I’ve been feeling nostalgic and watched some of his movies (namely Ong Bak 2/3). After watching a couple of his fight scenes from Tom Yum Goong/The Protector, I feel like there was such a huge missed opportunity to make an epic period piece prequel.
With some of the scenes in TYG (the opening scene with the scroll/manuscript, Kham’s lineage of being mahouts and protectors of the King of Ayutthaya/Siam’s war elephants, his 3D animated dream sequence, and the flashback to Ayutthaya/Siamese soldiers running on that battlefield), it was practically begging for a prequel to be made. I like Ong Bak 2 and 3 but if im being straight up honest, I would’ve preferred a TYG prequel instead of 2 Ong Bak prequels. Plus, it just makes more sense if you ask me; Jaturongkabat soldiers (the elite soldiers tasked with guarding the legs of a war elephant, especially if the king was riding on it) were a common sight to see with Thai war elephants and a movie about them would’ve tied in really well with the modern TYG movie since Kham is “The Protector” of his treasured elephants, fulfilling his family’s work.
If I had control over this story, I would set it in the early 1590s’ during the reign of King Naresuan the Great. The story would follow one of Kham’s ancestors, a commoner who’s a young mahout from a humble village capturing, taming, and raising elephants for the Army. The MC has a large, powerful elephant with long, beautiful tusks and is the living definition of strength and majesty who’s been with the MC’s family for years. The elephant fills the role of Por Yai and like Por Yai in TYG, this elephant is essentially another member of the family who the MC cherishes and loves very much. The young mahout has always dreamed of one day joining the Army and being a Jaturangkabat soldier in service to the king; as a result, he spends his free time learning Muay Boran (predecessor to Muay Thai and the style which Tony Jaa famously uses in his movies) and Krabi Krabong (Thai weapons-based martial art, typically with duel wielding relatively short swords).
One day, a royal decree from the King of Ayutthaya summons all mahouts in Siam to Ayutthaya (capital of Siam as well as one of the largest, wealthiest, and most prosperous cities in Asia at the time) to bring their elephants to the capital in preparation for another war against Burma as well as for King Naresuan to select his royal war elephant. The royal decree also orders any military-aged male to report for military service. The MC and most of the young men in the village head to Ayutthaya as ordered by the royal decree.
Eventually, the MC becomes a soldier in the Elephant Corps. King Naresuan also selects the MC’s elephant, with the MC being made a Jaturangabat soldier on account of his skills with sword fighting and Muay Boran. The movie would depict various battles where the MC uses his skills to defend both his king and elephant.
The movie would climax during the Battle of Nong Sarai, specifically King Naresuan and Burma’s crowned prince Mingyi Swa’s royal elephant duel (known in Thai history as Songkram Yutahatti). This duel was a significant turning point in Thai history and saw both the Thai king and Burmese crowned prince fight one another in personal combat on the backs of their war elephants. It eventually ends with Naresuan slashing Mingyi Swa from the shoulder down, killing the crowned prince. With the death of their leader, Burmese morale plummets, with the Siamese eventually routing them and securing Siam’s independence.
The MC, having proven his vigor and valor in the duel, is personally promoted by King Naresuan to become a lord, gaining significant wealth/power/status. MC eventually becomes the commanding officer of the Elephant Corps and his lineage continues to the present day.
