“Furious” Poster
It’s been a problem for at least a decade now that Hollywood doesn’t sincerely know how to market a stylish new action movie, particularly one out of Asia, without resorting to lazy comparisons like ‘It’s the next John Wick!’ or ‘It’s the next Raid!’ We’re seeing this same tactic play out now as Lionsgate tries to convince regular armchair Americans, the kind who don’t peruse websites like City on Fire or frequent the martial arts-obsessed corner of Twitter, as to why they should leave the comfort of their homes and pay money to see The Furious on the big screen—and the distributor has often done so by drawing comparisons to the popular Keanu Reeves series. (Outlets like Yahoo and Collider are guilty as well).
So let’s make one thing clear: The Furious is not the next John Wick. It is not the next Raid. It is the first The Furious.
And if we’re lucky, The Furious will prove to be just as influential as The Raid, setting a new benchmark for the action genre at large. At the same time, I’m doubtful that your average filmmakers will even attempt to meet the bar that’s set here—it is simply too out of reach! What we’re seeing in The Furious is really the fusion of two incredibly talented visionaries in this genre: director Kenji Tanigaki, who is Donnie Yen’s go-to action choreographer and also the man behind the action design in the popular Rurouni Kenshin live-action films; and ace choreographer Kensuke Sonomura, who has been on a remarkable hot streak of exciting Japanese films such as Baby Assassins, Bad City, and Ghost Killer.
The two men’s styles are so effortlessly combined here, it’s somewhat difficult to parse where the influence of one stops and the other begins (and I mean that complimentary); but if I’d have to wager, I see in “The Furious” both Tanigaki’s strength for physical setpieces, weapons-based combat, and dynamic camera movements—all of which have been on display on recent Donnie Yen offerings like Raging Fire and The Prosecutor—blended with Kensuke Sonomura’s one-of-a-kind fight choreography, which is taken to a whole new level here.
Sonomura breaks down the idea of a fight scene to its barest essentials—bodies in conflict—and from there challenges everything we’ve come to expect from the genre. The fight scenes in The Furious are often closer to environmental puzzles than traditional one-on-one bouts: how can our protagonist, a badass mute played by Xie Miao (My Father is a Hero), utilize his opponents’ torsos and limbs to both incapacitate them and navigate to safety? The result is action sequences that have the kind of subconsciously satisfying feeling of watching a great Tetris player, only instead of bricks falling into place, we’re witnessing Xie Miao outmaneuver and out-contort his foes. In a way, it feels like Sonomura has invented an entirely new language for the action genre. It’s for that reason I don’t think we’ll see as many Furious imitators as we did for The Raid: I mean, how the hell do you replicate this?!
And to be somewhat charitable: the comparisons between The Furious and The Raid are more understandable for the simple fact that The Furious features a rematch between The Raid actors Joe Taslim and Yayan Ruhian. So it almost goes without saying that the cast is loaded with insane martial arts talent: if you keep up with the Direct to Video action scene, you may be familiar with actor Brian Le, who has appeared in indie movies like The Paper Tigers and Gladiator Underground, not to mention the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once. Le has felt poised to break out in a big way the last few years, particularly for his Sammo Hung-like manner of moving at a tremendous speed that belies his size, and he delivers another standout turn in The Furious. I get the sense Japanese actor Joey Iwanaga (Baby Assassins 2, Tokyo Tribe) is someone else we’re about to see a lot more of; his incredible Taekwondo-kicks prove a scene stealer during the finale, showcasing the kind of skilled footwork we haven’t seen much since the heyday of guys like Ken Lo (Drunken Master 2) and Ron Smoorenburg (Who Am I?). And can I just say that, as a longtime fan of the Thai classic Chocolate, it did my heart some good to see Jeeja Yanin get the very first fight scene in the whole movie?
It’s hardly a shock that most initial reactions to The Furious, mine included, are going to focus primarily on the action and not that pesky thing called…plot. And while this script’s ‘heroes must take down a human trafficking ring’ storyline is hardly novel in this genre, I do want to give Tanigaki credit for devoting enough time to Xie Miao’s connection with his daughter (actress Yang Enyou, who previously appeared opposite Miao in Eye for an Eye 2), such that we are properly invested once the fists start flying. It helps that Enyou is a talented child actor, and I’m pleased that her character isn’t simply a defenseless victim for much of the movie. (There’s a brief moment involving her character that almost feels like a throwback to when Jet Li and Xie Miao teamed up as father and son in My Father is a Hero, and it might be my favorite moment in the whole film).
