THE RAID 2 - Review

The Raid 2


Martial Arts Action/Crime, 2014
2 hours, 30 minutes
Written, Directed and Edited by Gareth Evans
Rated R for "sequences of strong bloody violence throughout, sexuality and language"

Starring 
Iko Uwais
Arifin Putra
Oka Antara
Tio Pakusadewo
Alex Abbad
Julie Estelle
Ryuhei Matsuda
Kenichi Endo
Kazuki Kitamura

"Bring back the ball."

There's always a demand for high-octane action movies in Hollywood, but these are usually hit-or-miss. Many of these are either remakes or sequels, and can be artistically unnecessary. The reason people keep making these? It sells. Yet audiences aren't quite as dumb as big-wig executives think. Occasionally, a foreign film will trickle into the American market, and audiences will take notice. One of these films, The Raid: Redemption, totally floored audiences and critics alike. The movie was known for its pristine fight scenes and mastery in editing and cinematography. Surprisingly, The Raid 2 surpasses the first film in every way possible. It is not only a stellar action film, but also a gripping and expansive crime story.

The Raid 2 takes place immediately following the first film. Rookie SWAT agent Rama (Iko Uwais) is debriefed by an offer named Bunawar (Cok Simbara) who asks Rama to become an undercover cop. Rama agrees, and is sent to prison to get close to Uco (Arifin Putra), the son of a powerful crime lord. After spending two years in prison together, they are released. Rama is given a job with Uco's father, Bangun (Tio Pakusadewo) as muscle while providing information to Bunawar. It isn't until Uco forms a secret alliance with rising gangster Bejo (Alex Abbad) that the crime families begin to crumble. Rama finds himself caught in the center between his boss and his friend, and must fight his way out in order to survive.

The Raid 2 is tremendously different from its predecessor. Aside from being almost an hour longer than the first film, the story is deeper and the stakes are raised. While the first film took place over the course of a few hours in a single location, the sequel takes place over several months and has a wide array of characters and plot threads. Most action sequels have to go bigger to top the predecessor, but jump that The Raid 2 makes is highly impressive. There are tons of twists, turns, and highly intense action sequences.

And holy crap, is the action awesome. The violence is spread across several set-piece battles, each covering the basics, but with a twist. The basics range from car chases, gunfights, and unbelievable fistfights. The twists, however, come from the cast of characters. In one scene, we meet Baseball Bat Man (Very Tri Yulisman), a young kid who fights using, well, a baseball bat and ball. His sister is Hammer Girl (Julie Estelle), an assassin who uses two claw hammers to dispatch opponents in a rather bloody fashion. While these might sound a little generic, there are more than enough "holy shit" moments to be found throughout their fights. Aside from just these two characters, everyone has their time to shine. The final fight in particular is easily one of the finest fight scenes in film history, which, if you ask me, is a pretty bold claim... but I stand by it.

Most action movies consist of fast-paced editing and shaky cinematography. Films like The Bourne Ultimatum suffer from this, and while that isn't the mark of a bad movie (I really fucking love the Bourne Trilogy), this can be a major drawback for some. This is what makes both Raid films so special: the film is shot and edited for the specific martial art, known as "pencak silat." Every single movement is caught on camera and is clearly visible from start to finish. Gareth Evans, who edited the film, allows every moment to last longer than we are accustomed to. In a typical action movie, a fury of punches might span several cuts, but Evans allows dozens of movements within a single uncut shot, which shows off the beautiful choreography.

It's almost impossible to count the flaws in The Raid 2. Character development might be a little thin, but that's a nitpick for a film like this. It might run a little long, but oddly enough, it never feels too long. It ends on a bit of an open note, but that just sets it up for a third film (which is currently in development). Some of the twists might be a little predictable, but the storytelling mechanics keep it shocking nonetheless. This movie is just too fucking good. It isn't just one of the best movies of the year so far, but easily one of the best sequels of all time.

Usually I write a lovely conclusion that sums up the film, but I don't think I need to. You just gotta see this movie. You just gotta see this movie. 

9.8/10

GODZILLA (2014) - Review

Godzilla (2014)

Action Adventure, 2014
2 hours, 3 minutes
Written by Max Borenstein
Directed by Gareth Edwards
Rated PG-13 for "intense sequences of destruction, mayhem and creature violence"

Starring
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Ken Wanatabe
Elizabeth Olsen
Bryan Cranston
Sally Hawkins
David Stratharin
Juliette Binoche
Carson Bolde


"Let them fight."

Since 1954, Godzilla has been considered to be the greatest monster in all of cinema. The creature has appeared in nearly 30 films throughout the years, and he keeps growing bigger with each reappearance. Although the King of the Monsters has been on hiatus for several years, director Gareth Edwards' aptly named Godzilla breathes new fire to the franchise.

