Fighting Beat

[surface]

Was looking for a movie to see, and came accross Fighting Beat. I was wondering if Thais think stuff like this happens. Seems to me it's usually (always?) the other way around.

It was an ordinary night on Phi Phi Island where the usual nightlife was loud and lively overflowing with foreigners at every street bar lined up on the island. KEM and a group of friends innocently fell victim to a group of doped-up foreign kickboxing fighters looking for trouble where ultimately, KEM's father was killed on the scene.

Now an orphan, KEM moved to live in a nearby temple where the head monk became his guardian. Often blaming himself for his father's death, KEM would secretly learn Thai boxing at a local MUAY THAI bar belonging to his friend's father, UNCLE PRAOW. Time passes on and KEM grows up in the Muay Thai fighting scene. Without his monk guardian's acknowledgement, KEM learns to make a living off of rigged fighting matches where he fakes a defeat to his foreign Muay Thai opponents in exchange for their tips.

Uncle Praow's Muay Thai fighting bar becomes the local attraction for visiting foreigners and word gets out to JOHN, a leader of a Muay Thai fighting team made up of foreigners called K-1. They travel to Phi Phi Island looking to buyout the bar using the facility to set up their own Muay Thai training camp, but Uncle Praow refuses to sell his property. Displeased, K-1 assaults Uncle Praow, Kem, and the employees of the bar.

In fear for KEM's life and not wanting to repeat what happened to his father, Kem's monk guardian takes him off the island to become a student of his friend, an old Muay Thai Master.

It is here that Kem learns the disciplines of the ancient Thai boxing of Fighting Beat known for fighting bare-handedly dated back to a Thai history of battle where these techniques were used in combat distinguished by 4 different regional styles from the North, South, Central, and Eastern parts of Thailand with each style owning its uniqueness and strengths.

KEM returns to Phi Phi Island to find that Uncle Praow's bar had been forcefully taken over by K-1, the same group responsible for his father's death.

Things turn violent when K-1 refuses to return the bar and KEM is forced to use his Muay Thai disciplines in order to protect himself and his friends.

The deadliest street fight is set when the ancient disciplines of Fighting Beat Thai boxing (quick, reactive, fierce, and deadly) come face to face with a modern day adapted form of Thai kickboxing combat of K-1.

KEM is put to the test while caught up in this deadly street fight. Can he overcome his feelings of revenge and rage by practicing the disciplines he has learned of the art of Fighting Beat: Muay Thai Chaiya?.... "Victory does not mean a fight to the death of your opponent, but true victory is achieved when your opponent willingly accepts defeat."

Edited November 14, 2007 by surface

[Interman]

Was looking for a movie to see, and came accross Fighting Beat. I was wondering if Thais think stuff like this happens. Seems to me it's usually (always?) the other way around.

It was an ordinary night on Phi Phi Island where the usual nightlife was loud and lively overflowing with foreigners at every street bar lined up on the island. KEM and a group of friends innocently fell victim to a group of doped-up foreign kickboxing fighters looking for trouble where ultimately, KEM's father was killed on the scene.

Now an orphan, KEM moved to live in a nearby temple where the head monk became his guardian. Often blaming himself for his father's death, KEM would secretly learn Thai boxing at a local MUAY THAI bar belonging to his friend's father, UNCLE PRAOW. Time passes on and KEM grows up in the Muay Thai fighting scene. Without his monk guardian's acknowledgement, KEM learns to make a living off of rigged fighting matches where he fakes a defeat to his foreign Muay Thai opponents in exchange for their tips.

Uncle Praow's Muay Thai fighting bar becomes the local attraction for visiting foreigners and word gets out to JOHN, a leader of a Muay Thai fighting team made up of foreigners called K-1. They travel to Phi Phi Island looking to buyout the bar using the facility to set up their own Muay Thai training camp, but Uncle Praow refuses to sell his property. Displeased, K-1 assaults Uncle Praow, Kem, and the employees of the bar.

In fear for KEM's life and not wanting to repeat what happened to his father, Kem's monk guardian takes him off the island to become a student of his friend, an old Muay Thai Master.

It is here that Kem learns the disciplines of the ancient Thai boxing of Fighting Beat known for fighting bare-handedly dated back to a Thai history of battle where these techniques were used in combat distinguished by 4 different regional styles from the North, South, Central, and Eastern parts of Thailand with each style owning its uniqueness and strengths.

