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The Furious

I'm a lifelong fan of martial arts films. So when I learned about this movie last year, I was instantly hyped. The buzz for it far exceeded expectations. I figured it would be a niche thing that I'd love along with other martial arts film fiends. But I guess Lionsgate aggressively marketed the film, and while it wasn't a box office smash like Obsession or Backrooms, it managed to garner a sizable audience. High praise was given to the film, comparing it to The Raid. I've heard it dubbed the best action movie of the decade. I wasn't skeptical of this praise because I'm such a sucker for martial arts films. I had to establish that first in this little review. So I'm happy to say that The Furious lived up to the hype! This was an incredible action film. The pacing was super fast. Some of the best martial arts films barely go over 90 minutes. This film is 113 minutes, and it justifies that. Along with the fast pacing is an excellent buildup of action sequences. For most of the film, it felt like each action sequence was better than the last. It also felt like the movie peaked early, and I wondered how they would top that. I would then be amazed that they topped it! A great variety of fight scenes. Weapons, hand-to-hand combat, wrestling, painful and dizzying stunts, and people taking fatal blows and continuing to fight! It was so nuts, and I never felt like the movie dragged on or got repetitive. A lot of the fights looked raw and grimy, while others looked meticulously crafted...but still raw and grimy! It's impossible not to think of The Raid when watching this because that film had a similar philosophy with brutal realism along with lively cinematography and editing. I would say there's a wider showcase of martial arts styles in The Furious, along with a mix of influences that differ from The Raid. Director Kenji Tanigaki worked under Donnie Yen on multiple films, and I think that influence shows. Super fast close combat and bone-crunching sound design. Xie Miao played Jet Li's son in The New Legend of Shaolin and My Father is a Hero. That mattered because his fighting reminded me so much of Jet Li. Even how he dressed for most of the film looked like what Jet Li wore in some of his non-period pieces, like Kiss of the Dragon. Xie Miao delivered the dizzyingly fast strikes with intense precision like Jet Li, but also had a mean streak and tenacity that separated him from Li. I also got some Jackie Chan vibes, specifically with the heavy usage of props. The Chan vibes were most prominent in the final act of the movie, with weapons that call back to classic Chan films like Project A and First Strike.

Joe Taslim, who was Bi Han/Subzero/Noob Saibot in the Mortal Kombat films, is kind of a co-lead along with Xie Miao. He was also in The Raid. He definitely kicks ass in here, and I was treated to the natural charm and aura he exhibited in the 2021 Mortal Kombat film, specifically in that opening sequence. The smile, the swagger, and the intensity that was in that sequence were on display in The Furious. I think if The Furious was made in the 80s, Joe Taslim's character would definitely be the lead. Yayan Ruhian is another actor who was in The Raid. Oh my goodness, he was kind of a monster in the movie, looking so wild and scary, all while wearing a red tracksuit. He delivered with amazing archery, bladework, and hand-to-hand combat! Brian Le, who got to flex a bit in Everything Everywhere All At Once, got an even bigger showcase in this film! My goodness, this guy was like a broken fighting game character, a sub-boss that would always stop you from reaching the top of an arcade ladder. Referencing pro wrestling, the guy is like a Samoan tank. I also got serious Sammo Hung vibes from the guy. I knew he would be a highlight in the film, remembering his role in Everything Everywhere All At Once and the unfairly canceled The Brothers Sun. But oh my goodness, he over-delivered for me! I didn't expect this guy to go super hard, he was like the bison in Yellowstone Park that recently fucked up that old man! I was also pleasantly surprised by Joey Iwanaga, who seemed like he'd be a jobber, but turned out to be absolutely vicious. He was sick with the kicks, reminding me a bit of Ken Lo. The whole stunt team definitely deserves a shout-out. I winced so many times, it's astounding some of these performers weren't permanently injured. Also, shout-out to the little girl who played Xie Miao's daughter, Yang Enyou! Even she kicked ass! This movie is very violent and even gory!

