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    The Raid 2

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

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    What do you mean you still haven’t seen “The Raid”?! That Indonesian masterpiece of a martial arts movie that’s so full of violence, tension and excitement that it will convert non-believers into martial arts fanatics? I ought to kick you in the face and then slam your forehead against a brick wall 4 or 5 times just for that, but the real reason you need to check it out is because of the release of the sequel “The Raid 2”. This is a true sequel, not just a rehash of the first movie. While it’s true that the film sacrifices wall-to-wall action to have a plot, what a plot this is! “The Raid 2” is filled with characters double crossing each other, escalating tensions between gangs, sequences of extreme martial arts action and check this out: actual character development. Once again, this is not just a rehash of “The Raid”. There is no actual “raid” in the film and the story is not confined to a small environment where the only objective is survival. Here, we have a real evolution of the story, where events from the first film become critical plot points, surviving characters return and we find a totally different kind of tension. This is a complex story with many different characters operating under their own agenda. Our hero Rama is hiding amongst wolves, hoping that he can take down the crime family or corrupt officials that would see him dead. Not only that, but his allegiances are tested when he finds himself in jail for far longer than he expected. There is constant tension throughout the film as you wonder if maybe the pressure of it all might be too much. Yes he loves his wife and son, but it’s been a really long time since they’ve seen each other and she doesn’t even know what kind of mission he’s on. What if she begins looking somewhere else for a father for her son, will that change how Rama feel about a mission that is putting his life in danger every day? Rama’s life already seems on the edge of disaster as a “regular” gangster. The people he has to deal with range from calm and collected but completely ruthless to borderline insane with bloodlust and greed. That’s just with the criminal organization he is infiltrating too. Just by being associated by Uco, the son of one of the two lead criminals in the city, he has made himself enemies. The friends he has made, well he’s planning on stabbing them in the back as soon as it’s convenient so he can’t even rely on them for protection. Then, we’ve got the other characters to deal with. Bejo, the self-made gangster who's presence is accelerating the impending gang war is actually kind of a likeable villain. He’s just so cool, calm and collected, even when about to witness or commit a murder. You can see why this guy has been rising in power because he is a very methodical criminal and he also employs a slew of really amazing, really memorable assassins. We’ll get to those in a bit. The last major players in the film are the heads of the criminal families, who are at odds with Uco. He’s is tired of being a guy that runs errands for his father. He wants his time to shine (which becomes all the more apparent whenever he interacts with Bejo) But what is it that could help accelerate his ascension to the throne of the empire he is destined to sit on, and what is he willing to do to make it happen? Finally, in a small but critical role we’ve got Bunawar. He’s the one that’s orchestrating by putting Rama undercover, but his help constantly risks putting the man in a situation he cannot escape from. As the movie continues and Rama gets more and more frustrated with what is going on, you start getting paranoid, wondering if there isn’t more to this character than a hard-hitting officer that wants to stamp out corruption. All of these character dynamics make for a thrilling story about betrayal, undercover cops, double-dealings and criminals rising to power. It would be enough to carry a film on its own (and it has in the past) but the real showcase of “The Raid 2” are the martial arts sequences and the violence. The first film did kind of feel like an excuse to tie in many elaborate scenes of the Indonesian martial art Pencak Silat and that isn’t so much the case here. Even though almost all of the action sequences feature characters using their fists or melee weapons in combat, it really is about the story and the tension of seeing these characters put in life-or-death situations. The deaths have more weight to them because you know that with every assassination or job gone wrong, there are going to be consequences. Characters die, and they die ugly in this film, mostly because Bejo employs three terrific assassins, one that uses a baseball bat (and baseball!) to kill people, a woman who uses two ordinary hammers and a third who uses curved daggers and his fists. These are the kinds of killers that don’t have much dialogue, character or personality, but stick with you because they fighting style and weapons are just so memorable. Think of Gogo Yubari (that girl with the ball and chain) from “Kill Bill Vol. 1”. You have not cringed at a human death until you have seen someone get a hammer imbedded in their skull or witness the spectacular stunts as that guy with the baseball ball dances around his opponents, beating them in the chest with the butt of the ball, twisting their limbs to the breaking point with the handle or caving in their skull with a two-armed swing. In some ways, this film cranks up the action and the martial arts because every fight feels like a new one. Characters are often caught unaware when they are attacked by legions of minions so they have to throw bottles or chairs at their assailants to slow them down or make do with the environment as a way to defend themselves. There must have been fifty times where the crowd I saw it with groaned or screamed in surprise during this film because the fights are so brutal. The fight choreography is nothing short of a masterpiece (I’m assuming that these fights were choreographed and that these people did not, in fact get repeatedly kicked in the face or chest) There is never a punch that doesn’t look like it didn’t land with full force, or a character who goes down that you think would probably be able to get up in a bit. The film uses some truly amazing camera work to capture it all too. We are treated with numerous long, elaborate shots where the camera man must have been jumping through windows and running at full-speed to catch all of the blocks, kicks and punches. The camera work is not just top-notch when it comes to the fights though; it’s actually a gorgeous film with many shots that show off some beautiful cinematography and imagery. Everything about this film feels like an escalation from the previous one because despite the fact that the amount of violence is not as high, the fights mean more and the film lasts 2 hours and 40 minutes so we actually get plenty of combat (including a really creative car chase/martial arts sequence) This is not the kind of movie you want to wait and see on Dvd or Blu-ray. It is best enjoyed with a large crowd, the more unsuspecting, the better. You will feel the excitement and tension in the air as the characters narrowly escape death (or don’t) with only their wits and martial arts training to help them. The loud groans and “Woah! S” you will hear from your fellow audience members will make you want to watch the film again and again because the film moves very quickly during its action sequences so every time you watch it, you’ll catch something new and find a new “favorite moment”. Rush out and see “The Raid 2”, which is solid on its own but even more satisfying if you’ve seen the first. (Original Indonesian with English subtitles, April 17, 2014)

    10
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    adamwatchesmovies@  19.4.2014 age: 26-35 2,866 reviews

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