THE RAID: REDEMPTION (2012)
Starring Iko Uwais, Ananda George,and Ray Sahetapy
I haven't been this excited over an action film that was not Comic book related in a long time. When I first heard about The Raid, I wondered if the pictures in my mind, would match up to what was actually filmed. When I first saw the red band trailer, my mind's mental images were beaten up and shot dead in their tracks. A movie that combined martial arts with gunplay, in the spirit of the underrated era of kung Fu movies in the 80's. But instead of Cynthia Rothrock we have the awesome Iko Uwais which if you have seen his previous collaboration with Director Gareth Evans (Check out “Merantau”), you will know that this is gonna be a fun ride. Before I get into how I felt about this movie lemme run down the plot real quick.
A team of cops are about to raid the building of a notorious crime boss that is entirely inhabited by killers on each floor, but there seems to be more behind it than just a simple tag and bag.
Yup that’s it, the entire plot summed up in a few sentences, which if you ask me is what an action movie should be, and not everything needs to be a slow paced story with a huge 3 hour storyline. This is something that is a love letter to both the genre of Action as well as it's fellow fans.
This movie was a huge “Picnic Basket” full of ass kicking goodies. You got elbows, knees and throws that are so painfully realistic looking. No wire work, no flying in the air, nothing that Hollywood has beaten to death. I will say this, if you are looking for a different style vs. another then you will be disappointed, but if you know the country and that it is the fighting style to know there, you will enjoy what this movie has to offer. You will see some of the sickest kills in fighting history. From broken door frames, to machete gangs, to simply being chucked over the side of a rail!
The characters are all different in their own way, you have the hero who knows the difference from right and wrong but has no trouble killing, and the villain is not a sharped dressed man. It is a dude who says to the world “I don't give a damn what you think about my style, I can eat ramen while shooting you in the head and still be respected."
The direction is a clear display of someone who watched their share of GOOD kung Fu movies. No close up shaky cam stuff that we are being force fed, it's the right amount of framing and the right cuts at the right moments. Yes the action is fast paced but the camera man can keep up with the action. I was in a theater with a crowd who knew how to react and this just added to the violence on display. You will say “OOH” on instinct thanks to the direction and editing.
The soundtrack is an element of its own; I am not a Linkin Park fan AT ALL (Yes even the Hybrid Theory years ((Band not album)). But I give props to Mike Shinoda for seriously providing the best action soundtrack to a beat em up, without having to resort to your typical random usage of Lapdance by N.E.R.D., or Bodies by Drowning Pool. (Dis-honorable mention “Hoobastank” ((Anything by them))). But I haven't wanted to make a playlist for my video games with a modern movie soundtrack in a long time.
With all that said, you will love the final fight of the movie. You will seriously have to pick the people you root for, but despite your decision you will want to stand up and applaud the fighters for putting on a great and bruising fight.
So do I think you should see The Raid: Redemption? Yes, but only if you crave something different, something brutal and something very exciting. But if you don't like subtitles, and non-American leads, then I will suggest this, open your damn mind cause you are missing out!
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