dumasori

Jul 10, 2026

1.0

**A few of my brain cells ended themselves** The current 7+ rating is completely dishonest. The movie is beyond stupid. The whole movie has barely six and a half lines of dialogue, with the rest being brainless dancing (fighting). At one point, you start questioning why this is happening, why they are fighting, and what the objective is. The villains come and kill all the cops at the police station. Kidnapped children are literally seen inside a building, with police protecting the villains. Most annoying is the little girl who continues to demonstrate a lack of discipline or any restraint. She was so annoying that at one point I found myself rooting for the villains. Please watch waves coming and going, sun rising, or paint drying. Anything is more productive and entertaining than this movie.

"The Furious" is a basic, formulaic martial arts action flick that will appeal to martial arts film purists but less so to everyone else. Beyond the relentless, frenetic and oftentimes bloody action, the shelf is pretty much bare. The story is wholly formulaic and familiar, with a cast of predictable characters, from the dad who is probably ex-special forces or some kind of assassin, the sidekick with his own agenda, the kidnapped but feisty daughter and the super bad, bad guy. It's all been done before. I'd say if you are a fan of martial arts films and you want a low-IQ watch that's not demanding anything from you, this represents a worthwhile distraction. The martial arts fight scenes are fantastically choreographed and timed. Anyone with a decent background in the martial arts will appreciate this film when viewed from this perspective. In summary, amazing martial arts action but not a whole lot of anything else. A 6/10 from me because I understand the time, talent and effort involved in creating fight scenes of this complexity.

This is a bad movie, btw. Do not fall for the reviews — I repeat, do not fall for them. If you’ve watched The Raid: Redemption, you’ll be even more disappointed by how scuffed this movie is. Not just the story, which is bad, but the acting from the entire cast is extremely poor (don’t even get me started). Even the main protagonist can barely act. It’s obvious he was only selected for his martial arts skills and nothing else. People will tell you this movie is mainly about the action and everything else is secondary, but we’ve already seen pure action done right in The Raid, The Raid 2, and the John Wick franchise. We know what good action movies look like — and this one isn’t even 1% of them. Also, can anyone explain how every goon from level 1 to level 100 can fight so well? Were they all trained before joining the organization? It becomes ridiculous watching everyone suddenly know advanced martial arts. From the looks of it, it didn’t do that great at the box office either, so I suppose most of the public didn’t fall for the reviews — which is good, I guess. Very dumb movie with a dumb plot, dumb villains, and dumb characters.

Dean

Jul 19, 2026

7.0

"The Furious" delivers a solid, adrenaline-fueled experience that focuses almost entirely on its high-stakes action sequences. The fight choreography is impressive, showcasing sharp, impactful movements that feel heavy and dangerous, largely thanks to the chemistry between Xie Miao and Joe Taslim. However, the film struggles when it tries to slow down, as the narrative is quite thin and the dialogue often feels like an afterthought. While it lacks the thematic depth or character development to make a lasting impact, it succeeds as a straightforward, brutal display of martial arts skill. If you are looking for a visually driven, no-nonsense action flick that prioritizes physicality over storytelling, it delivers exactly what it promises.

