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Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 23 Ratings

  • Starring: Nathan Jones, Tony Jaa, Xing Jing
  • Summary: The Protector is the highly anticipated full bodied martial arts epic starring international superstar Tony Jaa. His world shaped by ancient traditions, a young Thai fighter (Jaa) is called upon to defend his people and their honor after outsiders invade their home and destroy all that is sacred. Fueled by desire to protect a way of life and avenge the wrong done to his family, he will bring fight to their city. (The Weinstein Company) Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 22
  2. Negative: 4 out of 22
  1. 75
    The Protector is about 84 minutes long, and only four of those minutes are devoted to plot.
  2. The Protector is the nuttiest movie I've seen all year, and I've seen the last 20 minutes of "The Wicker Man."
  3. Reviewed by: Derek Elley
    60
    Boasting the same refreshing avoidance of CGI and wire work as "Warrior," slickly made production (largely by the same team) is more consciously aimed at the international market, with its Australian setting and multilingual dialogue.
  4. Anytime Jaa isn't on screen, The Protector sputters.

See all 22 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 12
  2. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. MortS.
    10
    No other fight scene compares to his limb breaking rampage.
  2. Riren
    8
    Tony Jaa returns to the American screen in another wildly entertaining martial arts flick. Like a Kung Fu movie, this Muay Thai movie doesn't ask for much thought as to its plot. It's emotions are worn on its sleeve as it runs towards the next fight scene. And like Ong Bak, the fight scenes are some of the most eyepopping you could ask for. Expand
  3. ColinB.
    7
    A disappointing followup to ONG BAK. The story line was terrible and the cinemaphotography was bluish and washed out. As one person already stated, the fight scenes were repetative. That said, it was still a pleasure to see some very unique martial art moves from a genre that is practically dead. My favorite part was the main character's fight with martial artists of different styles. Bruce Lee still did it best in his last film, but Tony Jaa comes close in giving us a refreshing twist with his art. If you're hungry for a martial arts film, then by all means see this one. If you're picky for a great martial arts movie, then pass this one up. Expand
  4. RandomBoy
    4
    Some of the fighting is pretty good, even if extremly repetitive. The main character seems to have a fetish for limb-breaking finishing moves and he uses them on 95% of his enemies. Everything else about the movie is utter crapt though, it's like watching porn, but with fighting instead of sex. Expand

See all 12 User Reviews

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