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Southeast Asian martial arts in films and other media including
Filipino kali, Thai Krabi Krabong and old-school Muay Thai, and
Indonesian pencak silat
Films (by date):
Daab / Sword (TBD) - krabi krabong
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) - kali, pencak silat
Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) - kali
Mission Impossible 3 (2006) - kali
Ultraviolet (2006) - kali
Tom Yung Goong/The Protector (2005) - krabi krabong
Batman Begins (2005) - keysi
Puteri Gunung Ledang (2004) - pencak silat
Daredevil (2003) - kali
The Legend of Suriyothai (2003) - krabi krabong
The Bourne Supremacy (2004) - kali
Chronicles of Riddick (2004) - kali
Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) - kali
Matrix: Reloaded (2003) - kali
The Hunted (2003) - kali
Ong Bak/Thai Warrior (2003) - krabi krabong
Equilibrium (2002) - kali
Brotherhood of the Wolf (2002) - krabi krabong
Blade II (2002) - kali
The Bourne Identity (2002) - kali
Scorpion King (2002) - kali
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002) - kali
Kiss of the Dragon (2001) - kali
Bang Rajan (2000) - krabi krabong
Under Seige (1992) - kali
Exposure (1991) - kali
Out for Justice (1991) - kali
Rambo III (1988) - kali
Game of Death (1978) - kali
Man with the Golden Gun (1974) - krabi krabong
Enter the Dragon (1973) - kali
Television:
Andromeda
Stargate
Empire
Magazines:
Blackbelt
Inside Kung Fu
Books:
News:
Leslie Buck trains Marines - Austin news 2003
Video Productions:
FILM: The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Overview: Bourne is once again brought out of hiding,
this time inadvertently by London-based reporter Simon Ross, trying
to unveil Operation Black Briar---an upgrade to Project Treadstone---in
a series of newspaper columns. Bourne (Damon) sets up a meeting
with Ross (Considine) and realizes instantly they're being scanned.
Information from the reporter stirs a new set of memories, and Bourne
must finally, ultimately, uncover his dark past whilst dodging The
Company's best efforts in eradicating him.
Rating: 9.2 (of 10)
- This is an amazingly good piece of action. There isn't much of
a plot, save as a continuation of the previous two, but it really
doesn't need one. Like knocking over the first domino, the resulting
chain reaction isn't a surprised - you can only watch in amazement
as all the pieces fall.
Featured arts: Once again, Jason Bourne utilizes recognizable
Filipino kali techniques in the various hand-to-hand fight scenes. Typical
of the other two, use of improvised weapons (a book and a towel),
The fight scenes are fast, furious, and brutal. The entire film
is a heart-pounding end-to-end action sequence, with barely time
to catch your breath between bursts of energy. The use of the towel
to finish off an assassin looks suspiciously like sarong from pencak
silat Mande Muda - which would not be surprising considering the
source of the choreography - but given that FMA has lots of flexible
weapons techniques, it is hard to say for sure.
FILM: Resident Evil - Extinction (2007)
Overview: Years after the Raccoon City disaster, Alice is
on her own knowing that she has become a liability and could endanger
those around her is struggling to survive and bring down the Umbrella
Corporation lead by the sinister Albert Wesker and head researcher
Dr. Issacs. Things get weird - there are flesh-eating zombies as
usual. Why stop now when you can make a few more zombie flicks?
Rating: Unrated (so
far)
Featured arts: Rumor has it that there is a pretty nasty
bit of double kukri fighting. This might be derivative of Bando
but is more likely just another exotic weapon substituting for the
usual kali sticks.
FILM: Mission Impossible 3 (2006)
Overview: During a party, former super-spy Secret Agent
Ethan Hunt is once again called back into action by IMF Operations
Director Musgrave for the newest mission, to recover a missing IMF
Agent, Agent Lindsey Farris who has been captured in Berlin by the
toughest villainous Owen Davian, a prominent dealer in the international
black market. Ethan must confront Owen Davian the toughest villain
person he's ever faced.
Rating: 8.2 (of 10)
- with a big budget and decent stars, this MI is once again a solid
movie packed with lots of action. It doesn't offer anything fundamentally
new from its predecessors and it is hard not to see Cruise, the
actor, instead of Hunt the role.
Featured arts: An unmistakable kali
scene is thrown into a flashback - while training an agent, Hunt
apparently requires her to learn sinawali (amongst other things).
