“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 * * * *

Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in “Heat,” Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees in “Freddy Vs. Jason,” Alien and Predator in “Alien Vs. Predator.” Now we have another meeting of two legends in the same movie. Jackie Chan and Jet Li join forces together in the latest mystical martial arts adventure called “The Forbidden Kingdom.” This was another meeting of legends that was years, maybe even decades in the making. From the trailer though, it felt like it was just another formulaic action movie. It may have been just as well because it lowered my expectations to the appropriate level.

“The Forbidden Kingdom” is essentially a cross between “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “The Karate Kid” as it follows Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano), a diehard kung fu movie fan who ends up falling inside another world he is completely alien to. Jason continually visits a store in Chinatown that is run by Old Hop (Jackie Chan) who never hesitates in offering Jason the best deal possible on DVD’s of Bruce Lee’s “Enter The Dragon” or something by the Shaw Brothers. While at the store one day, he discovers a legendary stick that once belonged to the legendary Chinese warrior, the Monkey King (Jet Li). But he ends up being accosted by the town bullies who end up taking him to Old Hop’s store to rob him. When things go bad, he ends up taking the legendary stick of the Monkey King, and he falls into the past and ends up in China on the run.

While in China, he runs into Lu Yan (Jackie Chan again) who is an immortal kung fu warrior whose elixir is wine, and that makes him an alcoholic for survival. How many movies have you seen where one of the heroes has to be drunk to stay alive? It gives you a new appreciation for wine, that’s for sure. Lu Yan ends up telling him the story of how the legendary Monkey King lost his stick and has been frozen Han Solo style for 500 years. So with the mission set, you know how the movie is going to end.

Along the way, they meet up with The Silent Monk (Jet Li again) whose living proof that actions can speak louder than words, and the Golden Sparrow (Yifei Liu) who joins the gang to avenge the murder of her family. During that time, they teach young Jason kung fu, and he somehow becomes a master in record time. As Jason improves in his skills, we get to see more of his chest and abs which show how much he has been working out. Keep in mind, this is largely a fantasy movie. They head off to defeat the evil Jade Warlord (Collin Chou) and to return the legendary stick back to The Monkey King. What do you think happens.

I wasn’t all that excited about seeing this movie, but some friends of mine were eager to see a mediocre martial arts movie, and I figured it would more fun to watch it with them. At the very least, we expected the choreography to be good, and that would be enough for us. The studio advertised this movie correctly. They didn’t make it look like it was astonishingly original or on the level as movies like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” In the end, “The Forbidden Game” is an ok movie, but that’s if you are coming into it with low expectations.

We do get fight scenes between Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and they are easily the highlights of the movie. Even as they are reaching the points in their lives where their bodies should be giving out on them (especially all the injuries and broken bones they have endured), they still have some kick ass moves that serve them well. I am especially impressed with Jackie Chan because he is in his 50’s now, but he still kicks ass like nothing’s wrong with him. Jet Li is a few years younger, and he moves even more fluidly than Chan. He also performs great moves with the sleeves of his robes. Just when you thought people couldn’t improvise with objects or clothing in martial arts movies, then got something new up their sleeves (pun intended).

But aside from the two of them, the fight scenes didn’t too much for me. The choreography was well done, but it didn’t blow me away like in other movies like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” or just about any Bruce Lee movie. It’s not enough that it’s just okay. I want it to move me and excite me, and while the action here certainly didn’t bore me, this felt rather ordinary and uninspiring. I guess I was expecting more from this movie than I originally thought.

The young kid in this movie threatens to usually be the most annoying person in the entire movie, but Michael Angarano manages to keep him from being completely annoying. When it comes to the moves, he gets them down well enough. This is irregardless that there is no way he could learn all the martial arts in the time given. It’s when you end up asking these questions to yourself during the movie that you realize this film has problems it can’t avoid.

The other thing I kept wondering about is why the villain of the movie enjoys all the power he has, and yet does so little with it. If I were the Jade Warlord, I would be bored shitless! Nothing to do but stay on your throne and rule from afar. No chance of going out every so often because of the risk of assassination. Who would ever think that power could be so boring. But then again, we saw this through Tony Montana in “Scarface.”

Anyway, there’s not much more that I can say about this movie other than it was alright. But I don’t know about you guys, but I am starting to get a little sick of movies that are just alright. I want to see great movies that move and excite me. “The Forbidden Kingdom” is not a bad way to past the time, but it is no extraordinary feat of filmmaking. Even with lowered expectations, you still would expect more from the pairing of these two stars of martial arts movies. A film with the meeting of stars that was over a decade in the making; they were bound to screw it up somehow.

** out of ****