"The Raid: Redemption" Review

"The Raid: Redemption"

Directed by Gareth Evans

Starring Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Yayan Ruhain, Donny Alamsyah, Ray Sahetapy

 

RATING

9/10

So I've never had a heart attack watching a film, even in the horror genre, and probably never will. But I applaud this film for bringing me quite close to one. "The Raid: Redemption" is a high-octane martial arts film directed by Gareth Evans... and it kicks ass. The electric and mindblowing Red Band trailer sold me on what was to come. I have never seen an action flick with this much ballsy violence since... well, it's never happened.

 

The films premise is quite straight-forward... a police task force is sent to an apartment complex overrun by gangsters and drugs with one objective in mind; to take out the gang leader, Tama, and cleanse the building of its hoodrats with a swift raid. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned and they are trapped in the building with an army of gangsters and thugs ready to slaughter them. Amongst the task force is a rookie member named Rama, a proud soon-to-be father who has his own hidden agenda for the operation.

 

Straight off the bat, the film is a blast. Maybe the first two minutes set up the character of Rama, but after that, it's essentially one big action sequence. And that is why it's one of the most original and best films of 2012. It's the perfect action film that also has quite a bit of heart. The fight choreography is insanely mindblowing. It almost trumps the fluid motion of "The Matrix" in some aspects of the fights, and delivers wave after wave of innovative and eye-popping action. The outbursts of violence is just astounding to witness, and really makes you appreciate the unapologetic and ballsy nature of the director, who throws in some incredibly heavy violence in between the fights. People get shot in the face up-close, heads are impalled on broken doors, limbs are severed, faces kicked clean into the skull, bodies are twisted and bent in two, and necks are sliced wide open. The scary and awesome thing is, that's not even touching the surface. Another thing that I loved is that there was a surprising lack of shaky-cam. As you know, I'm not a fan of it. I really despise shaky-cam action because it's distracting, cheap and offers no thrills other than sore eyes ("The Bourne Ultimatum" is the only exception here). But "The Raid: Redemption" has none of that, and the camera is very static amidst the mutilation, bullet rain, and fists flying everywhere. The action is focused, therefore the intensity is amplified and the hits delivered are brutally realistic. It goes to show how superior steady-cam is. The characters here are very likable, too, particularly our main protagonist, Rama, and the task force leader, Jaka, who for some reason reminds me of Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park (we'll get to that just now). They're the two guys you're rooting for throughout the film, and it's easy to get on their side because they both fight for a cause that's different and offers a wider range of character development (which, the film thankfully has). The score is also fantastic, which was done by... *drum roll*... Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park. It's hip-hop and urban production is really effective and surprisingly blends into the action like clockwork.

 

However, when the action decides to slow down, it opens up for some interesting character moments... depending on what you want out of the film. Some may find these moments like a speed-bump in the films pace, but I found the emotional connections between Rama and a member of Tama's gang, who happens to be Rama's long lost brother, to be quite fulfilling and necessary for the climax. I can see why people wouldn't like it, but I personally like some meat on my characters regardless of how brilliant the action is. My only gripe is that the action reaches a high point near the ending, and it becomes a bit tiresome. Your brain pretty much goes into neutral mode when the mindblowing fights... well, can't blow any much more of your mind. It's a minor flaw, though it does detract a bit from the experience.

 

Overall, "The Raid: Redemption" is a wildly thrilling, innovative, and balls-to-the-walls action film that never gives up and never lets down its visceral impact. Featuring some solid direction, an abundance of stunning action sequences and violence, and an emotional core, it's a bloody intense, rewarding experience unlike anything you've ever seen in your life.