The Raid: Redemption
1.5/4
Starring: Iko Uwais, Donny Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhian, Joe Taslim, Pierre Gruno, Ray Sahetapy
The version being reviewed is unrated. For the record, the theatrical cut is rated R for Strong Brutal Bloody Violence Throughout, and Language
I like a loud, hyper-violent action movie as much as the next guy. Done right, they can be a lot of fun, but the reverse is also true. No guesses as to which side of the line this one falls on.
"The Raid: Redemption" is a no-holds-barred action movie. There's minimal plot and even less character development. That's not such a bad thing; in the case of a movie like this, it will only serve as a hindrance since taking the time for a complex plot or characterization will only slow the film down. As long as there's plenty of dazzling testosterone and adrenaline, I have no complaints. Sadly, this film has little of either. It's a total bore.
The set-up is simple: a squad of heavily armed police officers is going into a building to take down a ruthless drug lord named Tama (Sahetapy). Tama has offered free room and board to anyone who puts up a defense, so most of the building's tenants act like they're in "The Purge: Anarchy." Naturally, most of them end up in body bags fairly early, and for the most part it's one man named Rama (Uwais) against a building full of heavily armed psychos. He doesn't stand a chance.
This is a great concept for an action movie because there are few limits that writer/director Gareth Evans can put on what Rama will face. Sadly, Evans is no John Woo. The fight scenes are badly staged, the direction is pedestrian at best, and the editing is completely inept. That's three strikes, and this movie is definitely out.
There's not much that I can say about the acting. By the nature of the beast, this isn't a place for acting. All that's required is that the cast members have enough personality and charisma to get us to like or hate them, whichever the case might be for a given character. That said, no one really stands out in the acting department. The performances are adequate at best, but only for the purposes of a direct-to-DVD movie. Iko Uwais is handsome and has some ability, but that's about it.
The problem with the film is that Gareth Evans wants this to be a gritty thriller, yet also have the glee of being deliciously over-the-top. For example, this movie includes a man whose grave injuries brought to mind the soldier from "Saving Private Ryan" who was crying for his mother as his intestines were spilled out on the side of him, and yet later in the film we see the hero toss a guy over a railing only to have him land with his back broken by a banister a few floors below. There is a disconnect on a fundamental level between something so serious and something so absurd. Evans wants to have his cake and eat it too, but he doesn't understand that this sort of movie necessitates being over-the-top and ridiculous. "Shoot 'Em Up" and "300" worked because the filmmakers took things to the 11 and never tried to be serious.
One thing I must mention is the film's score. It's loud and mechanical, which suits the genre fine. It's also generic, repetitive and painfully annoying. I haven't seen a movie with a score this bad since "Ben & Arthur."
There are plenty of other movies out there for those who are looking for a violent, bloody adrenaline cocktail. Rent one of those instead.
Starring: Iko Uwais, Donny Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhian, Joe Taslim, Pierre Gruno, Ray Sahetapy
The version being reviewed is unrated. For the record, the theatrical cut is rated R for Strong Brutal Bloody Violence Throughout, and Language
I like a loud, hyper-violent action movie as much as the next guy. Done right, they can be a lot of fun, but the reverse is also true. No guesses as to which side of the line this one falls on.
"The Raid: Redemption" is a no-holds-barred action movie. There's minimal plot and even less character development. That's not such a bad thing; in the case of a movie like this, it will only serve as a hindrance since taking the time for a complex plot or characterization will only slow the film down. As long as there's plenty of dazzling testosterone and adrenaline, I have no complaints. Sadly, this film has little of either. It's a total bore.
The set-up is simple: a squad of heavily armed police officers is going into a building to take down a ruthless drug lord named Tama (Sahetapy). Tama has offered free room and board to anyone who puts up a defense, so most of the building's tenants act like they're in "The Purge: Anarchy." Naturally, most of them end up in body bags fairly early, and for the most part it's one man named Rama (Uwais) against a building full of heavily armed psychos. He doesn't stand a chance.
This is a great concept for an action movie because there are few limits that writer/director Gareth Evans can put on what Rama will face. Sadly, Evans is no John Woo. The fight scenes are badly staged, the direction is pedestrian at best, and the editing is completely inept. That's three strikes, and this movie is definitely out.
There's not much that I can say about the acting. By the nature of the beast, this isn't a place for acting. All that's required is that the cast members have enough personality and charisma to get us to like or hate them, whichever the case might be for a given character. That said, no one really stands out in the acting department. The performances are adequate at best, but only for the purposes of a direct-to-DVD movie. Iko Uwais is handsome and has some ability, but that's about it.
The problem with the film is that Gareth Evans wants this to be a gritty thriller, yet also have the glee of being deliciously over-the-top. For example, this movie includes a man whose grave injuries brought to mind the soldier from "Saving Private Ryan" who was crying for his mother as his intestines were spilled out on the side of him, and yet later in the film we see the hero toss a guy over a railing only to have him land with his back broken by a banister a few floors below. There is a disconnect on a fundamental level between something so serious and something so absurd. Evans wants to have his cake and eat it too, but he doesn't understand that this sort of movie necessitates being over-the-top and ridiculous. "Shoot 'Em Up" and "300" worked because the filmmakers took things to the 11 and never tried to be serious.
One thing I must mention is the film's score. It's loud and mechanical, which suits the genre fine. It's also generic, repetitive and painfully annoying. I haven't seen a movie with a score this bad since "Ben & Arthur."
There are plenty of other movies out there for those who are looking for a violent, bloody adrenaline cocktail. Rent one of those instead.
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