My quibbles with The Furious are minor: it’s probably unavoidable with such an international cast, but there are a couple of scenes where actors are dubbed into English, and at times the dubbing can be mildly distracting (mostly in the scenes set in a Thai police station). And for a movie that offers nearly two hours of gory finishers—you know, the kind of brutal fatalities that will probably have a few people in your theater exclaiming “Da-aaaaamn”—I found it strange that the final, final fight scene ends on a bit of an anti-climactic note. Nevertheless, I guarantee most action fans will be walking out of this movie on a high, dreaming about the possibilities of a sequel. (Next time around, I’m hoping Sonomura can rope in our favorite Ghost Killer, Masanori Mimoto, to join the fray.)
All the same, I want to pause, take a breath, and appreciate how special The Furious is, and how special it is that Western audiences will be able to experience it on the big screen. I’d encourage any and all martial arts movie fans to make the trek to the theater for this, to show that there’s an interest in this kind of subtitled fight film out of Asia—and to reward Kenji Tanigaki and Kensuke Sonomura for work that I don’t think is hyperbole to call ground-breaking.
By Z Ravas’ Rating: 10/10
Seeing it for the second time. Big screen experience verses home video any day of the week.
Glad this got a 10/10. Deserves nothing less. It will influence a new wave of action. Sonomura has been tempering his type of choreography. He’s surpassed his early mentor Yuji Shimomura. He’s combining action cinema styles of kung fu, silat, TKD, BJJ, and MMA. I was so happy to see they didn’t just stick one jiu jitsu move in there. They advance everything and made a counter to a counter. The choreography is 5-10 years ahead of its time. May not be my favorite action movie I’ve ever seen, but the cinematography, choreography, the story, the acting, and intensity make it worth of the 10/10. All the main players shine. Love this review.
So when the Blu Ray?
Probably late this year/early next year.
Thanks! Nice Christmas gift for ALL
Yes! Yes! Yes! This movie is the giant syringe for an action junkie!
I agree wholeheartedly about the action design. The way that characters stay connected to one attacker while maneuvering around and using them as a human shield against others was very Tetris like. The rhythm that it all followed was unbelievable.
The finale was like an unreal upgrade of “The 3 Stooges” fight from Dragons Forever where at first we’re getting a 2 vs 2 fight before a 5th participant shows up and wants to kill all 4 of them! It then became the best cluster fuck for keeping track of who’s fighting who.
I give credit to the film makers for not making the entire movie about finding the victims, and giving us different layers that were easy to follow. It was also pretty harsh of the movie to detail just how bad getting hit in the head multiple times is, and how even if you eventually die from it, it’s horribly painful.
I don’t expect anyone inspired by this film to make lightening strike twice, but if it makes them put more effort into what they do, it’s welcomed!
When the bloody hell is it going to be shown in Australia?!
I second this statement (or rather, question)!
You may have to wait for the IMPRINT disc release! =)
Just saw this. John Wick, Donnie Yen, Bren Foster, Tony Jaa, Scott Adkins, Iko Uwais, and pretty much every martial arts star and franchise on the planet, big budget or low budget, from every corner of the world, better raise the bar. After this, there’s a good chance every martial arts movie that follows is going to feel downright boring.
Not necessarily. While The Furious raises the bar, the other actors are still putting in good work (and proving that they can handle this kind of workload) Mexicali might not be as huge as The Furious, but it didn’t have to be. It just needed to be done well in its own right.
If The Furious is a buffet, then other recent action pics are nice entrees, and depending on what mood I’m in is what I go for.
Finally saw this movie on streaming and while I do think people are slightly overhyping this , its a very good entry in the find the kidnapped family in South East Asia subgenre.
It like an iqiyi movie that isnt constrained by Chinese censorship so you don’t have cringy jingoistic monologues but at the same time does follow some of the tropes, espeically the No Chinese Left Behind trope and of course the human trafficking perpetrated against Chinese citizens by South east Asians.
My only complaint about the movie is the last act felt superfluous. They should have expanded on the Snake Pit sequence and made that its finale. I thought they were going to do that as an homage to the Raid. After the kids are rescued the movie felt like it reached its climax and the police station fight just feels its there because its a martial arts movie and the heroes need to fight the final boss. The action peaked as well in the ice factory with Brian Le vs our 2 heroes. MAybe they should have kept the last act as the basis for a sequel.
