DUBAI: The plot of Kenji Tanigaki’s “The Furious,” such as it is, is simple. Think “Taken” with far fewer guns.
“Somewhere in South East Asia,” widowed mute Chinese handyman Wang Wei (Miao Xie) spends some time with his young daughter Rainy. When she runs off, angry at his refusal to return with her to China, she is kidnapped by human traffickers. Wei chases them down and fights them, but they escape with Rainy. Wei heads to the police station, but is met by disinterest and incompetence (but we do learn Wei has a mysterious past, and that the police chief is in league with the criminals). While tracking down the kidnappers himself, Wei encounters Navin (Joe Taslim) a journalist whose wife (also a journalist) went missing as she was investigating the gang. The two men — who also happen to be expert martial artists — team up.
The story is played out in a few different languages, including intermittent dubbed English that can accurately be described as “memorable,” just not for the reasons the voice actors would’ve hoped. It’s so stilted your jaw will hurt. And the characters are one-dimensional throughout. There are no layers in Tanigaki’s world: there are good guys and bad guys. In other words, if you’re watching “The Furious” hoping for plot twists and nuance, you’re going to be very disappointed.
However, there is both intricacy and breathtaking talent — from director and cast — on display here. It’s just that all of it is wrapped up in the action. Fortunately, action makes up about 90 percent of the film. The rest just lets you catch your breath before the next frantic fight sequence.
And those fight sequences are among the best you’ll have seen: balletic, inventive (pretty much any piece of scenery can be turned into a weapon, it seems), precise, hyper-violent, gruesome and enthralling. The athleticism is remarkable, as is the editing, particularly in a memorable 2v2v1 fight. And with no pesky grey areas, the audience has no real moral dilemma to spoil their fun. That guy who just got his face smashed by a hammer? Don’t worry. Child trafficker.
So, the acting may be woeful and the script devoid of wit or emotion, but “The Furious,” for fans of the genre, is a cinematic gem.
