Deseret Morning News "THE PROTECTOR" - ** - Tony Jaa, Petchtai Wongkamlao; dubbed and with English subtitles (Asian dialects); rated R (violence, profanity, gore, vulgarity, brief nudity, brief sex, brief drugs, racial epithets).

The Weinstein CompanyTony Jaa has plenty of astonishing fighting moves as Kham in the martial arts thriller "The Protector." But while Jaa has plenty of astonishing fighting moves, he lacks Chan's screen presence, dramatic or comic. As for the film, "The Protector" is certainly not unwatchable but it's a far cry from Chan's better pictures.

Jaa (who previously starred in "Ong-bak: The Thai Warrior") plays Cam, a Thai man whose job is protecting royal elephants, but gangsters kidnap Cam's animal charges, and in the process they also kill his father (Sotorn Rungruaeng).

Perhaps that explains why this domestic release was heavily edited by its U.S. distributor, The Weinstein Co., which trimmed approximately 15 minutes, leaving several transition scenes on the cutting-room floor. And perhaps the film's comedy scenes, as well (Thai comedian Petchtai Wongkamlao co-stars as an Australian cop who aids Cam).

Still, there is plenty of action. Fans will appreciate a brutal, lengthy sequence in which Jaa's character breaks several arms, wrists, fingers, shoulders, legs, ankles, spines and necks - complete with exaggerated sound effects.

"The Protector" is rated R for strong scenes of martial-arts/action violence (combat, beatings, shootings, stabbings, vehicular violence and explosive mayhem), scattered strong profanity and crude slang terms, some gore, brief female nudity and artwork, brief sexual contact, brief drug content (references), and use of racial epithets. Running time: 92 minutes.

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