The Fixate & Binge Podcast, w/ Joe Curdy

Jul 29, 2026

Bone-crushingly brutal, stunt and fight coordinator turned director Kenji Tanigaki's **THE FURIOUS** is the martial arts action film you have been waiting for. When it comes to all-out martial arts films of this caliber, plot and character typically take a backseat to the spectacle of violence -- but in Tanigaki's **THE FURIOUS**, the story satisfyingly achieves parity with the gut-wrenching action. Single father Wang Wei (Miao Xie) spends time with his young daughter Rainy (Enyou Yang) as a working class handyman on the outskirts of their city -- when human traffickers snatch her off the streets, setting in motion a sequence of events that will test his endurance like nothing before. As Wang Wei desperately tears apart and bludgeons his way through the criminal underworld looking for his daughter -- he crosses paths with Navim (Joe Taslim) who is also combing through the same clues in search of his missing wife. Set within a fictional Southeast Asian landscape that seamlessly blends Thai, Indonesian, Chinese, and Japanese influences, **THE FURIOUS** creates a distinctive sense of place that enriches every frame. Once Wang Wei and Navim team up together in a pairing as satisfying as 2022's **RRR**, the action goes full-throttle in an unrelenting orgy of broken bones, crushed skulls, and violence, showcasing martial arts disciplines ranging from Chinese Wushu and Kung Fu to Judo and Pencak Silat. Speaking of Pencak Silat, the inclusion of Yayan Ruhian (whose disciplaine is Pencak Silat) as a ruthless, bow and arrow assassin is just icing on the cake. Every fighting sequence involving Ruhian is a masterclass in viciousness that will slake the bloodlust of the most diehard martial arts fan. With a surprising third act that escalates the action and tension, **THE FURIOUS** avoids the pitfall so many martial arts films tend to make with formulaic, predictable endings -- taking twists and turns that will leave a bittersweet taste. Hands down the best action film of the year, Tanigaki's **THE FURIOUS** will satisfy fans of **THE RAID** films, and now belongs in the conversation as one of the finest martial arts action films in the 21st century. Brian Le, Jeeja Yanin, Sahajak Boonthanakit, and Manatsanun Phanlerdwongsakul co-star.

Vinicius Monteiro

Sep 18, 2026

7.0

When action movies drop the deep philosophical stuff and just focus on raw human mechanics, the result is usually hit or miss, but *The Furious* definitely hits the mark. Directed by Kenji Tanigaki, the film is a brutal, primal survival trip that uses physical force and instinct to do all the talking. Instead of trying to reinvent the classic revenge story, the movie leans hard into the pure spectacle of movement. The fight scenes feel like a highly destructive ballet, captured with a smooth, steady camera that actually lets you see the action instead of hiding behind chaotic, messy cuts. It is a clear nod to the roots of Asian action cinema, where the environment itself feels alive and any everyday object can instantly become a lethal weapon. The absolute beating heart of the movie is its insane stunt choreography, brought to life by an incredibly dedicated cast. Joe Taslim brings his heavy Judo background and a menacing, undeniable charisma that instantly raises the stakes and shifts the weight of every scene he is in. On the flip side, Xie Miao delivers flawless, authentic Shaolin Kung Fu, using his body language to communicate anger and desperation much better than any script could. The fight coordinator, Kensuke Sonomura, did an unbelievable job making the brawls feel painful, exhausting, and real. The fights actually have their own logical rhythm—you see the characters getting tired, feeling the pain, and studying their opponents to find an opening, which totally makes up for the lack of deep dialogue. However, this nonstop adrenaline rush definitely comes at a cost to the story. The plot is basically just a conveyor belt moving us from one bloody beatdown to the next, following the super cliché formula of a deadly dad trying to rescue his daughter from a crime syndicate. The script is undeniably thin, the dialogue feels stiff, and the villains are basically one-dimensional caricatures with zero psychological depth. There is no real emotional connection or complex rivalry here; the bad guys are just generic mobsters waiting to be thrown into the meat grinder. Plus, you definitely need to suspend your disbelief a bit, as the characters sometimes survive multiple stab wounds and brutal hits as if they were just minor scratches. Surprisingly, though, that extreme simplicity is exactly what saves the film from tripping over itself. By not trying to force a deep, dramatic storyline, the movie never slows down its crazy pace with unnecessary subplots. The basic rescue mission just serves as a straight line giving us an excuse for the on-screen carnage, and the movie fully owns that. *The Furious* isn't trying to win any awards for screenwriting or revolutionize crime thrillers, and it never pretends otherwise. Instead, it fully embraces its identity as a heavy, straightforward, and flawlessly executed martial arts spectacle that delivers exactly the kind of raw action fans are looking for right up to the very last second.