The film begins in Japan, 1999. Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston), a power plant employee, discovers strange tremor patterns in an earthquake that destroys the plant, the accident killing his wife (Juliette Binchoe). Fifteen years later, Joe's son Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kick-Ass) is an explosives expert for the military. Joe, who still lives in Japan, is convinced that the disaster 15 years prior was a coverup for something bigger. Ford meets him in Japan to uncover the mystery. Once there, they meet Ishiro Serizawa (Ken Wanatabe), a scientist who reveals they are covering up a gigantic monster egg that feeds on radiation. The monster, dubbed the Muto, hatches and causes havoc around the world. Soon after, Godzilla, who Serizawa calls, "the Alpha Predator," appears to hunt the Muto. Soon after, a second Muto appears. The military plans to use a nuclear bomb to lure the creatures to a single point where they will duke it out.

Monster movie fanatics will definitely get their kicks here. The highlights are definitely the battles between the Mutos and Godzilla. Special effects have come a long way from a guy in a rubber costume stomping around a small model of a major metropolitan city. The monsters look gorgeous. Even the sound design was stellar and noticeably strong, a particular note I find to be uncommon when discussing films. The visual and sound teams on this movie have really outdone themselves. The cinematography is is standard fare, but it somehow ramps up in the final battle of the film. From the moment the paratroopers make that jump (as shown in the trailer and some posters), the visuals take it all the way to 11, with brilliant shot composition and lighting effects. It's a very memorable experience. 

It should also be noted that the monsters are huge. Like, HUGE. No, huge is too generic of a word. Let's try GARGANTUAN or COLOSSAL or MOUNTAINOUS. One of the first shots of Godzilla is actually just a shot of his spiky back. In this scene, a few soldiers are standing on top of a hotel in Hawaii. The Muto creature has already arrived. The soldiers fire red flares into the air. We watch them float through the air and over Godzilla's immense, spiky back. It's just his back. And that's the first glimpse you get of the big guy. It's an impressive shot that showcases just how fucking big he is. 

But the movie isn't just about monsters, it's about the people. Although there has been some debate about this, I found the family dynamic to be compelling. Sure, Ford and his wife, Elle (Elizabeth Olsen) have a very basic relationship as far as films go, I bought it. They don't share a lot of screen time, but I felt deeply sympathetic for both her and Ford as they desperately worked to reunite with their son. It's not anything to cry over and it certainly didn't redefine anything, but it's believable. And in the end, isn't that what's important?

Godzilla might be fucking awesome, but it definitely isn't perfect. The film has a tendency to lag a bit. The first monster doesn't show up until maybe 40 minutes in and Godzilla himself doesn't show up until maybe just after the one hour mark. In addition, Bryan Cranston, who steals the show early on, is only in the first half of the film. Cranston builds a compelling character and boasts a great performance, but he doesn't have as much screen time as he should. 

Overall, Godzilla is a solid monster movie with a compelling, if not original, human element. The visuals are strong all throughout the film and there are a few strong twists along the way. It's a fantastic way to kick off the summer blockbuster season. 

9/10

I'M BACK! - A brief update on my hiatus

HELLOOOOOO!!!

Long time no see! I think that this is the longest hiatus I've taken from posting. It's been TWO FREAKIN MONTHS since I've written here, so give me a chance to explain. It's for a good reason, I swear. 

About six weeks ago, I got a text from a good friend informing about an opening for a job at Columbia College Chicago's newspaper, The Columbia Chronicle. The Chronicle is America's #1 non-daily college newspaper. It's true because it says so on their business cards. Plus, they have a TON of award plaques hanging in the waiting room. That shit straight up lines the walls.

The open position in question was for a new FILM CRITIC so I threw my hat in the ring with this blog LITERALLY being my only qualification. Within 24 hours after getting the text from my friend, I had sent an email to the associate editor, booked an interview, and was commissioned to write a review of Captain America: The Winter Soldier for the following week's paper. 

I felt like Jeremy Lin - from D-League to hitting jump-shots over Kobe Bryant in no time at all. It was unreal.

Although my articles in the Chronicle don't read quite like they do here, they are professionally written and published, which is far more impressive than this blog. That being said, editing at the Chronicle is far more intense (and surprisingly fun) than editing here... which is practically nonexistent. They're just two totally different beasts. 

It was a phenomenal five weeks of writing and hopefully I'll be back to it again in the fall, but now that it's summer... BACK TO THE BLOG!

So yeah, the reason I haven't written here in two months is because I've been writing for the newspaper, which takes a huge chunk of my time. Now that it's summer, I'm back to my mostly usual shenanigans here at Weitzel Talks About Movies, which is going to get a makeover when I have some free time. 

Once school ends in the next few days, I'll be doing regular postings when I see movies. Because this blog is kind of getting a reboot, I'll be changing up my signature "no-bullshit" writing style to a hybrid of my Chronicle writings to my blog writings. 

We'll see how it works... and that's the end of the update. 

I can't wait to get back to writing my usual reviews. It's been great working at the Chronicle and I hope to work for them in the fall, but for now, let's have some good 'ol fashioned Weitzel-style fun. 

See you guys at the movies, 

- Josh R. Weitzel