I was also surprised by the soundtrack! It was pretty badass with metal music playing for some of the fight scenes! The first end credits song was from Flying Lotus, which was dope. The movie also made me laugh several times. Most of the laughs came from sheer disbelief and shock over the action in the movie. I also found the English dubbing pretty comical at times. Apparently, the movie was meant to be mostly dubbed in English. There's quite a bit of Mandarin and Filipino. I think they intended for the English dubbing to be a little off as a tribute to the dubbing of old martial arts films. It is a little jarring, but I got over it. The plot is very simple, but there was a twist that I wasn't prepared for. I'm so glad it happened because it just added another layer to what would become an ungodly awesome third act. That final act is one of the best 20 or so minutes of action I've seen in a long time. That section also delivered something I've been imagining lately. Something that I wasn't sure if other action films delivered. If so, then it's definitely a rarity. This movie brought that to life in a very creative and exhilarating way.

I really don't have any major complaints with the film. The camera would be a little too jittery in certain sequences, especially in a section of the second act. That's essentially a nitpick. I haven't seen The Raid in well over a decade, so I can't say for sure if The Furious is better than that. I lean more toward it being up there! When I watched The Raid, it felt brand new. The Furious doesn't feel that much new. Instead, it's just an awesome mix of Hong Kong and other Southeast Asian ingredients. Kenji Tanigaki made a massive statement as an action film director. I can't wait to see what he cooks up next. I also look forward to what the other major cast members do next.

The Furious has surpassed 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and Obsession as my favorite movie of 2026 so far! It's the first movie released this year that gets this rating! This is an instant classic!

9/10
 
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RustInPeace said:
The Furious

I'm a lifelong fan of martial arts films. So when I learned about this movie last year, I was instantly hyped. The buzz for it far exceeded expectations. I figured it would be a niche thing that I'd love along with other martial arts film fiends. But I guess Lionsgate aggressively marketed the film, and while it wasn't a box office smash like Obsession or Backrooms, it managed to garner a sizable audience. High praise was given to the film, comparing it to The Raid. I've heard it dubbed the best action movie of the decade. I wasn't skeptical of this praise because I'm such a sucker for martial arts films. I had to establish that first in this little review. So I'm happy to say that The Furious lived up to the hype! This was an incredible action film. The pacing was super fast. Some of the best martial arts films barely go over 90 minutes. This film is 113 minutes, and it justifies that. Along with the fast pacing is an excellent buildup of action sequences. For most of the film, it felt like each action sequence was better than the last. It also felt like the movie peaked early, and I wondered how they would top that. I would then be amazed that they topped it! A great variety of fight scenes. Weapons, hand-to-hand combat, wrestling, painful and dizzying stunts, and people taking fatal blows and continuing to fight! It was so nuts, and I never felt like the movie dragged on or got repetitive. A lot of the fights looked raw and grimy, while others looked meticulously crafted...but still raw and grimy! It's impossible not to think of The Raid when watching this because that film had a similar philosophy with brutal realism along with lively cinematography and editing. I would say there's a wider showcase of martial arts styles in The Furious, along with a mix of influences that differ from The Raid. Director Kenji Tanigaki worked under Donnie Yen on multiple films, and I think that influence shows. Super fast close combat and bone-crunching sound design. Xie Miao played Jet Li's son in The New Legend of Shaolin and My Father is a Hero. That mattered because his fighting reminded me so much of Jet Li. Even how he dressed for most of the film looked like what Jet Li wore in some of his non-period pieces, like Kiss of the Dragon. Xie Miao delivered the dizzyingly fast strikes with intense precision like Jet Li, but also had a mean streak and tenacity that separated him from Li. I also got some Jackie Chan vibes, specifically with the heavy usage of props. The Chan vibes were most prominent in the final act of the movie, with weapons that call back to classic Chan films like Project A and First Strike.

