Actions Speak Louder Than Words

The Furious (Kenji Tanigaki, 2025/2026)

As an aficionado of onscreen violence, I am particularly drawn to action films that feature intense combat sequences, copious amounts of pain and a dash of blood or two. Fortunately, acclaimed fight choreographer Kenji Tanigaki, who was involved in one of your host’s favourite action films in recent years - Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024), has transitioned to film directing and has subsequently delivered an action-packed bruiser that’s a summer riot.

The Furious (2025/2026) follows Wang Wei (Xie Miao), a mute, Chinese handyman working “Somewhere in Southeast Asia” (the location is intentionally left vague), as he embarks on a mission to rescue his young daughter, Rainy (Yang Enyou), from child traffickers. He forms an alliance with Navin (Joe Taslim), who shares a similar motive in finding his missing journalist wife. The premise is straightforward and the plot is not particularly complex. The narrative’s simplicity justifies the pair’s decision to launch a series of devastating assaults on numerous machete-wielding adversaries in locations connected to the trafficking leader Paklung’s (Joey Iwanaga) operation.

Wei may lack the ability of speech, but martial arts skills do all the necessary talking in his quest to retrieve his daughter. Throughout his journey with Navin, the extent of the trafficking operation’s reach is revealed, including the corrupt police captain who remains indifferent as desperate children attempt to escape from a dilapidated apartment building known as The Snake Pit.

The fight scenes are choreographed with expert precision; drawing the eye deeper into the intensity of the battle. The impact of every punch, kick and weapon used is viscerally wince-inducing. Bones are shattered, blood is spilt, and in some cases, body parts are severed. This is back from the pub heaven for your humble host. Meteor Cheung’s cinematography is characterised by a fluid dynamic that mirrors the chaotic visual spectacle of the unrelenting action that occurs on screen.

Diminutive Miao’s strict kung fu discipline is contrasted with Taslim’s more erratic judo skills. When Wei mistakenly identifies Navin as a child trafficker, the pair briefly engage in a fight. A comedic moment occurs when Miao removes his jacket as he warms up to unleash pain. To Navin’s relief, he realises that Wei shares a similar objective and they subsequently team up. For fans of the game-changing martial arts classic The Raid (2011), Taslim has a rematch with the indomitable Yayan Ruhian. The latter plays a ruthless henchman to Paklung; who wields a deadly bow, upping the bloody gore quota considerably. However, Brian Le almost steals the film as the bald, dungaree-clad Ho, a strong and persistent antagonist who is more than a match for the combined skills of Wei and Navin. Ho is instrumental in the film’s unforgettable pièce de résistance; consisting of an epic two versus two versus one rumble.

The English dubbing may be an issue for some viewers. While it did not detract from my enjoyment of the film, it was sufficiently noticeable to warrant mentioning it for this review. Apparently, there is a Mandarin language version of the film; one that includes some different scenes. This is enough to interest me in determining which might be the better cut of the film in the foreseeable future. Although, given The Furious is a martial arts film of a very high calibre, it's a win for action film fans, regardless of which version they watch.

The Furious is an excellent martial arts film. Blending the premise of Taken with the intense action of The Raid, and if that justifies it with the label of dadsploitation movie by some, then so be it. Hail to 2026's big daddy of action flicks!

Kowloon Ruck

Twilight Warriors: Walled In (Soi Cheang, 2024)

Director Soi Cheang first came onto my radar with his Hong Kong crime thriller Limbo (2021). Despite its incredible production design and hyper-stylised noir aesthetic, the central core of the film was like every generic crime thriller involving the hunt for a serial killer. It was superficially alluring, at best. His latest film, adapted from a graphic novel known as City of Darkness, is also laced with fantastic visuals, but more importantly, it also has a more interesting plot.

Twilight Warriors: Walled In is set during the eighties in Hong Kong's shanty city of Kowloon. The historical region resembled a post-apocalyptic nightmare rather than an actual urban province. The gargantuan ramshackle is the basis for the film's amazing look. Within its corrugated walls is a densely populated feudal society with triad bosses acting like governing elders.

After being ripped off obtaining a fake ID card by Mr. Big (the legendary Sammo Hung still kicking arse in his seventies), Chan Lok-kwan (Raymond Chan) runs afoul of the triads by mistakenly snatching a bag of drugs thinking it was the money owed to him. The result is an epic chase fight into the Walled City, where the triads are prohibited from venturing in. Lok-kwan finds sanctuary in the urban shit hole to be temporary when he runs into another gang led by the chain smoking, martial arts master Cyclone (Louis Koo). After some more fighting, Lok-kwan goes through the motions of finding acceptance with the inhabitants of the Walled City.

The police free zone has its own laws and politics, which is fascinating during the downtime of not having a violent fight light up the screen. This also benefits the film's world building along with defining its central characters. There's a back story to Lok-kwan, which eventually leads to serious consequences for everyone living in Kowloon.

A refreshing concept is how Mr. Big isn't the major villain in the film. That duty falls to his maniacal second-in-command, King (Philip Ng), who looks like an Asian verison of Paul Calf. Controversially, King the power of invulnerability. He is impervious to lethal machete strikes, a sledgehammer to his skull, and can chew on red hot coal like it's a chicken nugget. This comic book style villain is more than a challenge for Lok-kwan and three of his comrades during the film's epically climactic showdown.

The fight choreography comes somewhere in between Steven Chao's cartoonish action in Kung Fu Hustle (2004) and the brutal grittiness of Gareth Evans' The Raid films. Thus, Twilight Warriors: Walled In does not disappoint with its entertaining action scenes. Did not expect the emotionally effective drama sequences, either. A good example is the brotherhood of Lok-kwan's inner circle: Shin (Terrance Lau), Twelfth Master (Tony Wu) and the masked AV (German Cheung). From playing mah jong to dispensing street justice to a prostitute killer, a tight bond is formed with the foursome, where they're willing to sacrifice themselves to prove it.

The film is superior to the average John Wick-core actioner, which has long outstayed its welcome. Of course, there is the potential of the comic book style combat being a turn off for some, but it more than makes sense considering it's based on an actual graphic novel. A rare win for comic book movies over the last few years.

Overall, Twilight Warriors: Walled In is a quality action film. Not only does it deliver an abundant amount of shit kicking, but it does it with resplendent glee. Apparently, there are another two films (one, a sequel; the other, a prequel) planned and this instalment has managed to get its hooks in, and left me willing to check them out too. Recommended.