Amusingly, the woman's technique looks pretty good especially compared
to Cruise who is passable but clearly not a kalista.
FILM: Ultraviolet (2006)
Overview: Set in the late 21st century, a subculture
of humans have emerged who have been modified genetically by a vampire-like
disease (hemophagia), giving them enhanced speed, incredible stamina
and acute intelligence. As they are set apart from "normal,
healthy" humans, the world is pushed to the brink of worldwide
civil war... Milla Jovavich again, only this time vampires instead
of zombies. Do you detect a pattern?
Rating: 6.3 (of 10)
- Some interesting scenes but still not much better than a B-film.
And seriously lacking any conceptual or character development. Why
does Hollywood need to kill decent sci-fi with its forumlae?
Featured arts: Hard to say precisely - likely some kali influence.
But the film also features a fire sword duel, one of which is a
burmese dha with square nose. Unusual but a nice touch.
FILM: Batman Begins (2005)
Overview: Returning to a distinctly "dark knight"
feel, Batman Begins presents the prequel to the Batman saga. The
early history of the emotionally tortured Bruce Wayne includes training
in remote Tibetan locales in strange and deadly arts. As usual,
his sometimes savage response to criminality and victimization offers
an edgy insight into his early character.
Rating: 8.2 (of 10)
- One of the better Batman movies certainly. Both a good story and
good action, it can stand-alone for the uninitiated or prove itself
as one of the best of the series.
Featured arts: The recently developed art called "keysi"
was utilized for this film (as it was also used more recently in
MI-3). The intention was show an art that was both unusual and distinctive,
but also brutally effective. The originators of keysi give little
indication of the origins of their fighting system. Both are based
in JKD and demos of their art include movements that appear similar
to pencak silat, muay thai, and kali. Use of kali sticks is evident
and references are made to similarities to the Bakbakan system of
kali in particular.
FILM: Tom Yung Goong (The Protector) (2005)
Overview: A young man Kham (Tony Jaa) from the countryside
of Thailand grows up in the company of elephants. When one of the
elephants is kidnapped by unscrupulous businessmen, the youth heads
for the big city to track them down and save his boyhood friend.
Rating: 7.2 (of 10)
Featured arts: Hot off the success of Ong Bak, Tony Jaa once again
executes impressive demonstrations of old school Thai kick boxing (Muay Chai, Muay Boran) as well
as Thai weapons (Krabi Krabong). In particular, there is an excellent fight between him and Lateef Crawder
(Brazilian capoeira) in burning temple full of water (from fire sprinklers). And Jaa utilizes the
unique Thai "mae sowks" or forearm shields, using elephant bones in place of the traditional weapons. In
many cases, the plot is shaky and the action overly staged - however, it definitely worth watching.
FILM: Puteri Gunung Ledang (2004)
(Princess of Mount Ledang)
Official Web
site
Overview: Filmed in Malaysia, this period epic from
the late 15th century depicts a forbidden romance between Gusti
Putri, a Javanese Hindu princess and Hang Tuah, a Malay Muslim warrior
from Melaka, against a backdrop of war and mysticism.
Rating: Unrated - visit the Web site for the previews and
trailers.
Featured arts: It is one of the first major movies
to centrally feature pencak silat. It makes direct reference
to the cultural, spiritual and mystical nature of the art, as well
as showing fight sequences, with and without weapons. The quality
of the fight choreography is a little rough in places, compared
to the current standards, but this is an excellent introduction
of the general public to pencak silat.
FILM: The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Overview: A sequel to the modern spy thriller, the
Bourne Identity, this film continues the theme of efficient but
likeable assasin out-of-control with amnesia. When a CIA operation
to purchase classified Russian documents is blown by a rival agent--who
then shows up in the sleepy seaside village where Bourne (Damon)
and Marie (Potente) have been living under assumed names--the pair
collapse their lives and head out. Bourne, who promised retaliation
should anyone from his former life attempt contact, is forced to
once again take up his life as a trained assassin to survive.
Rating: 8.5 (of 10) - A generally
accessible A-class film with lots of great Hollywood action - and
not bad as a sequel.
Featured arts: Carrying on the general use of Filipino
martial arts as part of Bourne's arsenal of weapons,
several fight scenes feature well-choreographed use of recognizable
FMA technique. Although most people may not notice the difference,
the FMA enthusiast can pick up on some of the distinct movements
in the use of knife and third hand.