Joe Taslim, who was Bi Han/Subzero/Noob Saibot in the Mortal Kombat films, is kind of a co-lead along with Xie Miao. He was also in The Raid. He definitely kicks ass in here, and I was treated to the natural charm and aura he exhibited in the 2021 Mortal Kombat film, specifically in that opening sequence. The smile, the swagger, and the intensity that was in that sequence were on display in The Furious. I think if The Furious was made in the 80s, Joe Taslim's character would definitely be the lead. Yayan Ruhian is another actor who was in The Raid. Oh my goodness, he was kind of a monster in the movie, looking so wild and scary, all while wearing a red tracksuit. He delivered with amazing archery, bladework, and hand-to-hand combat! Brian Le, who got to flex a bit in Everything Everywhere All At Once, got an even bigger showcase in this film! My goodness, this guy was like a broken fighting game character, a sub-boss that would always stop you from reaching the top of an arcade ladder. Referencing pro wrestling, the guy is like a Samoan tank. I also got serious Sammo Hung vibes from the guy. I knew he would be a highlight in the film, remembering his role in Everything Everywhere All At Once and the unfairly canceled The Brothers Sun. But oh my goodness, he over-delivered for me! I didn't expect this guy to go super hard, he was like the bison in Yellowstone Park that recently fucked up that old man! I was also pleasantly surprised by Joey Iwanaga, who seemed like he'd be a jobber, but turned out to be absolutely vicious. He was sick with the kicks, reminding me a bit of Ken Lo. The whole stunt team definitely deserves a shout-out. I winced so many times, it's astounding some of these performers weren't permanently injured. Also, shout-out to the little girl who played Xie Miao's daughter, Yang Enyou! Even she kicked ass! This movie is very violent and even gory!

I was also surprised by the soundtrack! It was pretty badass with metal music playing for some of the fight scenes! The first end credits song was from Flying Lotus, which was dope. The movie also made me laugh several times. Most of the laughs came from sheer disbelief and shock over the action in the movie. I also found the English dubbing pretty comical at times. Apparently, the movie was meant to be mostly dubbed in English. There's quite a bit of Mandarin and Filipino. I think they intended for the English dubbing to be a little off as a tribute to the dubbing of old martial arts films. It is a little jarring, but I got over it. The plot is very simple, but there was a twist that I wasn't prepared for. I'm so glad it happened because it just added another layer to what would become an ungodly awesome third act. That final act is one of the best 20 or so minutes of action I've seen in a long time. That section also delivered something I've been imagining lately. Something that I wasn't sure if other action films delivered. If so, then it's definitely a rarity. This movie brought that to life in a very creative and exhilarating way.

I really don't have any major complaints with the film. The camera would be a little too jittery in certain sequences, especially in a section of the second act. That's essentially a nitpick. I haven't seen The Raid in well over a decade, so I can't say for sure if The Furious is better than that. I lean more toward it being up there! When I watched The Raid, it felt brand new. The Furious doesn't feel that much new. Instead, it's just an awesome mix of Hong Kong and other Southeast Asian ingredients. Kenji Tanigaki made a massive statement as an action film director. I can't wait to see what he cooks up next. I also look forward to what the other major cast members do next.

The Furious has surpassed 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and Obsession as my favorite movie of 2026 so far! It's the first movie released this year that gets this rating! This is an instant classic!

9/10
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Thanks for the detailed write-up. I just heard about this movie, and an over-the-top martial arts movie might be a good choice, since I haven't watched anything big in a while.
 
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I watched this twice for some reason
 
Backrooms. This was good fun. I hadn't really followed the online lore, besides seeing the occasional meme, but this was a perfectly good place to start, and works standalone. Was happy to learn that the web series shares continuity with it, so I can get a bit more of the world.
 
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i watched parts of that Little Mermaid live-action remake.
People were right with everything they said about it.
That was a while ago, kinda put me off movies for a year or so iirc
it was a long time ago, just cant get excited about movies anymore
 
Havoc (2005)

Every Friday, I watch 2 movies on a Discord server. That's important to say right away because Havoc isn't a movie I would willingly watch. This film stars Anne Hathaway as a rich West Los Angeles high schooler who acts Black, speaking in AAVE and pretty much being like many white people in the 2000s who were consumed by rap music and wanted to rebel against their parents. A lot of her friends and other fellow rich white kids act Black, including her boyfriend, who looks and acts like Jamie Kennedy in Malibu's Most Wanted. Despite this culture vulture shit, there are actually no Black people in the movie! Well, no major Black characters. Hathaway and her friend are drawn to a Mexican gang, whose members include Raymond Cruz and Freddy Rodriguez, but no Noel Gugliemi! The plot meanders as it takes until halfway through the movie for it to focus on the Mexican gang stuff and the girlies suffering the consequences. Frankly, they brought it upon themselves. I'm not down with victim blaming, but holy shit did these girls fuck up.

