Genghis Khan was the first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. He united the largely nomadic tribes of Mongolia in the early 13th century to create what would eventually become, under his successors, the largest contiguous empire in history. Its fragmentation fifty years later led to the rise of the Golden Horde who would go on to control much of modern-day Russia. This is the backdrop to Ivan Shurkhovetskiy new film Furious, which tells a Medieval military tale.
The Golden Horde under Batu Khan (Aleksandr Choi) are ransacking and pillaging their way across Russia. Their progression seems unstoppable until they reach the city of Riazan. As the Emperor’s vast army surrounds the fortress, Prince Yury (Aleksei Serebryakov) sends his son (Ilya Antonenko) along with a contingent of soldiers led by Evpaty Kolovrat (Ilya Malakov) to negotiate peace. When Prince Fedor is slain, Kolovrat returns to the city to discover it has been sacked. He leads a small band intent on revenge.
Furious is a historical action film which tells The Tale of the Destruction of Riazan with style and panache. As you’d expect, there are huge battles and lots of great set-pieces. All accompanied by a propulsive soundtrack by System of a Down’s Serj Tankian. At almost two hours long, it really zips by. Whilst the character building and acting is fine, it’s the gorgeous backdrops and beautifully choreographed fight sequences where it excels. Furious is an epic worthy of the name.
Artic is released on DVD and Digital by Signature Entertainment on 29 April.
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