FILM: Resident Evil - Apocalypse (2004)
Overview: Another zombie movie featuring Milla Jovavich.
It may have an actual movie synopsis - but that's not why you're
watching it anyways.....
Rating: 5.8 (of 10)
- ummmmm, another zombie B-film with Milla Jovavich couldn't possible
be good.... could it?
Featured arts: There are two different uses of sinawali
(from kali) using double asp.
This is very similar to the arts used in Ecks vs. Sever by Lucy
Liu. Nothing new to see here. But still fun.
FILM: Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
Overview: Another sequel, to a pretty decent B-movie
called Pitch Black that first launched Vin Diesel's career,
Chronicles finds Riddick now a hunted man, in the middle of two
opposing forces in a major crusade. The Lord Marshal, a warrior
priest who is the leader of a sect that is waging the tenth and
perhaps final crusade 500 years in the future. Once again Riddick
is poised to save humankind from evil by being twice as evil himself.
Rating: 5.6 (of 10)
- this is a bad movie. There was lots of potential but it somehow
never translated to the screen.
Featured arts: Vin Diesel claims to have trained in kali
describing it as an "art originally from Spain that was imported
to the Philippines" - oh dear! However, it didn't seem to help
shape his fighting ability overmuch. The double daggers he likes
to throw around were apparently influenced by sinawali.
FILM: Daredevil (2003)
Overview: Matt Murdock is a lawyer who was blinded
during a chemical accident when he was a kid. However, after that
accident his other senses were heightened to a superhuman degree
making him the costumed hero known as Daredevil.
Rating: 6.1 (of 10)
- Like many comic superheros, the movie treatment isn't always flattering.
Wooden, ridiculous, and unbelievable in equal measures. Still, Daredevil
is kind of fun....
Featured arts: The influence of any particular arts is indeterminate.
However, there is a sinawali-like feel resembling kali
to the staff when it separates into two pieces - with a cable in
between the two for catching and choking. It is pretty mildly influences,
if at all.
FILM: Suriyothai / Legend of Suriyothai (2003)
Overview: Filmed in Thailand, this period epic from
the 16th century relates the tumultuous history of Siam and its
ongoing battles within and without the kingdom. Harried by its eternal
foe Burma (now Mayanmar), Siam suffers terribly when the death of
its beloved king throws its future into question. Infighting and
backstabbing eliminate leader after leader as the forces of Burma
descend upon Siam's borders. The film follows the life of the heroine,
Suriyothai, who eventually becomes the queen of King Mahachakrapat.
from the age of 15, to her tragic death as she sacrifices herself
to save her country.
Rating: 8.1 (of 10) - While
the story and cinematography are occasionally hard to follow, it
is worth watching several times. Partly to catch all the details
of the many intrigues, but also to take in the sumptuous costumes
and depictions of a rich but unfamiliar historical and cultural
landscape.
Featured arts: Although the martial aspects of this film
are limited appropriately to the battlefield, several major battle
scenes provide ample insight into the weapons, armour, techniques
and context for Krabi Krabong.
There is little hand-to-hand or one-on-one combat.
FILM: Ong Bak (2003)
Live
demo from Tony Jaa
Overview: This movie offers a classic martial arts plot,
but filmed entirely in Thailand, with Thai stars and production.
When the head of Ong-Bak, the sacred Buddha of a poor village in
Thailand is stolen, the population is plunged into misery. The Buddha
was the focal point of an anniversary vigil believed to bring rain
to the drought-stricken area. Young Ting is selected by the villagers
to travel to Bangkok and rescue the relic in time for their ceremony.
Rating: 8.6 (out of 10) - as
martials arts films go, this has all the right stuff in it and it
isn't painful to watch in between the numerous fights and stunt
scenes. And it offers a unique view of Thai culture.
Featured arts: This films does for traditional Muay
Thai (such as Muay Boran and Muay Chaiya) and Krabi Krabong
what Bloodsport did for karate/kick-bocking. Using highly stylized
but dramatic fight scenes, the film portrays the unique energetics
and techniques of the Thai arts, distinct from today's sport Muay
Thai. Using a mixture of different older systems, Tony Jaa displays
tremendous acrobatic ability and strength.
