THE STORY – A father fiercely fights against ruthless kidnappers to save his abducted daughter.
THE CAST – Xie Miao, Joe Taslim, Yang Enyou, Yayan Ruhian, Brian Le, Joey Iwanaga, Jija Yanin, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Manatsanun Phanlerdwongsakul, Guo Junqing & Winai Wiangyangkung
THE TEAM – Kenji Tanigaki (Director) & Mak Tin-shu (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 113 Minutes
Based on the logline alone, some people might not give Kenji Tanigaki’s “The Furious” the chance it deserves. Point blank, they would be depriving themselves of one of the most exhilarating experiences the action genre has to offer. Tanigaki’s film pushes action maximalism to its limit, creating an extravaganza of bloodshed so well-executed that many will be astounded by how it was even pulled off. Flaws and all, it’s a miracle that Tanigaki was able to make this sing so smoothly. But when you have an all-star team of talented legends both in front and behind the camera, why would anyone expect anything different for what is the best action film to release in the past few years?
Somewhere in Southeast Asia….The story itself is nothing revelatory, but Tanigaki and screenwriter Mak Tin-shu aren’t trying to waste the viewers’ time. After a stellar opening action sequence where an undercover journalist vanishes in her attempt to expose a child trafficking ring, “The Furious” slows down a bit. It now focuses on Xie Mao’s Wei, a single father enjoying his daughter’s company (Yang Enyou). The summer days are ending, and she only wants to continue having her father by her side. After a brief fight, Wei finds his daughter taken by what he believes to be local street criminals. The endless pursuit of bringing his daughter home soon leads him to unite alongside a rugged journalist, Navin (Joe Taslim), as they climb up the totem pole of this organization one flying kick at a time.
Tanigaki’s direction progressively revs up the engine throughout “The Furious” as soon as audiences witness a relentless Wei bolt after a high-speed vehicle like a bullet running barefoot over concrete and glass. Miao running alone throws audiences into a frenzy, moving like he graduated Magna Cum Lde at the Tom Cruise University of Sprinting. Tanigaki’s background in stunt choreography has prepared him for an unbridled spectacle as untamed as this. The comparison has been used time and time again in terms of creating fluidity in action sequences, but it’s genuinely like ballet. The way performers like Xie and Taslim use their bodies’ momentum, naturally extending these prolonged fight sequences, never makes it feel exhausting. In fact, every moment that precedes each punch or kick feels more earned. Fighters push off one another to deliver brutal blows, implementing the environment around them to give them the upper hand. All of it constantly makes every fight sequence feel so reinvigorating to watch. It’s pain-inducing pageantry in the highest form.
Both Xie and Taslim are excellent, pouring their physicality into every punch. Their distinctive fighting styles alone speak volumes for the characterization Tanigaki can develop with a story merely laying the groundwork for the starting points for all the chaos that will transpire. Credit is due to how Tanigaki and Tin-shu develop the children involved in the story, molding them to be as badass as the adults in their own unique way. It gives emotional validity to one of the film’s final moments, even if it will feel underwhelming for some. “The Furious” isn’t a film where the facets of logic must be attached to the viewer’s brain when consuming this smorgasbord of brutality. Characters are hit by speeding vehicles, bludgeoned by hammers, fall off buildings, and still able to hobble off to keep their fury-induced fists flying. In particular, Brian Lee’s bald, bulldozing henchman is the personification of this, turning into what is essentially the live-action Tasmanian Devil. He’s a muscly tornado of vehemence. The entire ensemble does precisely what is asked of Tanigaki, even if the decision to primarily make the film dubbed in English due to the pan-asian cast leads to a very old-school style of Tower of Babel filmmaking. It’s distracting but not the biggest dealbreaker in the world.
Without a doubt, “The Furious” is not only the best action film of the year so far, but the best action onscreen since maybe since “John Wick 4.” Here, Tanigaki can satisfy the part of any action junkie’s brain yearning for a action film that’s embodiment of a child playing with their action figures and smashing them against each other. At least there is a gratefulness with “The Furious” that one even feels when it has ended, as it builds to one of the most jaw-dropping finale fight sequences ever made. No one who considers themselves an action junkie should have the audacity to skip out on a bonanza like this.
