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Plot

A squad of police officers decides to perform a raid inside a structure where the city's worst wanted criminals are hiding up, but the operation quickly devolves into a massacre. The lawmen advance from floor to floor, facing increasingly tougher foes until they reach the final enemy, just like in a tier-based video game.

Despite the conflict, Sergeant Jaka makes an effort to track down his brother, the deadly right-hand man of the boss who controls the safe house.

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Why you should watch it?

I have always been a lover of action films since I was a child. I grew up with the films of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Steven Seagal, Jet Li etc. And I must admit that I am quite used to the 'poor quality' in terms of both plot and acting, excluding the actual fighting part (for some of these films at least), and I never have too many demands when I start watching one. And I have to admit that no matter how much the plot is the same every time (someone or something provokes the hero of the day, who of course is underestimated by everyone, but actually turns out to be a war machine who in the end beats the crap out of everyone in front of him), I still manage to enjoy this kind of film every time. The Raid fits into this context of martial arts/action films with a flying kick and is quite different from other films in the genre.

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The Raid is a good example of low-budget filmmaking that compensates for its lack of resources with creativity. It is pure choreographic pleasure, sustained by the frenetic rhythm of the fights that literally clog the space and take advantage of it in new and bold ways. Deafening due to the invasive sound design that marks the constant bombardment of blows and ironic due to excess (the improvised escape routes like the use of a refrigerator as a homemade bomb). For almost two hours of the movie, good guys and bad guys beat the crap out of one another. Every kind of weapon—from a machete to a sharpened light bulb—is used to kill. The hand-to-hand fighting in the Silat tradition continues with levers and broken joints, immersing us in a swirling crescendo of violence that never takes itself seriously.

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The (few) linking sequences are as well taken care of as the action ones, and there is a coherent plot structure. There is also a modest attempt made to make sense of everything that occurs. With various clever touches that heighten the tension as well as the spectacle, the direction is balanced and far from crass. There are some intriguing cues, like the corridor where 18 thugs are knocked out, and the surrealistic flair with which the action passes through that corridor three or four times during the course of the movie, and the 18 are still there, lying and huddled like zombies, between those who are out of action for good and those who are still writhing in pain.

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Finally, there are the two crucial elements, which were anticipated from the start and which Western films can never possess. "Absolute lack of union insurance regulations" and "stuntmen with no fear of dying" are two terms used to describe these situations. The Raid is packed with people who are seriously harmed. There are bloody shootouts, but there are also bare-knuckle battles with knives and machetes, broken windows and walls, people headbutting broken tiles, jumping into nothingness, and beatings that hurt the next day just remembering them. There are several sequences that you can't comprehend how they could have been shot without someone deciding in advance to break many bones given the lack of CGI.

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Conclusion

The Raid: Redemption ends up being a nearly flawless action film, packed with unforgettable action sequences and a steady intensity that keeps the audience riveted until the final credits roll. Iko Uwais and his silat have an electrifying magnetic force that leaves no one unaffected, and the movie also has the benefit of introducing a possible new star in the genre.

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Rating

My personal vote is:

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8.0/10

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