POPCORN REVIEWSS

Written by Shum Kwan-Sin, Frank Hui, Mak Tin-Shu, and Lei Zhilong, The Furious is almost intended to keep the writing simple, while maintaining its focus on its eye-popping Kung-Fu moves that keep on escalating by the minute. And yet, it is this simplicity that draws you in – a mute protagonist who cannot always convey the love for his daughter, even while refusing to return to his home country with her. The setting is deliberately vague – even as the captions on the screen read ‘Somewhere In Southeast Asia’, something that is familiar through the texture of the drama that focuses on the darker hues to convey the impending mood of the drama.

Soon, a kidnapping transpires wherein Rainy is piled into a truck carrying garbage – a searing metaphor on the plight of the ‘missing’ kids that are treated as garbage. And the antagonists are in various forms – from the bald and hefty ones who wouldn’t die even after being slammed by a sledge-hammer, to a more conventual suave mob-boss that would carry out the orders of the higher syndicate, or even a seemingly gentle white-collared individual who would later stab, slash, puncture and ambush his ‘enemies’ in a bloody ruthless splatter. On the other hand, Wei would join forces with another investigative journalist Navin (Joe Taslim) who also would have some searing personal stakes in the narrative. This, even as Wei would have to counter the ‘Captain’ of the corrupt police department who would work in tandem with the members of the syndicate.

The escalating action set-pieces have a layered form of kineticism to them, something that wonderfully coincides with the setting. For instance, an outdoor action set-piece involving the protagonist running bare-footed over glass pieces to save his daughter, while serving kicks and blows to the baddies, would have to go down as one of the most splendid set-pieces of the film. The sequence also gives you an impression of his scenario being ‘so near yet so far’, even while being abruptly interrupted by a sudden moving object that was met with a collective gasp by the capacity crowd. Or the terrific indoor hand-to-hand combat sequence between Wei, Navin and the baddies, only to merge into a bout between Wei and Navin before they join forces.

The level of action set-pieces go in overdrive mode, with every minute escalating the synergy and tensions in the drama. Be it a hand-to-hand combat sequence in a warehouse in what felt like a WWE handicapped match, or the use of a sledgehammer to blow the daylights of an opponent, or even a tiny motel being witness to a resounding action set-piece involving hoards and hoards of baddies pitted against two bravehearts in a nod to The Raid (2011). Or even the resounding escalating action set-piece in the final act while adding layers and layers to the kineticism with five characters having a go at each other in a single frame. Talk about raising the stakes of an action film!

There is a rhythm to the proceedings that allows no real respite to the viewers, while significantly keeping them on their toes. The writing must also be credited for seamlessly elevating the stakes in the drama, being unafraid of bumping off characters that may be viewed as pivotal cogs in a narrative that is driven by adrenaline. As a result, there isn’t a single dull moment in the narrative, even while building on the unsaid bromance between Wei and Navin, something that would have a late pay-off. This, whilst never losing sight of the father-daughter bond that also extends to a budding dynamic of friendship between Rainy and another child – all of it culminating into a gory blood bath that absolutely hits home. The screenplay here ticks most boxes of an entertaining actioner – a slender storyline, a decent emotional connect, and a kinetic adrenaline rush for the ages!