Welcome To MovieAnimeX! If you’re a fan of bone-crunching, non-stop martial arts mayhem, The Furious (original title: 火遮眼) is the movie you’ve been waiting for. Directed by Kenji Tanigaki and released in 2026 after its TIFF premiere, this Hong Kong action extravaganza delivers one of the most exhilarating and brutal fight sequences in recent years. Think Taken meets The Raid, but with even more inventive choreography and relentless intensity.
Table of Contents
Ratings
- MovieAnimeX: 8.2/10
- IMDb: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95%
- Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score: 98%
Trailer
Watch The Trailer Here:
Plot Summary (No Major Spoilers)
In a gritty Southeast Asian city, humble handyman and mute father Wang Wei (Xie Miao) lives a quiet life with his young daughter Rainy (Yang Enyou). When a ruthless child trafficking network kidnaps her and corrupt authorities offer no help, Wei unleashes a one-man rampage to get her back. His unlikely ally is Navin (Joe Taslim), a determined journalist whose own wife has vanished under mysterious circumstances tied to the same criminal empire.
What starts as a personal quest for vengeance quickly escalates into an all-out war against a powerful syndicate. The story is straightforward—classic “dad on a mission” fare—but it exists primarily as a vehicle for jaw-dropping action. And in that regard, it absolutely delivers.
The Action: Peak Martial Arts Cinema
This is where The Furious shines brightest. Tanigaki, known for his work on high-octane fight choreography, crafts sequences that feel fresh, visceral, and brutally creative. Expect:
- Relentless hand-to-hand combat featuring multiple fighting styles.
- Innovative weapon work (hammers, machetes, and more).
- A standout final act (often praised as the last 30-40 minutes) that ramps up to near-unmatched levels of intensity.
Xie Miao brings raw physicality and silent intensity to Wang Wei, while Joe Taslim (familiar from The Raid franchise) adds charisma and precision. The supporting cast, including Yayan Ruhian and Jeeja Yanin, elevates the fights even further with their legendary martial arts prowess. The sound design—crunching bones, thuds of impact—makes every hit land with maximum impact.
Critics and audiences have been raving, with many calling it the best action movie of the year (and one of the strongest martial arts films in over a decade). On Rotten Tomatoes, it boasts massive acclaim for its “breathtakingly inventive martial arts choreography” and “brutal, balletic action extravaganza.”
Strengths and Minor Gripes
Strengths:
- Unparalleled fight choreography that feels inventive and playful.
- Excellent performances from the action leads.
- High rewatch value for pure adrenaline junkies.
- Strong production values for a mid-budget actioner (budget around $20M, solid box office returns).
Criticisms (for balance):
The plot and dialogue can feel predictable or clunky at times (some English dubbing draws notes), but these are minor when the action is this good. If you come for story depth, you might be slightly disappointed; if you come for fights, you’ll be floored.
Final Verdict
8.2/10 – Strongly Recommended
The Furious is pure martial arts bliss. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel narratively, but it perfects the execution of what matters most in this genre: visceral, creative, and downright fun fight scenes that will leave you pumped. Action fans, this is mandatory viewing. Whether you catch it in theaters (where it played limited), on digital, or streaming, prepare to be exhausted in the best possible way.
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