Like a lot of you who read this site, my wheelhouse is action movies, martial arts flicks in particular. Joe Taslim has been on my radar for a long time, for delivering incredible, bone-crunching performances in everything including The Raid, The Raid 2, The Night Comes for Us, Fast & Furious 6, and Mortal Kombat. He’s been part of some of the biggest and best action franchises in history, but he really comes into his own in The Furious, which I’ve been saying since its world premiere last year is the best martial arts movie since The Raid 2.
Look, I could rave about The Furious some more, but you know where to find my review. Taslim brings his extensive judo experience and dramatic skills to the role of Navin, a grieving journalist trying to track down his missing wife, a journalist who disappeared while investigating human traffickers. He joins up with enraged father Wang Wei who is bent on destroying the criminal syndicate that has kidnapped his daughter.
After speaking with director Kenji Tanigaki last week (which you can find here), I was lucky to spend a few minutes talking with Joe Taslim, as well. We talked about his martial arts and athletic background, and how it kept him prepared for the intense physicality of The Furious. We also talked about how the film is elevated by its emotional heart and grounded story, which informs the incredible, breathtaking fights.
The Furious is in theaters now. Check out the interview below.
