The Furious
"Who are you, really?"
Hong Kong was once at the forefront of action cinema the world over. While the 80s were a time of maximalist, muscular blockbusters flooding out of the United States, the East Asian city (then a British colony) punched well above its weight. Following the work done by Bruce Lee and the Shaw Brothers to soften the international ground in the 70s, audiences could expect some of the best action set pieces they'd ever seen. Sure, Hollywood films had guns and explosions (and production value). But you haven't lived until you've seen a stunt so crazy that the director shows it to you three times from three angles. Owing to their speed, playfulness, and innovation, they remain impressive to watch, even out of context. That's fortunate, as narratives were never their strong suit, which they made up for by leaning into their inherent silliness. And even once they started exporting talent, mainstream American films wouldn't catch up until John Wick, decades past their heyday.
While Hong Kong never stopped making martial arts films, as the 90s came to a close, they struggled to overcome their increasing budgetary disadvantage. In the following years, their successes came in other genres, and then slowly faded from the international scene altogether, only generating buzz on occasion, and often relegated to the arthouse or cult crowds. Their film industry became a bit of bar trivia in the West: "Name the movie that Best Picture winner The Departed was based on."
It feels like The Furious is a bid to reclaim their crown.
Read my full review on Pop Culture Maniacs.