The Furious (English) Review {3.0/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Xie Miao, Joe Taslim
Director: Kenji Tanigaki
The Furious Movie Review Synopsis:
THE FURIOUS is the story of two brave men on a deadly mission. In an unnamed city in Southeast Asia, Wang Wei (Xie Miao) works as a handyman. He is mute and trained in kung fu. His daughter Rainy (Yang Enyou) visits him from mainland China and loves being with her father. She wants Wang to return to China with her, but he refuses. Upset with his decision, she storms off. On the way, she is lured by a limping boy who claims his parents met with an accident and that he needs help. Rainy accompanies him, only to realize she has been tricked. She is kidnapped by a gang of dreaded traffickers who even have cops on their payroll. Wang is devastated and decides to hunt them down and rescue Rainy. He bumps into Navin (Joe Taslim), who is looking for his missing wife, Matia (Jeeja Yanin). Realizing they have a common enemy, Wang and Navin team up. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
The Furious Movie Story Review:
The story is routine. But Mak Tin Shu, Lei Zhilong, Shum Kwan Sin and Frank Hui's screenplay is imaginative, especially in the beginning portions. Later, it gets stretched. The dialogues are decent. As it happens with most films released by PVR Inox Pictures, there are no subtitles and hence, some dialogues might not be easy to comprehend. Also, ideally, the entire film should have been in Chinese. The English dialogues, in some scenes, seem rehearsed.
Kenji Tanigaki shows a lot of promise as a director. There's not much of a story and the film relies on action set pieces, which appear at regular intervals. Kenji executes these stunt sequences with panache, ensuring they stand out from the rest of the films in this space. He devotes limited time in establishing the characters. The kidnapping of the daughter takes place within the first 10 minutes and from hereon, the film goes on another level. The action on the garbage truck, followed by the chase, is very captivating. The ice factory sequence is also memorable. There's an unexpected plot point in the Snake Pit sequence and it would be loved by the audience.
On the flipside, the novelty of the action wears off after a point. The fights in the last 15-20 minutes should have been shorter and more impactful. The climax fight in the police station is never-before-seen, but it doesn’t deliver the desired high due to its length. A few developments are silly. Wang and Navin’s fight in the back office of the club is needless and lengthy, especially since one can guess from a mile away that they’ll soon become allies. Also, a character is mercilessly injured and seems dead, only to wake up and fight as if nothing happened. It’ll amuse viewers but also make it clear that logic takes a backseat whenever convenient for the writers.
The Furious Movie Review Performances:
Xie Miao doesn’t utter a single word and truly rocks the show. Joe Taslim gets overshadowed a bit by Xie, but nevertheless makes his presence felt. Yang Enyou has a crucial role and delivers a smashing performance. Jeeja Yanin is decent in a cameo. Brian Le (Ho) gets to play a silly part, but he performs it with sincerity. Joey Iwanaga (Paklung) is over-the-top as the main villain. However, he excels in the fight scenes. Yayan Ruhian (Tak) plays a cool character and is fair. Sahajak Boonthanakit (Mr Song) is okay. Manatsanun Phanlerdwongsakul (Police sergeant) leaves a mark.
The Furious movie music and other technical aspects:
Elliot Leung, Olivia Xiaolin and Flying Lotus' music is passable. Meteor Cheung's cinematography is stunning and enhances the action scenes. The action is a major highlight and it would be lapped up by fans of this genre. Pongnarin Jonghawklang's production design is rich, while Dammaros Sukhaboon and Chung-Man Yee's costumes are realistic. Chris Tonick's editing should have been sharper.
The Furious Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, THE FURIOUS rests on a routine storyline but is packed with some superbly choreographed and inventive fight scenes. At the box office, the film may find some audience due to the hype surrounding its action sequences.