Film Threat by K.J. Doughton

The astonishingly gonzoid fight scenes from Ong Bak 2 might be the best ever filmed.

The A.V. Club by Noel Murray

What sold the original Ong Bak was the action, not the story, and on an action level, Ong Bak 2 lives up to its title.

Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum

Jaa, mesmerizing as ever to behold with his pinwheel moves, also (co)directs for the first time.

Philadelphia Inquirer

A must-see for genre fans. Jaa in action is poetry - even in a disappointing film. Let's just hope he regains his senses for Ong Bak 3.

Empire

Jaa’s period ‘beatquel’ is thick on action but thin on plot. Awesome final fight, though.

Time Out by Joshua Rothkopf

The new film sometimes feels too snazzy in its jittery cinematography, but the stunts make it through the budget upgrade intact.

The Hollywood Reporter

You are not likely to see a better display of martial arts combat on screen for some time, even if you have to put up with some excruciating contrivances to get to it.

Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan

Elephants aside, the plot of this Ong Bak is rudimentary at best.

Wall Street Journal by Joe Morgenstern

Unfortunately, the movie could use a bit of pachyderm memory, given its habit of flashing back to Tien's childhood with exactly the same footage used in previous flashbacks. Instead of the narrative being deepened, it keeps getting shallowed.

Village Voice

While Jaa clearly hasn't lost any of his stamina in the six years since starring as a different underdog in the original, his first outing as a director is confusing, with distractingly muddy storytelling and wildly varying styles from scene to scene.