This movie was very annoying. So many white people acting Black, and some of them even say the N-word! Holy shit, the N-word was said 5 times and only by white people. Most of those were by Anne Hathaway. Jason Gordon-Levitt also said the N-word a few times, looking like a white stoner trying to be a little Rasta. Channing Tatum has a very small role, and his acting as a Black person is more believable, even though that would still be cringy. The older white characters were insignificant, namely the parents of these kids. Michel Biehn played Anne Hathaway's dad and barely did anything in the film. Josh Peck is part of Hathaway's family, but he's only in one scene! This is an 86-minute movie, by the way, so the movie doesn't spend a lot of time with character development. The movie felt like a series of vignettes until the Mexican gang storyline took hold, but that was still flawed.

One great thing about the movie is the nudity. Anne Hathaway, fresh off her Disney movies, went topless multiple times, and even fully naked. No full frontal shot, but holy crap! I also liked the looks at various Mexican activities, the more wholesome ones like the party and Freddy Rodriguez at a store. There was a motel party sequence that looked so much like Training Day. Raymond Cruz was also in Training Day. Hathaway and Bijou Phillips sitting at a table with a bunch of Mexicans is so similar to the scene with Ethan Hawke and a bunch of Mexicans, plus Cliff Curtis playing a Mexican. The best thing about the movie is definitely the random sighting of a billboard promoting The Room! That's how you know the movie was set in Los Angeles.

Admittedly, the movie was better in the second half, but mainly because it didn't fall off a cliff. I dreaded Anne Hathaway and Freddy Rodriguez being a romantic couple. Thankfully, that didn't happen, even though the girls were still making awful choices. I could also see some decent intent with the movie, but the execution was so damn poor. It was a little realistic. The host of these Discord watch parties was a teen living in Los Angeles in the 2000s, so she confirmed that there were teen girls like Hathaway and Phillips. The original script was written by someone who based it on their observations of rich West LA girls. That person was a 14-year-old girl! Yeah, a teen girl wrote this movie. The script was written in 1993, though the movie had been in development hell for years, and there were a bunch of male writers credited for the screenplay. That means the script was changed multiple times. Still, you can tell that the script is very naive. Innocent? Maybe.

I also felt a little bad for director Barbara Kopple. I thought the movie showed incompetence on her part, but then I learned the movie was basically taken from her by the producers during post. This led to Hathaway and Phillips refusing to do press for the movie in solidarity with Kopple. That changing of control would explain why the movie feels fractured with flawed editing. Still, Kopple deserves some criticism because the movie is mostly flat. The movie's also poorly paced, and the actors just look so awkward in speaking AAVE.

This film wasn't an abomination, but I definitely don't want to watch the movie again. Surprisingly, clips of Hathaway and JGL saying the N-word haven't resurfaced. Hell, JGL not getting called out for that is more surprising since it was recently revealed that he attended some invite-only shit that involved Peter Thiel. He tried like hell to defend that. Disappointing. Anyway, I don't recommend the movie. This is a relic from 2005 that's better left in the past.

