"Pulling a trigger is like ordering a takeout"
The Raid/ The Raid: Redemption/ Serbuan maut - Deep inside one of Jakarta ’s
slums lays an apartment block that is the base of one of Indonesia ’s most wanted gangsters, Tama Riyadi (Donny Alamsyah). After
being a no go area for the Police for years, they plan a raid to take the
gangsters out. Early one morning a 20 man SWAT team descend on the building
with the aim of clearing it out once and for all. Amongst the team is rookie
cop Rama (Iko Uwais) who has left his heavily pregnant wife at home that
morning, possibly for the last time. The SWAT team slowly make their way
through the building, taking prisoners as they go before they get to the 6th
floor where they are discovered. Soon an army of drug dealers, criminals and
gangsters is on top of the small team of Police and what began as a mission to
clear the building turns into a battle for survival and escape.
Id’ been looking forward to this film for months, having
heard great things from the countries in which it has already been released.
I’d heard rumours that it was the best Action film in a long time and having
now seen it I have to agree that it probably is. The action is frenetic and
features five or six scenes which are equal to the Oldboy corridor scene. That is enough on its own to make a great
film but there is also a fairly engaging story of deceit, courage and duty. The
story takes a back seat for a lot of the film but there are some nice twists in
there. What this film is really about is hitting people, repeatedly and in ever
differing ways. Director Gareth Evans cleverly balances the action with several
short rest bites in which the audience can regain their breath before throwing
another superb fight scene at them.