Trailer for Prachya Pinkaew’s new film CHOCOLATE
Nicharee “Jeeja” Vismistananda stars in Chocolate
Chocolate is the latest from director Prachya Pinkaew, the man at the helm of Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong/The Protector, two internationally acclaimed martial arts films starring the inimitable Tony Jaa. I was disappointed to hear that the collaborators had a big falling out recently, apparently due to Jaa’s desire to direct the Ong Bak sequel himself, and prompting Pinkaew to cancel their much-anticipated Sword project. If anyone can land on their feet after such upheaval, it’s Jaa! But I found myself wondering how on earth Pinkaew would replace him. The answer is Nicharee “Jeeja” Vismistananda, a very talented young woman who has been training with Jaa’s own Muay Thai mentor and fight choreographer, Panna Rittikrai, for several years.
From the Twitch website:
In Chocolate, [Vismistananda] 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.
(Wooo! Hiroshi’s a hottie.) The following trailer is un-frigging-real. Choreography is top notch and this girl is appropriately fast, fierce and fearless. There are some exhilarating nods to Bruce Lee. They’ve even included bloopers of both Jeeja and her stunt double enduring some painful missteps to assure viewers of authenticity. No wires, no special effects. Just human beings accomplishing extraordinary physical feats.
Thanks to Tommy Z for the heads up!
January 7th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Can’t wait…nothing is better than seeing a woman beat the ever loving hell out of assorted gangsters and hoods. This is the kinda film that’s so much fun to see in the theaters…even if the Ain’t It Cool News crowd can drown these films in unneeded hype.
January 7th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Oh wow, this looks fun!
January 7th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
OH MY GOD! Must watch! I love the scene in the trailer where she slides under the coffee table. The graphic design of the movie poster is amazing, too! Girls kicking ass and men in suits fighting, what more could you want. :)
January 8th, 2008 at 10:49 am
I’m going to see this SO HARD!
January 8th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Hee Heee Hee hee…heh..
January 8th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
This looks fun! Daniel and I watched Ong Bak at some point in 2007, and it will be great to see what Prachya Pinkaew does with this.