If the idea of a drunk, arrogant, fierce and cute Thai girl kicking some hard ass for 2 hours with Muai Thai, breakdance fighting and drunken fists interests you, then Raging Pheonix is your movie.

Jija Yanin, the star of autistic debt-collector in Chocolate (2008) is back on Malaysian cinemas. And damn right I did not regret watching this movie, in fact I don’t mind watching it again.

Raging Pheonix -- Jija Yanin

Thai action movies are famous for their hardcore fighting scenes with little or even no stunt doubles, CGIs, wires or any other safety precautions. Every single move looks painfully real, and it pains me even watching the actors taking in the pain. Ever since Tony Jaa’s Ong-Bak stormed the world with Thai’s version of action movies, Thailand has been cranking out a steady number of action movies since.

Raging Pheonix -- Poster

Jija Yanin made her debut as the new Thai action movie female star in Chocolate(2008). Action movie fans will be delighted with Jija’s new movie, Raging Pheonix. She plays an arrogant and stuck-up girl who is bound to be kidnapped by some gangsters, only to be saved by Sanim (“Kazu” Patrick Tang), revealing a series of plot that explores why girls disappear in Thailand all the sudden as a result of being kidnapped for various (even obscure) reasons. I will leave the rest for you to find out.

Like any martial arts movie there must be a training period when the heroine undergoes a certain training period to learn some badass moves, in this case some breakdance fighting (no, it’s not capoeira, it’s BREAKDANCE), Thai drunken fists and Muai Thai, of course.

Don’t believe me? Watch this!

Raging Pheonix -- Fight scene

Yeah, when they said real pain, they really mean it. You’ll be squirming in your seats every time they make a punch. Make sure you don’t skip a heart-beat.

Of course, the plot is a bit cheesy, but well who cares, you just want to watch some ass-kicking and asses kicked, no?

Other than Jija, the leading male actor, “Kazu” Patrick Tang deserves a thumb up too. He’s a French/Vietnamese martial arts champion, so you know what to expect during his fights!

Raging Pheonix -- Kazu Patrick Tang

Malaysia did not advertise this movie much due to its 18PL nature. But it’s definitely a movie not to be missed. If you’re into real actions for action movies, support Thai action movies. Like, WOW!