The Furious (2026) Review: A Masterful Martial Arts Film!

Action films in the United States are some of the most profitable films, dominating theaters not only every summer, but all year round. Between assassins and superheroes, as it pertains to worldbuilding and franchise building, audiences flock to go see violence and action where it all comes down to good versus evil. Throw in a known IP and the film will often hit gold status at the box office.

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In an industry where protagonists often use superpowers or weapons to defeat the most destructive villains, the art of pure physical fighting with the body as the weapon of choice has fallen to the wayside. Outside of the United States, Hong Kong has developed a rich and extensive art of martial arts cinema since the 1960s where the Shaw Brothers brought Hong Kong into focus with its incredible tales where martial arts heroes took form.

The Furious, directed by Kenji Tanigaki, is just the most current of the country’s long tradition of martial arts cinema, bringing his new film to American audiences in the hopes of entertaining them and bringing forth the art of physical action back on the big screen. It becomes clear by the time the movie’s credits roll that martial arts action films need to find its way back into the fold of American cinema with foreign filmmakers who can show us who still remains king in the genre.

Wang Wei (Xie Miao) is an everyday father living in Southeast Asia. He is a tradesman who works with his hands day in and day out, caring for his daughter Rainy (Yang Enyou) after the death of his wife and her mother. When Rainy is kidnapped by a criminal network of traffickers, Wang will do anything and everything to rescue his daughter, in true action movie fashion.

The Furious wastes no time going from zero to one hundred, establishing the hero of our story in Wang Wei. As a martial arts film, the central focus is on the fight sequences and out-of-this world choreography, giving just enough information to the audience in its story to get the ball rolling. Where some action films formulate a story with past history and underlying character intentions and decision making, he Furious outlines its band of criminals dealing in the unimaginable business of trafficking children where no more explanation is needed as to who these people are and how vile their actions can and will be.

However, what the film does harbor on is Wang’s deep love for his daughter through his actions and communication rather than words themselves. As Wang is mute and speaks to his daughter through sign language, the audience is trusted to develop a strong emotional connection to Wang and his quiet nature to feel that much more stoic in his priorities of protecting Rainy. In this, the plot of the film is never its central focus, but the emotional attachment to its characters and the intensity of its martial arts sequences are.

In a genre that is so rich in its history, The Furious knows how to both elevate and pay respect to its martial arts conventions in an explosive way. John Wick is often the modern American blueprint for action movies in its intense violence and fast-paced nature. The Furious is an entry in this year’s collection of films that knows how to completely entertain its audience while giving American audiences a modern taste of a sub-genre we have been missing for years.

The film is nothing short of pure artistry in its martial art sequences between our main characters and the criminals they must face. There is a fantastical quality to how the film was able to capture and create fight sequences allowing the actors and stunt performers to display their insane physicality and ability to perform next to impossible choreography, put together by Kensuke Sonomura. With scenes that go on for many minutes at a time, our eyes are glued to the screen analyzing each punch, kick, and body slam that feels like a violent dance of sorts that must have taken hundreds of hours to put together.

Right from the beginning, we are given a scene where Wang sprints to catch a truck with his kidnapped daughter aboard and the film never lets up from then. It can not be stated enough that the level of action shown in The Furious is top tier in ways that can not be beat, especially from American action films today.

Kenji Tanigaki’s direction of the film is an extravagant feat. He has a stillness to his art in the more emotional scenes between Wang and his daughter that feels as compassionate behind the camera as it does in front. On the other hand, he also has a tight and explosive eye for action sequences. The camerawork and shots that help create the action feel like a mixture between videogame, comic book, and cinematic violence that feels rooted in its tradition while adding a modern flair. The film’s sound design under Shao Hang is chilling as every crack of a bone and hit from a punch or object punctures the audience’s bodies causing us to flinch constantly.

The film’s editing by Chris Tonick is seamless, providing a realistic continuity of the martial arts sequences as if they were to happen in one take. It is obvious that films come together with a large team in front of and behind the camera but this film gives a new meaning to this concept where it becomes clear in every facet of the film a crew with immense talent and care for the feature shines so bright. The Furious is a masterful martial arts film that makes a case for the need for its implementation in American cinema in our modern industry.

‘The Furious (2026)’ Rating – 4/5

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