The latest 3D clip for Tom Yum Goong 2 is online. The clip shows international action star Tony Jaa joined by screenfighting femme fatale Jija Yanin going toe-to-toe with rising action star Marrese Crump, crossing Muay Thai with Crump’s theatrical emulation of 52 Blocks.
As it stands, 52 Blocks is one of several martial arts styles incorporated in Jailhouse Rock, a hybridized form of self defense that evolved through the U.S. penal system and carries several variations in different prisons throughout the world. Much has been debated about this style in many conversations, with some defending it, and others going so far as to call it a “myth”. The style itself has been featured in several documentaries, and in several Hollywood films, including Leathal Weapon (1987), and Faster (2010).
I don’t challenge the legitimacy of this said style, since I don’t claim to be an expert (of course, I leave that to the experts), but it looks like Crump, Jaa and action director Panna Rittikrai have found a way to make it work in a way that looks visually stimulating for a dynamic Thai martial arts action vehicle like director Prachya Pinkaew‘s latest, than what we’ve seen before. It looks interesting, and I welcome it if it helps sell the action.
Tom Yum Goong 2 releases in 3D in Thailand next week on October 23.