KEM returns to Phi Phi Island to find that Uncle Praow's bar had been forcefully taken over by K-1, the same group responsible for his father's death.

Things turn violent when K-1 refuses to return the bar and KEM is forced to use his Muay Thai disciplines in order to protect himself and his friends.

The deadliest street fight is set when the ancient disciplines of Fighting Beat Thai boxing (quick, reactive, fierce, and deadly) come face to face with a modern day adapted form of Thai kickboxing combat of K-1.

KEM is put to the test while caught up in this deadly street fight. Can he overcome his feelings of revenge and rage by practicing the disciplines he has learned of the art of Fighting Beat: Muay Thai Chaiya?.... "Victory does not mean a fight to the death of your opponent, but true victory is achieved when your opponent willingly accepts defeat."

No,

I have been in the boxing life here, and Thais do not think this stuff happens. But the bribing of fighters in big stadiums and temple fights are rampid.

Dont worry, Thais love tourists and actualy like us being here.

[Dissolution]

NACHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO----~!

[DamianMavis]

Just the regular portrayal of farangs in Thai movies, not that I'm complaining! Those k1 guys are my friends and they all got that job because of the tried and true portrayal of evil farangs. Go evil farangs! I really doubt that all Thais think that is reality, they spend their life getting <deleted> over by their fellow Thais, not farangs.

Damian

[CarlBkk]

The resurging storyline of tough farangs getting beaten by lowly Thais got an absolute slating in the Bangkok Post review (by a Thai critic). A very poor effort of scriptwriting.

[meemiathai]

Just the regular portrayal of farangs in Thai movies, not that I'm complaining! Those k1 guys are my friends and they all got that job because of the tried and true portrayal of evil farangs. Go evil farangs! I really doubt that all Thais think that is reality, they spend their life getting <deleted> over by their fellow Thais, not farangs.

Damian

Get over it, Damian. What do you expect farangs to be in action movies in THAILAND where farang fight thais? Thais-bad guys and Farangs-good guys?It is about the market. It is about human psychology. What the average thais like to see.

And don't worry, I can guarrantee 99% of thais having passed the age of 12 could differentiate reality to movies. Unlike the west where the concept is children will grow out to be like what they see in movies. Why do they still have Superman and Batman? Aren't they dangerous movies?

And to the OP, my observation is the average thais are very aware of reality.

[meemiathai]

Sounds like another juvenile and puerile escapade similar to the pathetic Tom Yum Goong and it's ilk, with a thinly disguised anti-foreigner undercurrent and ridiculous plot of aggrandised self importance.

One to avoid unless you are an adolescent methinks.

I am confused. Did you or did you not see Tom Yum Goong?

[Interman]

The resurging storyline of tough farangs getting beaten by lowly Thais got an absolute slating in the Bangkok Post review (by a Thai critic). A very poor effort of scriptwriting.

I think farangs are used in these movies because its about the size, not whats really inside.

Thais see farang's as "big" when it comes to fighting. Remember its an action movie. In asian culture its always what you can see, not what we are really like on the inside. So I think its safe to assume that when Thais see this movie all they see is big farang,, not "oh, those bad farang".

[g00dgirl]

I have seen the movie. Apart from being bored throughout the movie I was a bit sad to see foreigners being ridiculed in it, for example the not very skilled foreigner who fights and wins the fixed fight and displays his pride following the win.

The other foreigners are being shown as mean and violent, taking over the bar.

The movie has the potential to make a foreigner feel bad, wondering if this how the story writer sees foreigners in Thailand and whether the Thai audience will develop prejudice against foreigners after watching the movie.

[kmart]

I heard its based on a true story.

[DamianMavis]

Meemi, I was not joking when I said I wasn't complaining, I base half my career on the portrayal of falangs as evil! Without that, I wouldn't get as much work. My friends in this movie thought the movie sucked a$$, bad story, but at least a couple of them got good fight scenes for their show reel. And I'm fully aware Asians are often protrayed as bad guys in western movies so am not surprised its the opposite here!

