The Furious
review by Bobby Blakey
When The Raid hit theaters back in 2014 it changed the action film world and introduced audiences to not only star Iko Uwais, but also Joe Taslim and Yayan Ruhain. Now the two are teaming up with Chocolate star JeeJa Yanin and Blade of Fury star Xie Miao along with Yang Enyou, Brian Le, and Joey Iwanaga from Enter the Fat Dragon director Kenji Tanigaki. Could this film bring the action it promises, or will it not have the fury audiences are expecting?
The Furious follows Wang Wei, whose daughter is kidnapped by a criminal network and receives no help from the corrupt police, sets out on a rampage to find her himself. His only ally is Navin – 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.
This was one of my highly anticipated films this year and I am going to go right in and take a big swing, but I think this film is on par if not better than The Raid. (I Said it!) The action is top notch, and the story is more emotional and has more depth to it that gives thins real consequences. The nearly two-hour run time allows it to take its time developing the characters on both sides and the reasoning to their journey but never gets too bogged down in nonsense.
The film wastes no time getting into action in the opening sequence featuring Chocolate star JeeJa Yanin who sadly doesn’t have as much to do here. She plays an important role and gets to bring the action like she can, but just not much else which I was hoping for. They more than make up for it though with the intense, violent gritty fight sequences throughout the rest of the film. The complete opposite nature of Wei and Navin played perfectly by Miao and Taslim leads them down different paths but intertwine perfectly once they clash together.
The build up to their stories prior to the action brings realism and the terrors of trafficking. They pull no punches so warning there is lots of abuse and violence here. Not so much sexual, but there are kids that are smacked around and even killed which is something anyone wants to see, but a necessary aspect to really drive home the situation and dangers all around them all. Nothing too gratuitous in the realm of violence, but it is there. At the same time this element leads to some cheering out loud moments in the final act for those getting what’s coming to them.
The dark tone here could have driven the movie alone as a crime thriller, but the action injected here takes it to an intense violent new level that is pure brilliance. Wei and Taslim may be leading the charge in the action department because they are far from alone. The entire cast brings their A game to deliver some high-octane well executed fight choreography that is more of an experience than just action. Both men kick ass non-stop in a barrage of beautiful violence with each fight better than the next. Everyone is outstanding, but the unstoppable Brian Le steals every scene he is in. He brings a more comic book style tone to the character that adds some levity to the otherwise dark serious feature, but not in a silly way. He elevates every scene and his impressive abilities at his size is a blast to watch.
The film can be exhausting for the length and amount of action here, but it’s a workout I am here for. The final fight in the film is between 5 people and lasts at least 20+ minutes rivaling the finale of the Raid. I loved this movie on every level that will no doubt push the needle of expectations for future martial arts films.
This is an experience that will make you cheer, squirm, flinch and smile all at once and needs to be seen on the biggest loudest screen possible. Decide for yourself and check out The Furious in theaters now from Lionsgate.