4/10


In the Heat of the Night

Crazy how both movies have a few things in common. For one, white people use the N-word in both films! Another is false accusations. Anyway, this is one of those highly regarded movies that I had yet to see. And it's a movie I'm so glad I watched. Sometimes, "classic" movies are rather overrated or just too dated for me to fully appreciate. That wasn't the case here. Part of that is because the racism depicted in the film is sadly still alive and well. You still have bigoted motherfuckers rocking the Confederate Flag. The movie is also lowkey ahead of its time with how Virgil Tibbs is a loner in terms of social status. He's not white, obviously. He's Black, but he's not part of the poor working class that encompasses most of the Black population. They were pretty subtle with that kind of commentary, and I appreciate that. I also like how the movie depicts racism, but the film isn't heavily about it. It's a murder mystery where one of the main characters is like a drifter in a Western film. A man comes into town, and people are very uneasy about it. That's their problem since the man in this case is a super cool Sidney Poitier. Admittedly, I haven't seen many Sidney Poitier films. I watched Sneakers, which was great, but he was playing his age at the time. There was a notably different vibe from him in this film. He's pushing 40 at the time, so relatively young. As I watched him, I couldn't help but think of Denzel Washington. When Denzel won an Oscar for Training Day, he shouted out Sidney Poitier, who was in attendance that night. Poitier was given an honorary Oscar that night. Denzel looked at him and said he had been chasing after Poitier for 40 years, following in his footsteps. That bit of his speech stuck with me, and In the Heat of the Night proves that speech to be so truthful. I can see how Poitier was a major influence on Denzel Washington. The coolness, poise, line delivery, and overall aura were so similar to what Denzel always had. I think Denzel is more explosive and actively defies his age, but it was still amazing to see Sidney Poitier basically come off as Denzel's predecessor. On top of that, it was great to see him always a step ahead of Chief Gillespie and owning foolish people with his words and actions. His slapping the white guy who was pretty much a Jim Crow-era slave owner was one of the best moments in the movie. The biggest reason this movie was a treat was because of Sidney Poitier.

Of course, there are other reasons this movie was great. Rod Steiger was very effective as the local police chief Gillespie. The thing I disliked the most regarding the character was his gum smacking. The sound design in the film is strong, and unfortunately that meant loud smacking. The character was also stubborn and resistant at times against Tibbs' methods. But the character was well written and performed. There was a key scene of him opening up that explained why he's kind of a sad sack. He's not incompetent, the scene of him stopping the thief trying to run away from the cops was cool. The camera work in that scene was sweet. The cinematography overall was tremendous, another aspect of the film that's a little ahead of its time. The lighting and use of shadows is fantastic. It gives the movie a lot of style. What also gave the movie its style was Quincy Jones' score. He composed effective incidental music that fit the southern location of the film. It's set in Sparta, Mississippi. Part of me wonders if this film influenced Ryan Coogler when he made Sinners. There was a shot of Tibbs and Gillesspie driving through a huge cotton field with Black people picking cotton. There was a similar shot in Sinners. I think you can tell Quincy Jones did the score if you're familiar with the Ironside theme that Quentin Tarantino used in Kill Bill. There was a certain sting that reminded me of the Ironside theme. Other members of the cast were good, such as Anthony James, who played the low-IQ character Ralph. I really thought they were going to play this character like Norman Bates. He looks a little like Anthony Perkins.

The movie won multiple Oscars, including Best Picture. It won for editing, which is so well deserved. The editing in the film is good, I didn't feel the runtime at all. It was 1 hour and 50 minutes, but it felt like a 90-minute film! The movie wasn't action-packed, but the storytelling was just so engaging. The actors were locked in, and the craft was so impressive. All of that came together so well, and Hal Ashby, the editor, seemingly knew when to cut and when to let scenes breathe. There were quite a few long takes and tracking shots that also felt ahead of their time. I think back then, you either had the very long epics or very short films. In the Head of the Night hits a sweet middle ground. It feels grand as a murder mystery, while also not wasting time and getting to the point. This is such a confidently made movie. The only thing that took me out of the movie a bit was certain sound effect choices. The sound of the dogs was inconsistent with the number of dogs featured in one scene. It sounded like the sound was recorded in a kennel, which surely had dozens of dogs. The scene only had a handful of dogs. Some cartoonish sound effects reminded me of The Flinstones. I also would've liked more scenes of the main characters floating about, helping with the sense of place. Tibbs was welcomed to the home of a Black mechanic, but after that character was introduced, you don't see him or his family again. These are minor gripes anyway. The movie is great on a craft, directing, musical, and acting level. It's not only a product of its time, but it also feels timeless to an extent. I know there was a TV series based on the movie. I doubt that's anywhere near as good as the film. This is strong enough as a standalone film.

8.5/10
 
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