Review by Stephanie Scaife
So, The Raid 2 is finally here and Gareth Evans, the unsuspecting Welshman has yet again delivered one of the very best hyper-violent martial arts movies that you’re ever likely to see. First things first; if you were not a fan of The Raid then there is nothing for you here… but on the other hand if you are a fan (and I am) then there is a lot to love about the sequel. It’s more ambitious, it clearly has a considerably bigger budget and it’s even more violent than its predecessor; if you thought that wasn’t possible then just you wait and see!
If you haven’t seen the first film then you’ll undoubtedly be confused as this picks up minutes after the ending of the The Raid. Rama (Iko Uwais) and his brother are picked up by a secret police faction who weed out bent coppers; they want him on side, as although only a rookie he has more than proved himself to be quite the force to be reckoned with. Without giving him much choice in the matter Rama is incarcerated under the alias of a known, yet off the radar criminal. His mission is to befriend Uco (Arifin Putra), the son of a local crime lord, and upon release work undercover to infiltrate the crime syndicate and witness police corruption first hand. It’s altogether far more convoluted than that, but really who cares about the plot? This is The Raid after all, and what the audience wants is insane amounts of violence and ass-kicking and that’s more or less what you get (just with some talking inbetween).
The set pieces are something to behold, carefully choreographed to within an inch of their lives; Evans is a master of detail and nothing is overlooked. Standout moments for me included a mud soaked prison yard brawl that is every bit as exhilarating and outright bonkers as you’d expect, a night club scene that truly beggars belief for sheer spectacle, and of course the introduction of Hammer Girl (Julie Estelle) a deaf mute hit woman that sure knows her way around a couple of hammers and takes out a train carriage full of bodyguards without so much as breaking a sweat. It’s not just about the fighting either; there is also a rather amazing car chase sequence halfway though that is one of the best action set pieces I’ve ever seen, giving even The French Connection a run for its money. Despite the ultra violence Evans also has a deft sense of humour, even in some of the most sinister moments such as when things come to a head (pun intended) and there’s a financial disagreement with an underground porn consortium.
If I had any complaints it would be that it was a bit too long (150 mins) and that so many of the characters are interesting yet we don’t really learn anything about them, Hammer Girl being a prime example – she serves as little more than a scene stealing spectacle. But then again, who goes to see The Raid 2 expecting character development and cohesive storytelling? Not me and hopefully not you! This is action cinema at its finest, most preposterous and most enjoyable. It’s tricky to review this film, because either you loved the first film and you’ll love this film or you didn’t love the first film so you won’t be seeing this one… all I can really say is that it doesn’t disappoint.
The Raid 2 is in cinemas now.