But overall I really enjoyed xie Miao’s performance especially the few scenes he has with his daughter before the mayhem starts. And the actress who plays the daughter is excellent. I’m looking forward to seeing the Chinese version when it hits iqiyi. Apparently there’s enough differences compared to the Lionsgate version that makes it worth checking out.
“Finally saw this movie on streaming and while I do think people are slightly overhyping this , its a very good entry in the find the kidnapped family in South East Asia subgenre.”
Remove the word “slightly” and I 100% agree with you.
LOL. I had to slightly censor my review cos I didn’t want to come across as a contrarian. That annoying friend who has to opposite of everyone else in the group. But seriously this movie does not deserve to be on the same tier list and The Night Comes for Us and Headshot and definitely not The Raid. If i’m being generous I will says its a brillaint excecuted elevated version of an Iqiyi movie. If I’m being a cunt I’l say the last 20 minute 2vs2vs1 fight bored the shit out of me.
I just saw it, and…it’s fine. The plot and characterisation are at the same level (or below) as a webmovie, and so are the dark and muddy visuals. There’s very little here that elevates this past any of the myriad streaming movies that Xie Miao has starred in over the past few years.
Joe Taslim is…fine. Pleasant likeable fellow, decent fighting skills, but the director gave him nothing spectacular or flashy. Frankly I was hoping for more from him – too much generic brawling and less skill-based martial arts for my liking.
Xie Miao and Yang Enyou are a dream team again, after their partnership in Eye for an Eye 2. Yang is a star in the making, while Xie Miao’s fighting skills are unimpeachable, and he projects a strong screen presence despite not having any lines (his character is a mute). That said, I found him more compelling in the Fight Against Evil films where he was allowed to actually speak.
Yayan Ruhian, the dude with the bow, was the most chilling and my choice for MVP of the film – he’s just a terrifying presence, and an amazing screen fighter for someone who is apparently pushing 60 years of age! Brian Le is also ridiculously impressive and moves so quickly for a guy of his size. This could be a breakout role for him.
The dubbing was godawful and distracting, the plot was meandering and nonsensical, the direction was uninspired, the color palate was dark and ugly, and the fate of some characters was wrapped up too quickly and randomly (it felt like the film had something to say about corrupt police, but nope).
I’m happy this exists, if only to highlight the amazing cast and their superhuman skills. From a screen fighting standpoint, this film is top-shelf, but from every other aspect, it falls short. This cast deserve a better movie. As it stands, this is a glorified stunt reel.
Intetesting points. I take minor issue with some of them. As far as how The Furious compares with iQiyi’s output, the production values are much better, and unlike them the plot is handled with reasonable sensitivity instead of putting too much focus on the suffering of the victims. Unlike too many of those iQiyi films, there wasn’t a constant “woe is me” like the film makers thought they were adapting Angela’s Ashes and making it exploitative.
Considering the subject matter of the movie, the color palate would have to be dark and ugly much like American gritty crime films and pot boilers have a similar look.
I took issue with the dubbing, but I swear (or hope) that some of the actors are using their real voices. The most offensive dubbing thankfully only came from minor characters.
This was not the movie to showcase forms and technical proficiency. The whole vibe I got was that the main characters are either wild animals or have been brought to the point where they fight like wild animals. Joey Iwanaga was probably the most technically proficient with his Ken Lo-like footwork, but I was getting the impression of “Unleashed dialed to 11” from the others.
There’s certainly things I would have changed about the movie if it were up to me, but I’m also glad it exists.
Fair points! In the end, it’s still a solid action movie, and maybe if I hadn’t been exposed to all the hype, I wouldn’t have felt as let down. Probably the opposite. Ultimately I think we’re all glad this movie exists, and has gotten a global theatrical release. We need more HK actioners, and we can’t keep relying on Donnie or Jackie. Hopefully this brings Xie Miao to the notice of the mainstream. Between this, the Raging Fire sequel, and the fact they even released Fight Against Evil 3 in cinemas, I think it may be happening!
I don’t think there’s enough demand for these types of movies to be seen theatrically anymore, at least not in the West. This was one of the most hyped up releases I’ve seen in years to be given a wide-ish release and it still bombed in most markets.
