 |
| 'The Raid' is an amazing movie! |
The Raid (also known as The Raid: Redemption) is an Indonesian action/thriller/martial arts film released in 2011. It stars Iko Uwais, Donny Alamsyah, Joe Taslim, Iang Darmawan, Yayan Ruhian, and Ray Sahetapy. Gareth Evans wrote, directed, and edited the film, with Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian responsible for the stunts and fight choreography.
In The Raid, Iko Uwais plays Rama, a rookie cop on an elite task force on a mission to raid an apartment complex owned by crime boss Tama Riyadi (played by Sahetapy) to arrest him. Rama is a good Muslim man with a wife and a child on the way. Sergeant Jaka (played by Taslim) and Lieutenant Wahyu (played by Pierre Gruno) lead a 20-man team into the complex. Outside the apartment complex they meet a tenant (played by Darmawan) who just wants to get inside to tend to his sick wife. Rama has mercy on him and protects him as they make their way in. Of course, Lt. Wahyu ruins everything and puts the whole squad in danger. The movie becomes a fight for survival for Rama and his squadmates as they take on murderous thugs and Mad Dog (played by Ruhian), a relentless, vicious fighting machine.
This movie is intense! It is dark, brooding, and and tense to the max. There are many tense scenes. The cinematography is dark, desaturated, and gritty, making it feel like you are seeing one of the worst places on Earth. There is some creative editing in this film as well, especially during the fight scenes. The music is good, fitting for the film but not exactly memorable. It is a well-made film; Gareth Evans knows what he is doing.
The action in this movie is next level. Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, and Gareth Evans do a fantastic job showcasing the Indonesian martial art of Pencak silat. The moves are fast, hard-hitting, and brutal. It is a joy to see Rama wreck fools with his martial art! All of the action scenes are good in this. All of them offer something different and unique. My favorite fight scene is the one that takes place in a narcotics lab. Rama, Dagu, and Lt. Wahyu kick some major butt in that one! Of course, the final fight against Mad Dog is intense. Mad Dog is an unstoppable fighting machine! Yayan Ruhian is the man in this movie; he is a martial arts monster! Rama has to go to extreme measures to put down the Mad Dog! The choreography in this movie is great. There are some creative camera angles and cuts to make the action scenes that much more thrilling. Just great stuff!
So, should you see The Raid? The answer is YES! If you've never seen it, make plans to watch it right now (or at least, until after you read this review). The plot is simple, but there is enough tension, action, and character arcs to keep you interested. This is a movie for action movie enthusiasts! As much as I love The Raid, I think the sequel blows it out of the water...
 |
| The cover of the Blu-Ray I watched for this review. |
 |
| Back cover of the Blu-Ray. |
 |
| The disc. We get a free action scene inside the case, how nice! |
Reviewed by David Williams
No comments:
Post a Comment