If you call yourself a martial arts connoisseur, the name Joe Taslim should instantly cause your adrenaline to spike. The man has spent over a decade delivering some of the most electrifying physical performances in modern cinema history. He froze the competition as Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat. He tore up the tarmac in Fast & Furious 6. And he impressed us as Li Yong in the absolutely magnificent action series “Warrior” ( Netflix and Max).
However, before he became a cinematic icon, Taslim was a world-class professional Judo athlete. He collected gold medals at national and Asian championships. Now, he’s translating that elite, real-world mastery into what is officially tracking as the action movie of the summer: The Furious.
To celebrate the upcoming theatrical carnage, we caught up with Taslim for an exclusive interview. We discussed the film’s relentless choreography, the heavy emotional weight driving the story, and more.
A Double-Barrel Shot of Righteous Vengeance
What truly elevates The Furious above the standard summer blockbuster is its massive beating heart. The narrative framework pairs two of the screen’s most lethal physical talents for a deeply personal rescue mission:
Taslim plays Navin, a relentless, grief-stricken investigative journalist who is entirely desperate to find his wife after she mysteriously vanishes. Navin’s path of destruction crosses wires with Wang Wei, an ordinary guy whose young daughter was snatched by the same syndicate.
Refusing to let their families become statistics, this lethal duo forms an unstoppable alliance. Their joint assignment? Tear the city’s criminal underworld apart piece by piece. Break every single bone in their path, and leave an absolute stack of bodies in their wake until their loved ones are safe.
Watch the Exclusive Interview Now!
In our interview, Taslim dives deep into the physical preparation required to match the vision of legendary director Kenji Tanigaki and producer Bill Kong. He also opens up about the brotherhood he formed with co-star Xie Miao, and how they managed to keep the characters’ raw, emotional desperation grounded amid a nonstop barrage of battles.
Check out our exclusive interview below, as well as our interview with his co-star Xie Miao. Grab your tickets immediately, and prepare for a pure, unadulterated adrenaline shot when The Furious unleashes absolute hell in theaters this Friday, June 12!
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