#REVIEW FILM THE RAID 2 MOVIE#

And all are done with EvansвЂ™ already trademark style, which is to say, with great flourish. Still, thatвЂ™s a minor quibble for a film that has so much of everything for fans of action thrillers. (And as nice as it is to see martial artist/actor Yayan Ruhian, who played RedemptionвЂ™s diminutive baddie-so-bad-you-loved-to-hate-him, itвЂ™s confusing to see him in a different role here.) ItвЂ™s densely plotted to be sure, sometimes even a little murky and perplexing, especially for those who didnвЂ™t see the first film. However, he once again finds himself between a rock and a hard place: in the middle of what appears to be a gang war of sorts, between Bangun and Japanese Yakuza, which was set in motion by Uco. UcoвЂ™s father is Bangun (Tio Pakusodewo), who runs a good half of JakartaвЂ™s criminal enterprises.ДЄnd when Rama is finally released from incarceration, heвЂ™s offered a position within BangunвЂ™s organization. The hopes are, when Rama gets inside, heвЂ™ll befriend Uco (Arifin Putra), whoвЂ™s got connections. So heвЂ™s sent to prison for the beating of the son of a politically connected crook. An internal affairs police chief, Bunawar (Cok Simbara), promises to protect Rama and his family if heвЂ™ll help root out any remaining bad weeds within the force. Unfortunately for him, heвЂ™s made a lot of enemies by doing so, among both the criminal underworld and the more вЂњlegitimateвЂќ movers-and-shakers in Jakarta. Tough-as-nails, incorruptible rookie cop Rama (Uwais) has survived the ill-fated police raid on a gangster-infested high rise and brought down criminals and tainted police officials in the process. The simply titled Raid 2 Picks up the story shortly after the events seen in the first Raid (also known by its Redemption subtitle in the United States). ItвЂ™s definitely not boring, and, if nothing else, itвЂ™s fascinating to see the progression of two promising cinematic careers (those of Evans and star Iko Uwais), and to use the film as a thesis for where other movies may go with violent content in the future. If youвЂ™re able to withstand its extreme assault on your senses (at least visually), the thrilling, action-packed film is definitely worth a look.

#REVIEW FILM THE RAID 2 MOVIE#

Quentin TarantinoвЂ™s two Kill Bills are clearly referenced/homaged, as are the original Oldboy, the movies of Sam Peckinpah, the Infernal Affairs films (which served as the inspiration for Martin ScorseseвЂ™s The Departed) and the earlier Hong Kong thrillers made by John Woo, Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam (particularly the A Better Tomorrow movie trilogy). If anything, filmmaker Gareth Evans is simply escalating the violence as a sort of вЂњtributeвЂќ to earlier movie predecessors. Now, thatвЂ™s meant not to come down on the film for showing violence in several forms, or in such graphic detail. All of its ultra-violent content is preserved for posterity and for general consumption.

After all, if any film were to receive the MPAAвЂ™s so-called вЂњrating of doomвЂќ it would be for this martial-arts/action-thriller in which blood splatters, heads explode and bones break with such a sickening crunch вЂ“ and in such graphic fashion - that it may test even the stomachs of the most hardened action and violence fans.Д«y the way, as ridiculous and hypocritical as it may sound, the only footage removed from the earlier, unrated cut of the film shown at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival for this вЂњwider,вЂќ R-rated theatrical release (which has gone from 150 minutes to 148 minutes in the process) was strictly sexual in nature. The Raid 2 makes a strong case that itвЂ™s no longer possible for a film to get an NC-17 rating based on violence alone.

Review film the raid 2