The Furious

Navin and Wang Wei start off with an action film’s version of a meet-cute: a misunderstanding and a fight. They don’t yet know they have a common purpose, or that they’ve been battling the same crime boss’s thugs. As they face off, barely any words are exchanged—Wei is mute—but there’s a conversation unfolding nevertheless, between Xie Miao’s wushu and Joe Taslim’s judo. Since the former is founded on kicking and striking, and the latter on grappling and throwing, it’s an intensely strategic altercation. In judo, if you can grab hold of an opponent, you can throw them. Wei realises this, shrugs off his jacket and rolls up his shirtsleeves. Navin reacts to this by ruefully blowing on his fingers, a judoka automatism from an actor who once represented his country in the sport.

Hell hath no fury like a father scorned in The Furious – certainly not fury as taut, economical and razor-sharp as this film. Presumably, hell also involves a lot more chit-chat. The Furious dispenses with dialogue too; why waste your breath when you will need every ounce for the next tackle? A much-celebrated action choreographer, director Kenji Tanigaki knows that all he needs is a skeletal story with an emotional tug (in this case, kidnapped children) to set his two action stars, Miao Xe as Wang, and Joe Taslim as Navin, on a mission. Once that machine starts, it barely takes a pause.