The Raid Opens Up a Can of Whoop-Ass!

Wow, am I ever late to the party. Incredibly, I only just got around to seeing The Raid: Redemption. How behind is that? The sequel just came out!

The plot is straightforward - even familiar: a tactical police unit lays siege to a huge slum tenement fortress, lorded over by a ruthless drug boss. They're barely inside when they're attacked and cut off, having to fight their way through bad guys, one floor at a time.

The Raid's influences are many: Enter the Dragon, Sonatine, Oldboy, Infernal Affairs, Assault on Precinct 13, Police Story, Hard Boiled - hell, anything by John Woo. Visceral and unhinged, The Raid easily makes a lasting place for itself alongside those predecessors. It's not a film to get all Pauline Kael about. The Raid is howlingly lapel-grabbing action cinema - at the 38 minute mark, director Gareth Evans unleashes what may be one of the greatest martial arts sequences of all time, as police officer Rama (Iko Uwais) practically explodes on a nearly endless stream of machete-wielding thugs. Edwards does an amazing job of keeping the camera inconspicuous and the fighting over-the-top insane, yet somehow wincingly convincing. There are lots of wide shots and unusual perspectives, with the hand-to-hand (and hand-to-blade) combat unfolding at dizzying speed. This movie wants you leaping to your feet, gasping, shaking your fist and screaming with your fellows. It's not recommended for anyone with a heart condition.

The music really captures that early nineties John Woo flavor (Joseph Trapanese and Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park) and again, evokes Carpenter in nods that perfectly match the drab, shadowy corridors.

If the plot of The Raid sounds familiar, it's damn near identical to Dredd - which sounds like it's just a coincidence with no cause to cry foul, given the timelines of both productions. But the violence is so off the charts, Paul Verhoeven might blush. Fast moving, inventive and just fun, The Raid: Redemption is a welcome throwback to Friday night at the grindhouse - it's a movie to yell at and be blown away by. By all accounts The Raid 2 is every inch the movie this one is, maybe even surpassing it. As Rama's most fearsome nemesis, check out Yayan Ruhian as Mad Dog. Like a cranked up Charles Bronson, he creates an impression that should guarantee him all the work in action movies he can stand - plus, he and Uwais designed all the fight choreography.

Do yourself a favor and drink deep - The Raid's a keeper. Now I gotta find that sequel...!