The Furious review: Joe Taslim and Xie Miao deliver a bone-crunching action spectacle that deserved better writing

THe FuriousCast: Xie Miao, Joe Taslim, Yang Enyou, Yayan Ruhian, Brian Le and Joey IwanagaDirector: Kenji TanigakiRating: ★★★ Every multiplication gets a few litigate films that completely commute the rules of the genre and remind audiences wherefore they drop in love with it in the first place. These are the films that leave a permanent mark because they refuse to play it safe. We saw it in the electrifying energy of '90s Hong Kong neo-noir, the unforgettable corridor action sequence in Park Chan Wook's Oldboy, and the savage intensity of The Raid, among others. The Furious comfortably earns its place alongside them. Directed by veteran stunt master Kenji Tanigaki, the film is a reminder that action cinema still has the power to evolve, surprise and reinvent itself.The plot of The FuriousWang Wei (Xie Miao), a mute Chinese migrant and skilled martial artist, lives a quiet life as a handyman and single father to his young daughter, Rainy (Yang Enyou), in a crime-ridden Southeast Asian city. His world comes crashing down when she is kidnapped by a child-trafficking syndicate, sending him on a violent mission to bring her home at any cost.Along the way, he meets Navin (Joe Taslim), an investigative journalist who is also chasing the same criminal organisation. But for Navin, this fight is deeply personal. He is searching for answers about his wife, Matia (Thai action icon Jeeja Yanin), a fearless reporter who disappeared after exposing dangerous secrets about the syndicate. United by grief and a shared enemy, the two men reluctantly join forces to take down the empire that destroyed their lives.Direction of Kenji TanigakiKenji Tanigaki understands that action can often say more than pages of dialogue ever could. He makes that clear from the very beginning and rarely takes his foot off the accelerator afterwards. The screenplay, written by Mak Tin Shu, Lei Zhilong, Shum Kwan Sin and Frank Hui, keeps things deliberately simple and lets the action take centre stage.Set "Somewhere in Southeast Asia" and shot on the bustling streets of Thailand, the film creates an interesting multilingual world where characters move between Mandarin, Tagalog and English. Tanigaki also understands how to use every location to his advantage, turning ordinary spaces into inventive and memorable battlegrounds. The fight scenes are easy to follow, every hit lands with impact, and, most importantly, audiences always get to appreciate the performers doing the work. PerformancesXie Miao delivers one of the strongest performances of his career. The former child actor, remembered for starring alongside Jet Li in My Father Is a Hero and The New Legend of Shaolin, relies entirely on his expressions and physicality to tell Wang Wei's story. He never turns him into an untouchable action hero. Instead, he plays him as a terrified father who is running purely on instinct and desperation.Joe Taslim adds some much-needed warmth to a film that rarely pauses to catch its breath. His fighting style has also evolved over the years. Gone is some of the raw aggression audiences saw in The Raid and The Night Comes for Us. Here, his movements feel calmer, sharper and far more controlled.Yang Enyou quietly becomes the film's emotional anchor. As Rainy, she shares a genuinely sweet bond with her father while also showcasing her kung fu training. One particular sequence stands out and hints at the confidence she already possesses in front of the camera.What worksKenji Tanigaki and Kensuke Sonomura constantly find new ways to keep the action exciting. No two fight sequences feel the same. Fighters attack from every direction, scale walls, jump over obstacles and transform entire locations into giant playgrounds of chaos.The ice factory sequence easily emerges as one of the film's standout moments. The police station finale is equally impressive and may very well leave audiences cheering in their seats. Wei and Navin turn everything around them into weapons, from hammers and chains to bicycles and even frozen bodies. It is outrageous, sometimes ridiculous, but always entertaining. More importantly, it proves there is still plenty of room for action cinema to evolve.What does not workThe Furious never pretends to be a story-driven film. Its biggest priority is delivering one action sequence after another, and for the most part, it succeeds. Some of the dialogue feels awkward and a few emotional moments don't land the way they should. The decision to dub only certain characters into English while leaving others in their native languages is also distracting. Honestly, the film would have been better off fully embracing subtitles and allowing everyone to speak their original language.Storytelling is clearly not the film's biggest priority. Most of its runtime is dedicated to one action sequence after another, and that is perfectly fine. But at just under two hours, stronger writing, deeper character work and a more memorable background score could have added another layer of emotional weight. VerdictIf a film is measured by how boldly it pushes the boundaries of its genre, then The Furious is a clear success. A stronger screenplay could have made the emotional moments hit even harder, but as an action film, it is immensely satisfying. Look past its narrative shortcomings, and you'll find a thrilling showcase of inventive stunt work that reminds you why action cinema remains so exciting.The Furious releases in Indian theatres on June 19, 2026, with an 'A' certification.