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The Warrior King has returned. Ong Bak star and criminally underrated martial arts actor Tony Jaa leads the new action thriller Striking Rescue, and the first reviews have hailed it an “action fan’s delight.” Boasting a simple premise of revenge that will allow Jaa to once again unleash his bone-breaking Muay Thai skills, Striking Rescue finds Jaa taking the lead as a man who, after his wife and daughter are murdered, embarks on what’s described as a “furious rampage.” All of which are words that should have action fans salivating.

The reviews for Striking Rescue have been glowing, with critics enamored with Tony Jaa’s no-nonsense action comeback. Jeff Ewing of Collider heaped praise on the action thriller for doing exactly what you want it to: deliver where it counts.

“Striking Rescue isn't reinventing the wheel, it's kneeing it in two. That's what we've signed up for, and it delivers where it counts.

A scene from Striking Rescue. Courtesy of WellGo USA

Tony Jaa is essentially the Bruce Lee of Thailand. He’s a gifted martial artist with black belts in multiple disciplines. He does his own stunts without CGI or wires. His films have reliably delivered plenty of high-octane action with varying degrees of story significance. Jaa’s resting face seems to be one of anger, which serves him well in this hard-hitting revenge story, Striking Rescue.

We see Jaa’s wife and daughter being murdered during the opening credits. The whole film consists of working his way up the criminal echelons to kill whoever did them in. It’s a classic formula that never gets old in the right hands, whether being executed by Jason Statham, Scott Adkins, Jet Li or any other martial artist with a SAG card (or its equivalent in the dozens of other countries pumping these flicks out). Along the way,...

For quite some time now, and despite the many opportunities he was given, even in high profile productions, Tony Jaa did not manage to reach the standards he had set himself with movies like “Ong Bak” and “The Protector”. As such, it is with great pleasure I can say that “Striking Rescue”, a Chinese-Thai collaboration, signals a much awaited return to form for the 49-year-old Thai actor, in a film that can only be described as spectacular.

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In a style that feels reinvigorating, Cheng Si-yu starts his movie with intense action, setting the tone, and then begins unfolding his story. Bai An, an obsessed vigilante, bursts into a warehouse full of thugs, beating them all up, without any reason apart from a single question: “Why my family?” It is soon revealed that he is on the hunt for He Yinghao, a...

“Striking Rescue” emerges as a Chinese-produced martial arts action film that features Tony Jaa in a leading role, marking his return as a central figure in high-energy cinema. This work appears within the growing digital platform scene, offering a platform for both traditional martial arts display and modern cinematic storytelling. The film represents a fusion of stylistic influences drawn from distinct Asian cultures, with Jaa’s renowned physical performance at the forefront.

Tony Jaa, whose earlier roles like those in “Ong Bak” set standards for physical storytelling, now steps into a narrative that revisits his powerful persona. His performance revives the physical dynamism he is known for, transitioning him from ensemble appearances to a spotlight role that underscores his enduring presence.

The film also mirrors its cultural roots, merging Chinese cinematic techniques with Thai martial arts flair. This combination offers a visual experience that speaks to audiences familiar with classic...

Mainland filmmaker Cheng Si Yu is a regular when it comes to action movies showing on the local video streaming platforms. Starting with “The Grandmaster of Kung Fu” (2019), “Tai Chi Master” (2022) and “Desperado” (2024) starring Danny Chan. His latest online project, “Striking Rescue”, streaming on Youku, even comes with a bigger drawcard, featuring the Muay Thai warrior himself, Tony Jaa in the lead. Interestingly, this movie managed to get a cinema release in the US and Thailand.

Set in Jiati City, in the Palivina Republic, Bai An (Tony Jaa), a retired security veteran highly skilled in Muay Thai is on a deadly mission of seeking justice for the murder of his wife and young daughter. Upon learning that He Ying Hao (Philip Keung), a rich Chinese businessman might be responsible, he plans to kidnap He’s daughter Ting (Chen Duo Yi) first in order to get to her father.

