Movie Review: The Raid: Redemption
The Raid: Redemption is one of the best action movies of all time. From its opening scene, where the frantic ticking of a watch establishes the intensity of a morning workout, to its closing sequence where celebratory music sets the tone for slow motion strutting, this film by writer/director Gareth Evans is a thrilling ride. There are two main aspects that make so gripping: the picture’s premise and its production prowess.
The movie’s setup is simple, yet it allows numerous opportunities for tension. In The Raid: Redemption, a SWAT team is ordered to take down Jakarta’s most brutal crime lord, who is holed up in a huge apartment building. Their task is to conquer the structure floor by floor, until they oust the kingpin, but to do that they have to get past an army of baddies willing to assassinate any intruders. Putting the cops inside a building with violent goons lurking behind every door creates a constant sense of claustrophobia. The situation becomes even more frightening once the SWAT team gets pinned down without backup. As a result, you’ll spend the remainder of the movie in a state of anxiety over whether anyone will make it out alive.
In addition to the suspense Evans crafts with his film’s premise, he also captivates you with his technical skills. He uses excellent editing, fierce music, and superb choreography to put you on the edge of your seat. There’s just the right mix of gunplay, hand-to-hand combat, and slow motion to keep the action from becoming repetitive. What’s impressive is that everything is easy to see, even during the most complex sequences. Plus, Evans continues escalating the intensity of his action until he culminates with an amazing two-on-one brawl that deserves to go down as one of cinema’s most memorable showdowns.
While The Raid: Redemption doesn’t have any major weaknesses, it definitely has some in regard to its story and its character moments. First, the picture falters in fleshing out what a corrupt police lieutenant hopes to gain from leading this assault against this crime lord. Second, it stumbles with the relationship between the henchman Andi (Doni Alamsyah) and the cop Rama (Iko Uwais). Evans could have given you more drama to play with if he had introduced the fact that they’re brothers earlier. Finally, when Evans does focus on these quieter character moments, their slow pace throws the movie’s rhythm off.
Despite the film’s few missteps though, the skill with which Evans has crafted The Raid: Redemption ensures that the picture quickly regains its footing to hold your attention until its climactic conclusion. With word on the street that The Raid 2 ups the ante significantly, I can’t wait to catch the sequel and see if it lives up to the hype.
✮✮✮✮ 1/2
It is incredibly difficult to find worthwhile martial arts movies – those with great fights and storyline. Most have only one and are usually bad. Only rare examples like Bessons “Unleashed” pop up less than once a decade.
The Raid Redemption is the best martial arts movie I’ve seen to date. Glad to see it got 4.5 stars.