Starring: Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Donny Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhian, Pierre Gruno, Tegar Setrya, and Ray Sahetapy
The world of movies has turned on its head this weekend. For once, the big blockbuster of the weekend is one for the ladies, while the indie is more so for the guys. As I mentioned in my review of The Hunger Games, the film is a rich story with limited action. Though it's a great movie, The Hunger Games has inherently more appeal to women. Well guys, there's a way for you to get your action fix this weekend. Check out The Raid: Redemption.
Tama Riyadi (Ray Sahetapy) is a ruthless drug lord who runs an apartment complex in Jakarta that serves as a sanctuary for some of the world's most lethal criminals. Ready to end this madness, Lieutenant Wahyu (Pierre Gruno) orders a raid of Tama's complex. Alongside Sergeant Jaka (Joe Taslim) and a SWAT team of rookies, the lieutenant raids the building. Unfortunately, Tama was ready for them and kicks their asses. With his unrelenting hitman Mad Dog (Yayan Ruhian) and the brains of his business Andi (Donny Alamsyah), Tama unleashes hell on these cops. There's just one person he didn't anticipate entering the building—Rama (Iko Uwais). This rookie cop is a lean, mean fighting machine who won't hesitate to open up a can of whoopass on Tama's henchmen and residents. Rama tirelessly fights to survive so that he can get back to his wife and unborn child in one piece.
The Raid: Redemption is not your typical action flick. It's unapologetically brutal and bloody. Director Gareth Evans has put something really special together here. The film has high quality action that you don't get in your everyday movie. It delivers a nonstop adrenaline rush that will leave you completely satisfied. This movie is every action junkie's wet dream.
This Indonesian film starts out with gunfights at first but slowly transitions into elaborate fight sequences highlighted by hand-to-hand combat. As Mad Dog says in the movie, "Squeezing a trigger? That's like ordering takeout". There are plenty of movies with shootouts. Uwais and Ruhian put their guns down and do something original here. They choreograph and execute some of the most amazing fight sequences I've seen in years. With firearms out of the picture, the actors show off their abilities in the martial art known as Pencak Silat, and it's something truly beautiful to behold.
The Raid: Redemption doesn't have a terribly engrossing story. What it does have is some awesome action that totally makes up for this. Gareth Evans knows what kind of movie this is and doesn't try to make it anything other than that. At most you'll need some wine coolers to enjoy this flick. The Raid: Redemption gets a 0.03% rating.
