Almost all martial arts movies are dominated by males, therefore it's refreshing to see a female kicking ass for a change. Enter the Thai girl, Yanin Vismitananda in her debut, “Chocolate”. This is a movie made purely for fans of action movies and a celebration of the beauty of the fight form.
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The story of “Chocolate” takes place in Thailand, in which a local gangster, No. 8, finds out that his girlfriend Zin is in love with Masashi, a Yakuza boss. In order to stop them from seeing each other again, he cuts off his own toe as a symbolic gesture. To prevent further bloodshed, Masashi has no choice but to go back to Japan. In the meantime, Zin discovers that she's pregnant and relocates herself so she can have the baby away from No.8.
While on the run, Zin gives birth to a daughter, Zen. Unfortunately, she turns out to be autistic. However, Zen is blessed with special skills like having super-fast reflexes and the ability to learn things quickly. Since they are now living next door to a Muay Thai kickboxing school, Zen is able to mimic all the moves. Moreover, she also picks up other kung fu skills by watching Bruce Lee and Tony Jaa on TV, while eating chocolate smarties at the same time.
As Zen grows up to be a strong and skilled fighter, Zin on the other hand has fallen ill with cancer. Zen starts to give street performances earning money to pay for Zin's chemotherapy. During this time, they get to know a homeless boy Moom who's being bullied on the streets and decide to adopt him. At this point, the movie switches from a family drama to all out action as we witness Zen using her martial arts skills to obtain money. She also ventures into collecting debts for Zin upon discovering her notebook containing names of debtors.
All of this eventually leads to the attention of No. 8, knowing that he will retaliate; Zin sends words to Japan to seek help from Masashi. In the meantime, No.8 sends out his men to settle the score with Zin and now Zen finds herself caught in a life and death showdown. Can Masashi come back in time to help his family in Thailand?
The acting is adequate for this kind of movie. Pongpat Wachirabunjong is up to the task as Thai gangster boss No.8. Interestingly, his ladyboys henchmen are a sight to behold, a nice touch which adds a bit of humor in between the hard hitting action. Hiroshi Abe plays the Yakuza boss; he does bring a touch of authenticity although he only appears in the beginning and at the end of the movie.
“Chocolate” is no doubt a showcase for Yanin Vismitananda's martial arts skills; besides, she does a pretty good Bruce Lee stance and scream. Together with director Prachya Pinkaew and action choreographer Panna Rittikrai, they sure hit the nail on the head. The bone crunching fights look amazing; the set pieces are wonderful and well designed. In a Jackie Chan style, the end credits show Yanin and the stuntmen going through very painful injuries while bringing the spectacular action to life.
“Chocolate” is a top notch Thai kickboxing movie with jaw dropping and realistic stunts, after all director Prachya Pinkaew is also responsible for bringing us Tony Jaa's “Ong Bak”. Action movies fans will love it, highly recommended.