When Hanuman comes out alot of you are probably going to slag the movie (and quite possibly me) but I hope the story is alot better than Figting Beat... I'm almost positive it is. On a bright note, my boss (before I kill him) is an evil Thai voodoo guy. So its not just falangs that are doing all the bad crap in Hanuman, its being guided by the Thai mastermind! But then I eat him....

Damian

[kmart]

Meemi, I was not joking when I said I wasn't complaining, I base half my career on the portrayal of falangs as evil! Without that, I wouldn't get as much work. My friends in this movie thought the movie sucked a$$, bad story, but at least a couple of them got good fight scenes for their show reel. And I'm fully aware Asians are often protrayed as bad guys in western movies so am not surprised its the opposite here!

When Hanuman comes out alot of you are probably going to slag the movie (and quite possibly me) but I hope the story is alot better than Figting Beat... I'm almost positive it is. On a bright note, my boss (before I kill him) is an evil Thai voodoo guy. So its not just falangs that are doing all the bad crap in Hanuman, its being guided by the Thai mastermind! But then I eat him....

Damian

I'm not really into those types of films, Damian. Martial Arts is more my thing.

[DamianMavis]

Meemi, I was not joking when I said I wasn't complaining, I base half my career on the portrayal of falangs as evil! Without that, I wouldn't get as much work. My friends in this movie thought the movie sucked a$, bad story, but at least a couple of them got good fight scenes for their show reel. And I'm fully aware Asians are often protrayed as bad guys in western movies so am not surprised its the opposite here!

When Hanuman comes out alot of you are probably going to slag the movie (and quite possibly me) but I hope the story is alot better than Figting Beat... I'm almost positive it is. On a bright note, my boss (before I kill him) is an evil Thai voodoo guy. So its not just falangs that are doing all the bad crap in Hanuman, its being guided by the Thai mastermind! But then I eat him....

Damian

I'm not really into those types of films, Damian. Martial Arts is more my thing.

Oh what? We're not talking about the Thai gay porn industry!? haha, ya Hanuman is a martial arts action movie!

Damian

[meemiathai]

Meemi, I was not joking when I said I wasn't complaining, I base half my career on the portrayal of falangs as evil! Without that, I wouldn't get as much work. My friends in this movie thought the movie sucked a$$, bad story, but at least a couple of them got good fight scenes for their show reel. And I'm fully aware Asians are often protrayed as bad guys in western movies so am not surprised its the opposite here!

When Hanuman comes out alot of you are probably going to slag the movie (and quite possibly me) but I hope the story is alot better than Figting Beat... I'm almost positive it is. On a bright note, my boss (before I kill him) is an evil Thai voodoo guy. So its not just falangs that are doing all the bad crap in Hanuman, its being guided by the Thai mastermind! But then I eat him....

Damian

I'm not really into those types of films, Damian. Martial Arts is more my thing.

[TheDon]

I have seen the movie. Apart from being bored throughout the movie I was a bit sad to see foreigners being ridiculed in it, for example the not very skilled foreigner who fights and wins the fixed fight and displays his pride following the win.

The other foreigners are being shown as mean and violent, taking over the bar.

The movie has the potential to make a foreigner feel bad, wondering if this how the story writer sees foreigners in Thailand and whether the Thai audience will develop prejudice against foreigners after watching the movie.

Well its usually the other way around isnt it.

The white person doest always have to be the good guy

[DamianMavis]

Uh, the story for Tom Yum goong was stupid, but you might not know that it and OngBak are innovative for introducing a new style of action that became immediately internationally popular. Not too mention that Tony Jaa is the most talented action star I've ever seen, from a professionals perspective. Those 2 movies are the only 2 Thai movies to make it to Western movie screens unless I am mistaken. But ya, the story was retarded... "where's my elephant!" If Hanuman actually made it to Western screens.... I'd die and go to heaven.

Damian

[TheDon]

Ong Bak was awesome, I remember it comming out in sydney and everyone was talking about it, the stunts were great and the story line was decent.

Tom Yum gong IMO was more to show the world what Tony Jaa could do, It was abit over the top but still an OK movie.

[Dissolution]

Would be a bonus if you have ever played/seen Street Fighter/King of Fighters.

[ThaiPauly]

That was AWFUL.

It was if I was playing a video game...... OK, ALRIGHT, he must have said those words 40 times in a 4 minute clip.