Thai director Prachya Pinkaew threw down the gauntlet with 2003′s Ong-bak, a bone-crunching martial arts feast that served as an excellent showcase for the awe-inspiring Tony Jaa. Unfortunately, the formidable duo was only able to get one more film under their belts (2005′s highly entertaining The Protector) before having a well-publicized falling out, leaving Prachya to search for a new star to herald, while Jaa alternated between directing Ong-bak 2 and going bonkers off in the jungle somewhere.