“The Raid: Redemption” is one of the most kick-ass action movies I have seen in a long time. It features an ingenious form of martial arts I’m not sure many are familiar with, and it gives us characters we come to give a shit about. When those two elements come together, you get the adrenaline rush us action movie fanatics crave but don’t get enough of. This one comes from Indonesia and is the kind of film Hollywood doesn’t make enough of anymore.
The story revolves around a SWAT team that has been tasked to infiltrate a derelict apartment building in town which until now was seen as untouchable. In this building lives the infinitely merciless drug lord Tama Riyadi (Ray Sahetapy) who uses the location as a safe house for himself and the city’s most dangerous and deadliest criminals. Upon discovering that his building is being invaded by police, Riyadi encourages his tenants to eliminate them with the reward of not having to pay their monthly rent. Sure enough, chaos ensues as many are brutally beaten and killed, and only a handful will be lucky to make it out alive.
Now among the SWAT team are characters like Rama (Iko Uwais) whose wife is expecting their first child and who has a hidden agenda for wanting to get inside this particular building. His strong moral sense of character ends up keeping him sane in the most insane of situations. Then there’s Sergeant Jaka (Joe Taslim) who leads the SWAT team on this mission and who’s not altogether happy that his team is a mix of veterans and rookies. And there’s no forgetting Lieutenant Wahyu (Pierre Gruno), the senior police officer who ordered this raid and hides his real reasons for doing so. Once it is revealed that this raid was not sanctioned by the department, we quickly realize how seriously screwed the protagonists are as the hope for reinforcements is rendered instantly moot.
“The Raid: Redemption” is kind of an “Assault On Precinct 13” in reverse in that the police are the invaders and the criminals are the ones defending their turf. The movie is designed to be ultraviolent and never pulls back from the coldness of its violence. Riyadi and his men maim and kill without mercy, and the drug lord’s introduction where he executes some tenants shows just how seriously sick he is (especially when he runs out of bullets).
Now whereas the “District B13” movies displayed the physical discipline of parkour and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” uses the martial art of wudang, this movie utilizes Pencak Silat; the Indonesian martial art which is a combination of fighting and self-defense. From what I’ve seen in this film, it looks like the act of defending yourself first and breaking bones later (or when you can get a shot in). It results in some of the most brilliantly choreographed action sequences that I have seen in lord only knows how long.
Director Gareth Evans does an excellent job of not letting the film peak too soon. There are many ingenious action set pieces to be found throughout “The Raid: Redemption,” and just when you think the movie couldn’t stage a more inventively choreographed battle, it does. That’s the problem with most action movies today; they start off with a fantastic opening sequence and are unable to top it throughout the rest of the flick.
Its penultimate action scene comes when “Mad Dog” (Yayan Ruhian) takes on two guys at once. It’s one of the most exhausting action sequences I have seen for some time, and when it’s over you’re never fully convinced that a certain character is dead. For a moment you wonder if this film will end up venturing into Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger territory as you wait for one brutally beaten character to rise from the dead (and not just for a sequel). Whether he does or not is for you to find out.
Watching “The Raid: Redemption” reminded me of how Hollywood typically screws it up when they try to replicate an experience like this and almost completely leave out the human element which really makes everything work. This movie is not out to be a complex drama with various themes, but it does take the time to give us characters we want to follow from the start. You care about what happens about them, and that makes the action all the more visceral in its unabashed portrayal.
The cast is well chosen and very believable in scenes that would otherwise defy belief. In addition Evans gets captures some terrific visual moments like when the SWAT team accidentally reveals itself to the building’s residents, and their shadows are captures on the wall in front of them. Even the moments that defy reasonable logic feel believable in their own way as certain characters end up having to make their way to the floor beneath them without the use of an elevator or the stairs.
Yes this movie has its plot holes especially when it comes to the drug lord having all these video cameras installed around his building. Wouldn’t that have made his elimination of the SWAT team easier and quicker to accomplish. Also, wouldn’t it have revealed the motives of those close to him a lot sooner? Who cares; in a movie like this you don’t need to ask so many questions.
For those of you with an irrational fear of subtitles, you need to put that to the side. There are not many action movies like “The Raid: Redemption” right now, and I cannot recommend it any higher to fans of them. It’s one of those movies you can legitimately call awesome without feeling stupid while you say that word. It also gives the term “head-banger” a whole new meaning. Just see it and you’ll know what I mean.
* * * ½ out of * * * *