FILM: Brotherhood of the Wolf (2002)
Overview:
Rating: 7.9 (out of 10)
Featured arts:
FILM: Blade II (2002)
Overview: One could say that, not only is this yet-another-vampire
movie, it also a sequel to yet-another-vampire -movie. However,
thanks to the influence of Wesley Snipes who is himself a martial
artist, this version of "Dracula" continues to amuse.
Blade, played byMr. Snipes, is a half-vampire himself but with a
real distaste for bloodsuckers. He is a vigilante for the rest of
unknowing humanity. In this sequel, Reapers, a new breed of vampire
that feed off humans and vampires, emerge with plans for world domination
and Blade must team with the Bloodpack, an elite team of vampire
warriors specifically trained to hunt him, in order to defeat this
new menace.
Rating: 7.4 (of 10) - fun but
repetitious - it doesn't offer much over the previous Blade movie.
By itself, it might have garnered 8.2.
Featured arts: Needless to say, many arts are present in
this film including Japanese swords arts like kendo/kenjitsu and
Brazilian capoiera (Snipes actively practices). In particular though,
several sequences feature sinawali
(when the assassin fights Blade in front of the "god lights")
from kali/eskrima/arnis.
FILM: Equilibrium (2002)
Overview: In a futuristic world, a strict regime has
eliminated war by suppressing emotions: books, art and music are
strictly forbidden and feeling is a crime punishable by death. Cleric
John Preston (Bale) is a top ranking government agent responsible
for destroying those who resist the rules. Whe he misses a dose
of Prozium, a mind-altering drug that hinders emotion, Preston,
who has been trained to enforce the strict laws of the new regime,
suddenly becomes the only person capable of overthrowing it.
Rating: 5.9
(of 10) - Words like "ridiculous"
and "melodramatic" come to mind - the movie is not even
a proper B-film in its quality. It has a few interesting moments
and might have been a good story if a bit more work was done on
it. In many respects, the concept of the grammaton cleric who has
a handgun-based martial art seems to have been the entire motivation
for the film.
Featured arts:
To suggest that there is actually any influence from kali may be somewhat
hyperbolic. However, there is this pretty neat final fight scene with close range handgun grappling. Pekiti-Tirsia
kali and Lameco both have something similiar called "tapping" (as do other stick arts), typically applied to knives. The
similarity is notable but slim.
FILM: The Hunted (2002)
Overview: In the green woods of Oregon, Aaron Hallam,
a trained assassin AWOL from the Special Forces, keeps his own brand
of wildlife vigil. After brutally slaying four deer hunters in the
area, FBI Special Agent Abby Durrell turns to L.T. Bonham-- the
one man who may be able to stop him. At first L.T. resists the mission.
Snug in retirement, he's closed off to his past, the years he spent
in the Special Forces training soldiers to become skilled murderers.
But when he realizes that these recent slayings are the work of
a man he trained, he feels obligated to stop him.
Rating: 7.8
(of 10) - somewhat wooden acting and a pretty
sparsely developed set of characters keeps this from getting very
interesting. The knife fights are .... reasonably good. Certainly
it's nice to see some specific techniques happening but the plot
keeps stepping on the credibility.
Featured arts: For
real, the hand of Sayoc kali
is clearly seen. The famed Sayocs acted as consultants and choreographers
for the fight scenes.
FILM: The Bourne Identity (2002)
Overview: Based very loosely on Robert Ludlum's novel,
the Bourne Identity is the story of a man whose wounded body is
discovered by fisherman who nurse him back to health. He can remember
nothing and begins to try to rebuild his memory based on clues such
as the Swiss bank account, the number of which, is implanted in
his hip. He soon realizes that he is being hunted and takes off
with Marie on a search to find out who he is and why he is being
hunted.
Rating: 8.9 (of 10) - fast,
smart action with lots of twists and turns. And the editting on
the fight scenes is reasonably smooth without being dramatic.
Featured arts: Hand-to-hand fighting is dominated by well-defined
use of kali. In particular,
the opportunistic use of environment as weapons, such as a pen,
reflects the nature of this Filipino art.
FILM: Scorpion King (2002)
Overview: n an ancient time, predating the pyramids,
the evil king Memnon is using the psychic powers of his sorceress
Cassandra to fortell his great victories. In a last ditch effort
to stop Memnon from taking over the world, the leaders of the remaining
free tribes hire the assassin Mathayus to kill the sorceress. But
Mathayus ends up getting much more than he bargained for. Now with
the help of the trickster Arpid, tribal leader Balthazar and an
unexpected ally, it's up to Mathayus to fufill his destiny and become
the great Scorpion King.