Thats not a knock on the movie just a change in movie going habits. An iqiyi movie with better production values is still an iqiyi movie at the end of the day and you can see those at home while you’re eating your supper.
Times have indeed changed. I remember when ninja movies were all the rage, karate schools were in every strip mall, and everyone really was kung fu fighting.
Now even Chinese audiences seem to have given up on wuxia/kung fu flicks, and every new film that comes out (Twilight of the Warriors, Blades of the Guardians, The Furious) is heralded as the saviour of the dying genre, only to inevitably be one-offs that ultimately fail to revive general interest.
I’ve mentioned on the Furious news thread that we’re not in a new renaissance, but more and more film makers who love action cinema are putting out work, and in a single year where we had Twilight of the Warriors, The Shadow Strays, Life After Fighting, Monkey Man, Boy Kills World, The Killer’s Game and One Percenter, that was pretty generous.
Not everyone likes all those films, and they don’t have to, but there is enough of a demand for hyperkinetic and or brutal action cinema to keep going.
The best thing that the John Wick franchise did was bring more attention to the action genre and encourage film makers to up the ante and be more competitive.
Andrew makes good points even if some of the movies he listed are very dubious in quality. However the golden era for these movies is over and never coming back. The martial arts genre is probably in the same place westerns are in. Every once in a while we’ll get a one with A-List actors and a massive budget. Hopefully we get more equivalents of Unforgivens and No Country For Old Men rather than Yellowstone.
Thanks. But again, not everyone has to like all of those films and whatever movie you don’t believe is dubious in quality still has detractors.
Also, we don’t need a golden age. We just need enough passionate film makers who inspire the next generation to embrace real physical talent and the art of action.
So far, even with all the bullshit in the industry or discerning opinions, there’s a decent amount.
True, true all agreed. Just alot of hype surrounding The Furious made it sound like the second coming of martial arts movies with a new take or pushing the genre forward. Its far from that. And then hardly anyone turned up to watch it in the cinemas which makes everything feel like an echo chamber.
There’s also the part where I can’t get too excited or hope too much for this genre of filmmaking anymore. Cos i keep getting disappointed. If we look at horror or scifi, the movies are still able to surprise you and have you think about it a little longer than just on the bus home from the theatre. I wanted Blade of the Guardians and The Furious to be my favourite movies of the year so far but I didnt expect a movie about a wish gone wrong and a Ryan Gosling movie holding the top 2 spots.
The Furious made enough box office worldwide not only to cover its budget, but there’s prequel to it already being discussed. Meaning it wasn’t a big flop at all. ‘Nuff said.
It would be interesting ot hear your opinion on the Hong Kong version of the movie which apparently does skew more towards your favourite subgenre of movie making!!! Considering the producers of the movie consider this to be a hong Kong proudction (at least behind the camera) does this mean this is one of the rare instances where the American version is better than the directors cut?
I saw a post on Reddit comparing the two – apparently the one I saw, which starts in medias res with Joe Taslim listening to his wife’s messages as she goes in to investigate, is different than the China version? Or is that the other way around?
As a purist, I generally prefer the original cut, but in a few rare cases, the American versions have been superior (notably Rumble in the Bronx and First Strike), with better pacing, structuring, and music.
Which, in your opinion, is the better cut of The Furious?
I think I read the same Reddit post! The HK/Mainland China version hasn’t hit streaming yet so I can’t comment yet which version is better but considering the origin of production/producers, the HK/China cut can be considered the default cut and the Lionsgate is the version that has been altered.
In a nutshell, the original version, Xie Miao is the main protaganist, they remove the opening scene you mentioned, they remove the crazy scene where the villain kills his whole family and associates and there is a coda with Chinese authorities fighting the smuggling rings.
On paper the Lionsgate version wins even if this isnt the “director cut”.
I’ve read about a cut scene from the film where Xie Miao and Joe Taslim have a big fight with Ron Smoorenburg.
Supposedly, it was cut because it was thought that Smoorenburg upstaged them. I find that difficult to believe and I’m surprised he would be cast as his attitude and lack of professionalism hasn’t won him more friends.
I would imagine if he was cut, it’s because they didn’t want two super kickers in the same film, but I wouldn’t have had a problem with that.
This is the thrid version of the movie, the Smoorenburg Cut where he also recreates that combo that he didn’t manage to execute in Who Am I
Jackie must have really hated working with Smoorenburg to specifically call him out in Jackie Chan My Stunts and highlight his lack of ability/professionalism. Probably ruined his career.
