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
No comments:
Post a Comment