Rating: 7.2 (of 10)
- Some smashing sword fights and some decent set design. But anything
starring the The Rock has limitations. Meanwhile, lots of people
seem to really enjoy it.
Featured arts: There is a clear kali influence with a sinawali
training scene. In addition, though not clearly FMA-specific, there
is a pretty fun fire sword fight.
FILM: Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002)
Overview: Jonathan Ecks , an FBI agent, realizes that
he must join with his lifelong enemy, Agent Sever , a rogue DIA
agent with whom he is in mortal combat, in order to defeat a common
enemy. That enemy has developed a "micro-device" that
can be injected into victims in order to kill them at will. Or something
like that. Comic book spys and superheros.
Rating: 6.5 (of 10)
- Wooden with usual problem of video games and comix being translated
to movies.
Featured arts: Lucy Liu dazzles with a one-on-many double
asp fight against a SWAT team. Her kali is pretty good as she fairly
realistically deals them down.
FILM: Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
Overview: Liu Jian, a police officer from China, comes to
Paris to help the vice squad apprehend a Chinese drug lord and his
unknown French connection. The French connection is Richard, the
head of the vice squad, who intends to kill the drug lord then frame
Jian.
Rating: 6.5 (of 10) - Pretty
standard B-film chop-socky with lots of setup fight scenes and unimaginative
development. Boy meets girl, girl is threatened by criminal, martial
arts erupts. Like that.
Featured arts: Jet Li does not specifically have a kali
background, but several scenes feature stick fighting techniques.
Awkwardly inserted, karateka show little adeptness with sticks while
Jet Li just moves really really fast. The "40 stick fighters
(in gi) against one" is interesting.. sort of.
FILM: Bang Rajan: The Legend of the Village Warriors (2000)
Overview: Oliver Stone presents a beautiful and violent
Thai film; the true story of a rural 18th century Siamese village
that managed to battle an army of 100,000 invading Burmese soldiers
to a standstill for five months. When Bang Rajan's fearless warrior
chief (Chumporn Taephitak) is wounded in battle, the men of the
village elect a mighty rogue fighter who has been making raids on
Burmese supply lines, Chan (Jaran Ngamdee), to step in and guide
them.
Rating: 8.9 (of 10) - this
is an excellent historical epic with good character development
and action. It may not appeal to everyone as an Asian production.
However, it has high production values and delivers good (true)
story. The ending may disappoint for those expecting a standard
Hollywood finish. The hair-dos and mustaches are fabulous.
Featured arts: Classic Siamese (Thai) and Burmese (Myanman)
weapons arts, in particular Krabi Krabong,
are in plentiful evidence. Extensive use and demonstration of open
field combat, armour and shields, as well as a range of traditional
weapons such as the dha, plong, and krabong, as well as exotic weapons
like spiked war hammers.
FILM: Under Seige (1992)
Details pending....
FILM: Out for Justice (1991)
Details pending...
FILM: Exposure (1991)
Overview: An American photographer capturing the violent
street life in Rio de Janeiro is attacked and his girlfriend raped
when a drug lord thinks he has important information against him.
The photographer studies the art of knife fighting, but as he trails
his attackers he is unaware that the man who taught him to fight
is the man he may have to kill.
Rating: 8.1 (of 10) - not a
standard Hollywood thriller, the action is sparse but aesthetic.
And the fighting scenes are intense and technique laden. Peter Coyote
plays the role well and is easy to watch.
Featured arts: The knife fighting is clearly kali
again - the angles of attack are even laid out by the erst-while
knife instructor. There are specific training and fighting scenes
that relate directly to no-nonsense FMA-based knife fighting.
Rambo III (1988)
Overview: John Rambo, unwilling to accompany old friend
Colonel Trautman behind Soviet lines in Afghanistan, ends up going
there on an unofficial rescue mission after Trautman is captured.
Bullets and bombs fly in all directions as the indistructable Rambo
quickly works his way through a large camp of Soviet soldiers.
Rating: 6.3 (of 10) - yet-another-Rambo
movie - but admittedly, the opening stick fight is one the earliest
examples of kali in a major Hollywood picture. Even if it is suggested
that the location is Thailand....
Featured arts: Once again, kali
is clearly present - an overly dramatic but reasonably well choreographed
double stick fight at the beginning makes for a great opening.
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