Introduction: The Raid: Redemption (or simply The Raid) is a martial arts action film starring Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Ray Sahetapy, Yayan Ruhian and Donny Alamsyah. Directed by Gareth Evans, this film was first released at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 8, 2011 before being released in theaters on March 23, 2012 in Indonesia and on DVD and Blu-Ray in the United States on August 14, 2012. The film received positive reviews with 86% out of 155 critics giving an average score of 7.5/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. The film ultimately made a total of $9.1 million worldwide, plus $9.4 million on DVD and Blu-Ray sales in the U.S.. With a reception like that, it makes one wonder if there’s more to this film then just impressive martial arts or if it’s just style over substance. Well, let’s dive in to this and judge for ourselves, shall we?
The Plot: The plot of this film is as follows: Rama (Iko Uwais) and a team of 20 men infiltrate an apartment building to take down the infamous crime lord, Tama Riyadi (Ray Sahetapy). However, Tama has his goons get the jump on the team and only 5 members remain: Rama, Bowo (Tegar Satrya), Jaka (Joe Taslim), Wahyu (Pierre Gruno) and Dagu (Eka Rahmadia). As they traverse the building trying to complete their mission, Rama encounters his estranged older brother, Andi (Donny Alamsyah) and we learn what’s happened to him and why he’s part of Tama’s gang. The “Redemption” part of the film comes into play when Andi questions his loyalty to Tama. The reality is this film is very much a survival story with Rama and his team trying their best to stay alive while also finding Tama and taking him out. This film takes the time in between the amazing action scenes to tell a coherent story about survival and loyalty without being overly preach about either moral.
Cast and Characters: While none of the cast is recognizable by American audiences, these men leave a lasting impression with their memorable performances. Iko Uwais brings a level of charm and grit to the character of Rama, making the character likable and sympathetic throughout the picture. Donny Alamsyah brings the right amount of sympathy to the character of Andi, and his chemistry with Rama is spot on. Bowo, Jaka, Wahyu and Dagu are each portrayed with a level of realistic and sympathetic as they try their best to stay alive. Then there’s Tama, the main antagonist of the piece and the one Rama and his team are trying to get. Ray Sahetapy plays the roll very calm and collected as he shows a certain form of apathy towards the team, seeing them as mere bugs to be squashed. His most trusted henchman is Mad Dog, played brilliantly by Yayan Ruhian, who shows no mercy when he’s hunting down Rama and his crew.
Awesome Action: As a martial arts movie, it’s only fitting that this film is littered with amazing action sequences. The type of martial art used in this film is NOT kung fu, but Pencak Silat, in which every part of the body is subject/used to attack. The choreography for the film was lead by Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian, and it shows in the final product how much the actors practiced their techniques. The film uses plenty of wide shots and long takes to showcase the skill and accuracy of every punch, kick and blow to the body. One of the best action scenes in the flick is Rama’s first hallway fight when he’s trying to protect Bowo. It’s such a perfect, well timed sequence and it was all done in 1 continuous shot. The actors and director deserve credit for their commitment to making the action as memorable as possible.
Where it Falters: Bowo, Jaka, Wahyu and Dagu aren’t really given much character development in the picture, so you’d be forgiven if you did’t remember them by the end. Also, the first action scene in the film is a standard shootout. While not bad, it’s not really as memorable.
Conclusion: The Raid: Redemption is one of the best action movies in recent memory. In addition to it’s amazing action scenes, it also tells a strong story with memorable main characters and intense drama. I definitely recommend this film to action fans as well as martial arts fans. Thank you so much for reading and I’ll see you soon ;)
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