"SPL," starring martial arts star Donnie Yen and directed by Wilson Yip, was one of the most talked about martial arts films of 2005. Their follow-up, "Dragon Tiger Gate" is one of the films shown at the Marche du Film or Film Market at this year's Cannes Film Festival. I happen to catch a fifteen minute promo reel of the movie broadcasted in a hotel theater, which showcased hard-hitting martial arts mayhem.


Cover for "Seven Swords" DVD

An adaptation of "the most popular Hong Kong manga," the promo features lengthy fights with the three lead characters -- Dragon (Donnie Yen), Tiger (Nicholas Tse), and Turbo (Shawn Yue). They're all fast, hard-hitting, and energetic. Dragon fights off his opponents with powerful arm-to-arm combat, Tiger with his acrobatic and precise kicks, and Turbo with his deadly nun chucks. The fights are of the one-versus-a-hundred variety, so expect a whole lotta butt-kicking. The production design, in general, looks pretty good although I'm not a fan of bright solid colors and long flowing hair on men, even if it's true to the comic book. There are sprinklings of CGI and wire-work in the fights, but since the characters possess super human powers, they work. Overall, I'm encouraged by what I saw.


Action scene from"Ong-Bak"

The Weinstein Company picked up US distribution rights to "Dragon Tiger Gate" and Donnie Yen's martial arts epic "Seven Swords." Hopefully, they won't keep them on the shelf and release them in the States soon.

While walking the aisles upon aisles of movie booths, one in particular catches my eye. It's for Tony Jaa's follow-up to his debut film "Ong-Bak," a film in which he displays his impressive acrobatic talent and fighting form.


Billboard for "Ong-Bak 2" at Cannes

A promo reel is playing for "Ong-Bak 2," but not much is actually shown here. It begins with the scrolls seen in the original. A monk starts performing a ritual. Tony Jaa, in parallel, does a lengthy Thai martial arts form showing off his artistry, agility, and acrobatics. I'm there.