The Japanese villain murdering his family just seemed random, though his skills are superb. The finger biting was definitely unexpected and one of those moments that sticks with you.
That scene from Jackie Chan: My Stunts was not meant to make Smoorenburg look bad. It was supposed to show how hard it is to do a fight scene to Jackie’s specifications.
I wished that Jackie had worked within Smoorenburg’s limitations and that if Ron couldn’t do that specific combination, Jackie could’ve changed it, but as we know, it’s “always Jackie’s way.”
The documentary didn’t ruin his career. Smoorenburg had several other opportunities to succeed, but his shitty attitude always got in the way.
He would be right up there with Marko Zaror or Daniel Bernhardt is he didn’t have such a huge ego.
Thanks for the insights! I know nothing of Smoorenburg other than his appearance in Who Am I but a terrible attitude never bodes well for any kind of career, especially one as collaborative as action movie filmmaking.
Jackie has exacting standards but there’s a reason he is who he is, and there will never be another like him. Stephen Chow is another famously exacting director/star, but it’s hard to argue with the results.
Ron Smoorenburg was good in Fighting Fish and Triple Threat. While I didn’t care for the movies themselves, his fights were decent in Bangkok Dog and Gladiator Underground.
Most of the work he gets is as a stuntman, although he’s probably the star of the upcoming Order of the Dragon.
It’s just a shame that his antics don’t paint a good picture of him.
What are the sources for Ron Smoorenburg being difficult to work with?
I finally got an opportunity to check out ‘The Furious’! Did we ever think we’d see the revival of Hong Kong action cinema driven by a couple of guys from Japan!? Tanigaki and Sonomura are no doubt a marriage made in heaven when it comes to screen fighting, and a lot of what’s on display here feels fresh and new in a way that hasn’t been felt for a long time. Do the fights have the same raw energy as Gareth Evans best work? No, but they’re not intended to, and in any case comparisons to ‘The Raid’ and its sequel to me are a little ridiculous,. ‘The Furious’ is best approached as a bigger budget iQiyi movie (in the most complimentary way possible), but Evans work is in a league of its own.
With that said, the plot and performances (referring to the horrendously dubbed Thai supporting cast for the most part) do the action in ‘The Furious’ a massive disservice.I wish they’d spent just a little (really, just a little!) more time on everything else outside of the fights. It feels a little like paying for a $500 steak in a 5-star restaurant (the fight action), then taking it to the nearest ‘rated one star on Google reviews’ McDonalds to eat it (everything else). Whenever you put the steak in your mouth the world around you fades away, but between bites you’re constantly reminded you’re in a dump. (Full disclosure: I eat at McDonalds regularly, so no judgement intended!) The scene of Miao and Taslim torturing Sahajak Boonthanakit felt unintentionally comedic, and that dubbing, man. I read somewhere that too many reviewers were complaining about the dubbing, but really – if a lot of people are complaining about the same thing, then that’s usually indicative of a problem.
The funniest thing is the production obviously shot in Thailand, which has a relatively stable relationship with China right now, so since it’s apparently “SOMEWHERE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA”, they’ve gone to the trouble of ensuring if any of the bad guys do speak in a language other than English, rather than Thai they speak in Tagalog – the national language of the Philippines, a Southeast Asian country that has a rocky relationship with China to put it lightly.
Plot gripes aside though, ‘The Furious’ delivers on its promise of fights galore, and for many not familiar with Sonomoura’s distinctive style of slippery slidey kung-fu choreography (meaning they haven’t seen his Japanese work in the likes of ‘Hydra’, the ‘Baby Assassins’ trilogy, or ‘Ghost Killer’), then I expect this would be a revelation to witness on the big screen with the right crowd. Here’s hoping this opens up even more opportunities for him, as he’s hands down the most exciting fight choreographer working today.
I guess you can’t blame the marketing team. “Best action movie since the Raid” means something to people rather than “best iqiyi movie ever”. It did set unrealistic expectations. The unintentionally funny torture scene….wasnt that intentional as bit of dark humour? Was one of the few times the movie did something that an iqiyi movie couldn’t. The movie really could have done with some more bromance or extra chemistry between the 2 leads. In the edit they kind of realise this and add a flashback scene of the two of them having a chat but too little too late by that point.