yum Goong Otob, where he fights into the VIP area and reaches the dining hall at the top. Johnny taunts Kham with Kohrn's bell to protect his men. Enraged, Kham beats up his opponents and enters the storage area, where it contains various exotic animals ready to be butchered and eaten. Kham finds and frees Mark and Kohrn, escaping minutes before the police arrive. Vincent searches for Kham and Mark, hiding at a Buddhist monastery. Soon after their departure, Vincent and his men set the monastery on fire.

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, 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 Vincent, who is revealed to be behind the murder of the police commissioner. 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.

Finding himself with Kohrn in a vast room, Kham is shown the skeleton of Por Yai, encrusted with jewels as a gift to Madame Rose. Kham fights Madame Rose's men and brutally breaks many of the men's arms and legs. T.K., along with three others, are called. Kohrn is thrown through a glass wall, and Kham is knocked into the elephant ornament, causing two leg bones to fall off. Eventually, Kham defeats T.K. and the other wrestlers by using the sharp ends of the bones to slice their tendons; where he stops Madame Rose before she can escape in a helicopter, and they both crash into the room below. Por Yai's tusks break Kham's fall. Ultimately, Inspector Lamond forgives Mark, and Kham is reunited with Kohrn.

Cast

Cameo appearances

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 long take 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 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.

The fights include duels with:

Alternative versions

International sales rights (outside Asia) were purchased by TF1, which made suggestions for re-editing to director Prachya Pinkaew, 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 starring Rajesh Khanna.

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 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). This version was released theatrically on 8 September 2006. It was released in January 2007 on DVD on The Weinstein Company's Dragon Dynasty 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 transsexuality 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. It ended its Thai run with US$4,417,800, blockbuster business by Thai standards.

The Weinstein Company released Tom-Yum-Goong in North America in a heavily edited version entitled The Protector, which was the third release by their Dragon Dynasty label. It was also given the "Quentin Tarantino 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. In the US, it ranks 67th among martial arts films and 14th among foreign films.

The film's total worldwide box office gross is US$25,715,096. It is the most successful Thai film released in the US.

Critical response

On Review aggregator website, Rotten Tomatoes gives the American edit of 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."

High On Films gave a positive review and wrote "Tom-Yum-Goong ranks amongst the finest exhibitions of martial arts in cinema, and is definitely worth a shot." Combat sports and striking analyst Jack Slack has written that Tony Jaa's multiple attackers scene in the film is "the best fight in movie history".

Sequel

A sequel titled Tom Yum Goong 2 was released in 2013 and was also released in US as The Protector 2.

See also

Portals:

References

  1. "Spider-Man (2002)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
  2. "Heroic Bloodshed: How Hong Kong's style was swiped by Hollywood". British Film Institute. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  3. Pearson, Ryan. 5 September 2006. "Breaking down the beatdown" Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine, Associated Press (retrieved 4 January 2007).
  4. Tom Yum Goong DVD comparison, Premier Asia vs Dragon Dynasty Archived 30 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 11 January 2007).
  5. 2005 Thailand Box Office Index, Box Office Mojo, retrieved 4 January 2006.
  6. Thailand Box Office 1–4 September 2005, Box Office Mojo, retrieved 4 January 2006.
  7. Weekend Box Office, 8-10 September 2006, Box Office Mojo, retrieved 4 January 2007.
  8. The Protector, Box Office Mojo, retrieved 4 January 2007.
  9. The Protector (Tom yum goong) (Warrior King) (2005), retrieved 25 March 2019
  10. "The Protector Review [2005]: An Adrenaline-Fuelled & Action-Packed Muay Thai Mayhem". High on Films. 8 August 2018.
  11. Jack Slack (20 October 2014). "Jack Slack: Ong Bak in the Real World". Vice. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2021.

External links

Films directed by Prachya Pinkaew

Categories: