Product Description

(Action) Daew is a cop who has nailed the evil gunrunner General Yang, but his partner is killed in this case and Daew becomes depressed. To cheer him up, his sister invites him to join her and some friends at a small village to give food and toys to the villagers. What starts out as a trip to help people turns into a nightmare when Yang's men arrive at the village and take over, demanding the release of Yang or a nuclear missile will hit Bangkok. It's up to Daew and friends to stop them before it's too late.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20478 in DVD
• Brand: WELLSPRING/GENIUS
• Released on: 2007-04-24
• Rating: Unrated
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 96 minutes

Amazon.com
Packed with bone-crunching action and death-defying stunts, Born to Fight is another awesome extravaganza from the Thai action masters who created the worldwide hits Ong-Bak and The Protector. While those two previous films were dazzling showcases for Thai action superstar Tony Jaa, Born to Fight shines the spotlight on Dan Chupong, earning top billing after studying Thai martial arts with Jaa and director Panna Rittikrai, the veteran Thai stunt-master who mentored both Jaa and Chupong to stardom. Under Rittikrai's no-holds-barred direction, Chupong plays Deaw, an elite undercover cop who takes a break after the costly arrest of a drug-cartel kingpin to attend a charity event with his sister Nui (Tae Kwon Do champion Kessarin Ektawatkul) in a remote, impoverished village. When the entire village is held hostage by a siege of terrorists with a nuclear missile aimed at Bangkok, Deaw unites the village in a bold act of defiance, and Born to Fight's simple plot kicks into overdrive with some of the most astonishing and genuinely life-threatening stunts ever filmed. And while Born to Fight was not a hit when released in Thailand in 2004 (and only later gained an international audience), the amazing cast offers an abundance of charisma and skill to compensate for the overly familiar plot.

The patriotic retaliation against terrorists includes combatants of all ages and abilities, from the fiercely compact Sasisa Jindamanee (junior champion of Thai kick boxing) to an elderly man and even a one-legged villager who does his part for king and country. And consider this lineup of diversely skilled performers: Nantaway Wongwanichislip (Asian champion rugby player); Piyapong Piew-On (Thai football superstar); Rattaporn Khemthong (Thai gymnastic team star); Suebsak Pansueb (from the Thai Sepak Takraw team); and Amornthep Waewsang and Somrak Khamsing (Olympic gold medalists in gymnastics and boxing, respectively). As a squadron of fearless daredevils, this remarkable cast employs every imaginable technique to conquer their captors. With an opening action sequence that must be seen to be believed, Born to Fight may be far-fetched at times, but the stunts are so insanely impressive that they make this a must-see film for action fans around the world. Only one question remains: Can anyone top this film without getting killed in the process? --Jeff Shannon

On the DVDs
Dragon Dynasty has done a terrific job with its two-disc Ultimate Edition of Born to Fight. Disc 1 features the film itself, beautifully presented in Thai with an optional English-dubbed soundtrack and optional English and Spanish subtitles. Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan provides the feature-length commentary, offering humorous observations and insight about Thai action cinema and its gradual evolution toward a national identity, distinct from the influence of Hong Kong action thrillers. Disc 2 includes a 65-minute "making of" documentary, featuring extensive interviews with the producer, director, and principal cast of Born to Fight, and a shorter, 5-minute featurette promoting the film's diverse cast of athletically skilled performers. The film's original Thai theatrical trailer and U.S. promotional trailer are also included. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Dragon Dynasty's release of Born to Fight (2004)
Dan Chupong stars as a cop who goes with his sister to a charity event that is supported by Thai Olympic athletes. His sister is a Taekwondo champion and many other real life Olympic champions are at the charity as well. When an evil army takes over the town where the charity is being held, the athletes must help the village fight the terrorists.