It turns...

The Action Scene explores the form, history, and visceral power of action cinema through its set pieces.Clockwise from top left: Boy Kills World, Life After Fighting, Blade of Fury, Black Storm.This past year may have been the decade’s strongest yet for action scenes. Half of the honorable mentions could’ve held their own against most main-list entries from previous years, and some of this year’s scenes rank among the best I’ve ever seen within their respective set-piece categories.The following list rounds up my fifteen favorite action scenes of 2024. As usual, I’ve limited myself to one scene per film, and to films that made their US theatrical or streaming debut in 2024. Scenes have been organized by theme to highlight patterns and enhance ease of perusal.On Home TURFTop and bottom: Fury 12 Hours.A testament to the exceptional work being done in low-budget, direct-to-streaming Chinese...

Jackie Chan once attempted to break out of his signature comedy style in the early part of the millennium when he made New Police Story, which had him playing a more dramatic role as an alcoholic ex-cop. He would follow it up with 2005’s The Myth, which would be half of an Armor of God-type movie where he played an archeologist and half of a period film where Chan also played a General of a historical Chinese army. Chan returns with a new sequel to The Myth, titled A Legend. This film reunites him with director Stanley Tong, who directed Chan in movies like Rumble in the Bronx and Police Story 3: Supercop.

Well Go USA has just released the trailer for A Legend. Not long after the company unveiled the trailers for the upcoming action films of other martial arts icons, Tony Jaa’s Striking Rescue and Donnie Yen’s The Prosecutor.

Get more of your action fix with another trailer from Well Go USA. This week, the distributor released the hard-hitting first look at the Tony Jaa action film Striking Rescue. In that trailer, Jaa looks to return to form after capitalizing on his exploding career by starring in international films like Furious 7, xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, Skin Trade, Triple Threat and KillZone 2. While his new movie isn’t a Thai production, it brings back the hardcore fighting that broke him out in Ong Bak.

Now, take a look at Donnie Yen as he stars in the new legal action film The Prosecutor. Yen steps in to direct and stars in the film alongside Julian Cheung, Francis Ng, Kent Cheng, Adam Pak, Kang Yu and Locker Lam. The official plot synopsis reads, “Inspired by an actual legal case in Hong Kong, The Prosecutor follows the story of...

We’ve taken a look at Tony Jaa’s breakout hit Ong Bak in an episode of our Reel Action series that’s available on the JoBlo Originals Channel on YouTube. Since his first few Thai films, in which he was heavily involved in the action creation, Jaa would inevitably branch out into international films. Movies like Furious 7, xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, Skin Trade, Triple Threat and KillZone 2 would utilize him, but the Thai star wouldn’t quite reach the kind of showmanship that he displayed in his earlier movies. The upcoming movie Striking Rescue may just be the return to form.

It was recently reported that the film has been acquired by frequent martial arts film distributor Well Go USA for the North American distribution rights. Well Go USA has just released the official, hard-hitting trailer for Striking Rescue. Per THR, “Directed by Cheng Siyi,...

One of the most underrated international action and martial arts stars of all time returns with a new, no-nonsense action thriller. Titled Striking Rescue, the action outing sees Ong Bak and Furious 7 star Tony Jaa demonstrate his exceptional Muay Thai skills once again in this tale of revenge. Jaa, a three-time Muay Thai champion, has already proven that his martial arts prowess often results in visual poetry with his skills now all set for the big screen after Striking Distance was picked up for distribution in North America by Well Go USA.

You can check out the official synopsis for Striking Rescue below, which teases the perfectly simple plot that should allow for all manner of action.

Directed by Cheng Siyi, the action revenge movie follows An Bai (Jaa), a veteran Muay Thai expert who goes on a take-no-prisoners mission of revenge after his wife and daughter are brutally murdered by mysterious forces.