THE FURIOUS Review

After the daughter of Wang Wei (Xie Miao) is kidnapped by a criminal network and he receives no help from the corrupt police, Wei sets out on a rampage to find her himself. His only ally is Navin (Joe Taslim) – a relentless journalist whose wife has mysteriously disappeared. Fueled by a furious vengeance, the unlikely duo ruthlessly fights against the kidnappers in this explosive martial arts showdown.

If you’re looking for a love letter that pays respect to the world of martial arts, stand up! The Furious delivers just that and so much more. As a father fights to rescue his kidnapped daughter, you’ll witness an endlessly entertaining melee of punches, kicks, and action mayhem unlike anything that has hit theaters in years. Directed by Kenji Tanigaki, who is known for his stunt work on Rurouni Kenshin (2021) and Snake Eyes (2021), he makes a strong case for why martial arts cinema should be on the big screen more often than not. With an estimated production budget of twenty million dollars, The Furious proves that creating exhilarating martial arts entertainment is not an impossible task, and it deserves to be celebrated by fans of kung fu storytelling.

The synopsis could not be any simpler. There is an evil child trafficking ring in a small Chinatown, and a loving father will stop at nothing to get his daughter back. He teams up with Navin, played by Joe Taslim from The Raid and Mortal Kombat, and together they form the perfect duo of street justice, holding absolutely nothing back.

This film is shot exceptionally well. There is not a single offensive or defensive move that you cannot clearly make out. The camera work makes you feel as if you are sitting front row, taking part in the action yourself. Every move is crisp, direct, and unforgiving. As each punch and kick lands, you will find yourself reacting with excitement and awe as though you were the one taking the punishment. This is not an exaggeration. There are techniques and fight sequences here that you have likely never seen before in any martial arts film. Nearly every object on set is used as a weapon, whether it is a table, chair, hammer, or even a ladder. You may have seen these objects used before in other films, but never quite like this. The Furious opens the door wide to showcase what is possible for martial arts action on the big screen.

The fight choreography evolves with every scene, constantly introducing something fresh. Battles take place on moving vehicles, inside long narrow hallways, out in the streets, and even along the side of a wall. The film also does not hold back with its variety of weapons. The fights range from one on one, two on one, two on two, nine on two, and even two on two on one. That is not even the half of it. The sound design is another standout, as is the musical score. You cannot have a great martial arts film without impactful sound effects and a booming soundtrack, and The Furious certainly does not disappoint in either area.

Before its release, this film was compared to The Raid: Redemption (2011) and The Raid 2 (2014). However, those films are still superior in several ways. While The Furious is highly entertaining, it requires you to suspend your disbelief to an extreme degree. It is not realistic by any stretch of the imagination, and that ultimately brings down the overall quality of the film.

Certain characters are hit by speeding cars in the middle of battle, only to get back up moments later and continue fighting as though nothing happened. Another character takes a full force sledgehammer strike to the head, followed by at least fifteen punches to the face, and still survives. Yet another character is beaten from the upper floor all the way downstairs, smashed over the head with a bottle, and still manages to escape. Finally, one character falls from a three story building and somehow remains capable of fighting off additional threats. Does it all look cool? Absolutely. However, there are moments when it becomes so over the top that it may pull you completely out of the experience.

If this aspect of the film had been toned down, The Furious would appeal to a much wider audience beyond martial arts fans. Most people are naturally against human trafficking and corruption, and they enjoy stories about justice prevailing. Watching courageous men risk everything to rescue an innocent child is something nearly everyone can relate to. However, when characters begin to resemble super soldiers rather than exceptionally skilled human beings, it may push potential viewers away and diminish their interest in martial arts films altogether.

The Furious is still a fun, action packed experience that deserves to be seen. While it does not quite reach the heights of the very best martial arts films, it comes surprisingly close and only narrowly misses its full potential.