For those who saw The Raid 1, you may be pleased to know that our protagonist, Rama, is back in all his glory. You may also be pleased to know that director Gareth Evans' follow-up film has a little more plot (convoluted though it may be), without skimping on the action.
Rama (Iko Uwais) returns from the raid in the film's predecessor, only to find that he has been assigned to another mission: to go undercover and expose the corrupt cops who are being paid off by a nearby gang. He does this by being thrown in jail for two years with the gang leader's son, Ucok (Arifin Putra), who takes him in after they are released. Ucok's greed and pride rears its head as he tries to gain more power within the gang and gets resistance from his father, Bangun. The gang has a peace agreement with a local Japanese family, but when a mishap with a friend of the family occurs by this family's hands, Ucok begins to play his own game, secretly meeting with Bejo, another crimelord who is willing to give Ucok the time of day. Amidst this mess, Rama must keep his cover while helping Ucok and Bangun out at the same time.
There are a few minor details reflecting poorly on The Raid 2 -- like the fact that Rama's wife and child are, again, simply plot devices to make you sympathize with Rama, or the fact that many scenes could have been trimmed down, and characters eliminated, to create a 2-hour film instead of 2.5 hours. But overall, The Raid 2 is meant to be fun and action packed, and it delivers in that regard. Focusing more on hand-to-hand combat than The Raid 1 did (nearly every character had a machete in the predecessor), the film boasts phenomenal Silat fight choreography, and some really creative fight scenarios as well (I never thought I'd see martial arts in the back of a car). We see some old faces with Uwais and with Yayan Ruhian, probably my favorite callback who plays an assassin just trying to see his kid. We also meet some new, kick-ass baddies: Baseball Bat Man and Hammer Girl (played by Very Tri Yulisman and Julie Estelle). I'm just going to let those names sink in and let you see for yourself.
This film is not for the faint of heart: Evans even said that the beauty of the violence in this film is that it does make you cringe, instead of some action films that make death seem like a video game... the violence in The Raid 2 is brutal, and that's the point. But that still doesn't hinder you from appreciating the techniques and artistry that flows through the mass destruction that occurs on screen.
Definitely worth the watch for martial arts fans young and old. Come check it out this week at the Midtown Cinema!
I agree, this is a must see for action and martial arts fan. I've been reading a lot of negative reviews about this movie and I don't see how anyone can be disappointed with the sheer amount of fighting and action! What I'm tired of seeing in modern day action films is all of the cutscenes to give an illusion of actual fighting. Cut cut cut! I'm getting dizzy from all the Hollywood fighting. This movie was awesome. The fighting was intense, non-stop, and I can actually SEE what was happening. Instead of the illusion of punches, I got real punches! Real enough for me. Great movie.
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