Film Review: The Raid 2

The Raid 2   8/10

Director: Gareth Evans
Starring: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Arifin Putra

Plot: After leaving prison, Rama finds himself undercover once again and must uncover the corruption within the police force.

It’s really very rare and remarkable to see an up and coming director, like Gareth Evans, to storm straight to the big screen with an Indonesian action film (let alone a sequel). The Raid: Redemption – released back in 2011 – took $15 million at the worldwide box office on a minuscule budget of $1.1 million. As a foreign-language film, it received its cult classic status almost immediately when it opened at the Toronto International Film Festival to critical acclaim. The Raid 2 rams up the budget to $4.5 million this time around, and takes this newly established franchise to a whole new level.

The Raid 2 is colossal, slick and merciless in its action sequences. The first film concentrated its action in a giant tower block, whilst the sequel opens up its bloody and head-snapping canvas to a wide range of different locations; from a prison, to bars, to the tube... there really are no limits here. The close-combat fighting is even more slick and even more baffling than the first, with just as many shocks and surprises along the way. As well as knife wielding and fist throwing, there’s also some car chases to enjoy here too. As the film progresses, even more of these sequences are thrown into the mix and each fight scene feels completely different to the next.

While the majority of us went to see this film for its action, there are many that may want a stronger and tighter storyline than the first. Well, it may be that it’s subtitled or because there’s a whole array of characters which zip in and out of the film with little purpose, but it’s extremely difficult to follow. The film seems to criss-cross from these quiet scenes of dialogue to these massive action sequences with little purpose. Though Evans has attempted to make this more about the story and characters, we’re all here for the thrill ride.

In Conclusion: while the setting of the first film in a tower block was a huge part of its appeal, The Raid 2 wants to be unique and it certainly doesn't disappoint. There’s blood, there’s screams and there’s also a surprising amount of humour. While The Raid inevitably redefined the action genre upon its release, The Raid 2 goes even further than that – a foreign film to most certainly see (where can I buy a Hammer Girl poster and when will a spin-off of hers be green lit?)