The action is mostly stunts. All real stunts, though they do slip in a bit of C.G.I. There is the occasional fight, but it is all about the stunts in this movie. There are scenes where guys go flying through the air doing multiple flips and end with crashing into a burning frame of a building! Words can't really describe how amazing the stunts are, it is just something you have to see for yourself. And don't think that there are just 1 or 2 action stars in the movie. ALL of the actors can do their own stunts. The people who fight in the movie range anywhere from age 8 to 80. There is even a one-legged guy who gets to show off his skills! You also have the scene where they fight with real firelogs. Not a firelog hitting someone in the head once and then a cut, but long, extended takes of actors hitting eachother over and over again with real thick firelogs and embers flying in everyone's eyes. It would take a review literally 20 times longer than this to go over all the incredible things that happen in this movie. It is your average direct to TV action movie, but with some of the greatest stunts ever filmed. If you are a fan of the ultra low budget films that Panna made in the 80's and 90's, you will be happy to see what he can do with an almost limitless budget.

3.5/5

Picture quality and sound are perfect. English dub included if you don't like subtitles.

The only special features are a commentary from Bey Logan, a 5 minute look behind the scenes, and a great 65 minute documentary on the making of the film. Nothing like Dragon Dynasty's release of The Protector (Two-Disc Collector's Edition), but still very informative.

I will end this review with some of Prachya Pinkaew's thoughts on Hollywood action cinema compared to Thai.

"I think if we're going to use lots of techniques like Hollywood, or use lots of money or lots of C.G., we won't be able compete with them. The only way we could compete with them is in terms of our body, our skills, and our heart. We put these 3 things together. I used to tell our crews that we lose the battle before we even start. The only thing we could use to compete with them are our lives, meaning you have to trade your life for the movie. It might sound a bit too much, but it means you have to sell your skills, your confidence. You have to risk your life. What you get in return is a certain uniqueness, which looks most dangerous. We'll remain unique for a very long time."

The special features boost this up from a 3 to a 4 star rating
BORN TO FIGHT (1986)

Panna Rittikrai stars as a cop hired to find a lawyer who is in trouble. The story is not worth going over. The only reason to watch this movie is for the amazing stunts and full contact fights. Maybe Panna was just mad at these guys in real life, but he seriously beats them down hard in the movie. And look out for one of the craziest motorcycle stunts you will ever see.

3/5

Movie is full screen but picture quality is decent. It is better quality than the Thai VCD.

Special features on this disc include a 15 minute interview with Tony Jaa and Panna. It is basically Jaa's life story. One heck of a special feature.

My favorite feature is the 35 minute documentary on what it takes to be one of Panna's stuntmen.

The 4 minute interview with a producer of many Panna films could have been longer, but is still informative.

The last 2 special features are an Ong-Bak spoof commercial and an odd 13 minute Saturday Night Live type Ong-Bak skit.

If you get this movie at a certain store with the initials BB, it comes with a bonus movie, Thai Police Story. I don't know the Thai name, but it is the one where Panna is fighting 4 guys on a moving truck and one guy gets thrown into a Pepsi billboard. Only 57 minutes long, but I actually liked this movie a little bit more then Born to Fight 86. So obviously the exclusive 2-disc set is a MUST have for Panna fans.

Please note their are two versions of this film available
Please note, that there are two versions of this film available. There is the 1986 born to fight, and the 2004 remake (by ironically the same director). The 1986 version contains a special feature Tony Jaa talking about why he liked the movie and how it influenced him, as well as a spoof of ong bak, with the 1986 film. The 2004 is a more lean and mean movie, released by Dragon Dynasty, with different special features. Make sure you know what you're getting before you pruchase it.

With the 2004 version, I will review. I thought the action sequences were amazing. I'm always shocked the lengths someone will go for a stunt. This, like Ong Bak, is showing a growing trend among loosing the unreality and CG in favor of more real action. The trouble is the plot is rather bland, and goes no where. However, if you liked the protector, and could get past the "where's my elephant?" storyline, then this shouldn't phase you too much. Also, Tony Jaa is sorley missing from this movie. He is great at action, but has a bit of charisma and acting talent, which is also lacking from this movie. But I digress. It is entertaining and I recomend it.