DONDE ESTA TOM YUM GOONG?

TOM YUM GOONG, Tony Jaa's follow-up to ONG BAK, set the box office on fire in Thailand last August, did decent business overseas and was promptly snatched up by the Weinstein Company (who recently left Chen Kaige's THE PROMISE abandoned on the side of the highway like a smoking wreck). Most critics (and me, too!) agree that this movie has great action, way better than what was on display in ONG BAK (there's a warehouse fight sequence that hearkens back to the early days of Jackie Chan and then takes a big step forward), but the story and the acting are way worse. Although there is a super-cute baby elephant and that does make a difference.

So when will TOM YUM GOONG hit US shores? No one knows. The Weinstein Co. has announced their big films all the way up through Summer 2006 and TOM YUM GOONG is nowhere to be found. The list of what's coming in 2006 from Exhibitor Relations doesn't list it. Variety has reviewed the movie recently, but Derek Elley had to rely on an unsubtitled Hong Kong VCD to see the film. So what's going on?

My prediction? Straight to video.