The Raid

Movie rating: 4 and half Star

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Offering a set-up as straightforward as they come, The Raid delivers bone-crunching brilliance on a truly epic scale. Full of arse clenching tension from the opening frames, the action grows increasingly mental as the film moves along and the main players run out of bullets. This is genuinely one of the most spectacularly entertaining action films in recent memory.
The Raid opens with rookie cop Rama (Iko Uwais) saying goodbye to his heavily pregnant wife for the day as he heads off to work. This unusual day in work involves him and the other members of his SWAT team raiding the grubby high rise fortress of a ruthless local gangland leader who is housed on the top floor. When they get there, the cops realise they're horribly outnumbered and consequently, they bleed men on every floor. Instead of an arrest taking place, it becomes a battle to survive by any means necessary - which involves pretty much everyone getting the living shit kicked out of them.
In a strange mix, Welsh director Gareth Evans took on this surprisingly low-budget Indonesian flick after discovering hard bastard lead, Uwais, at Silat school during a documentary a few years back. What a find he was; not since Tony Jaa has an actor kicked such unrelenting amounts of ass. What's more, the young star does it all while sporting a baby face you're more likely to see on children's television. For western audiences, comparing The Raid to Jaa's Ong Bak is probably the most apt parallel, but this film is actually more violent, and the wonderfully simple concept complements the blood-drenched action perfectly. Good guys go to a building full of bad guys and all hell breaks loose - that's pretty much it.
I'm not shocked to hear that The Raid is already being prepped by Hollywood to be remade, because of the aforementioned concept. But there is little chance the action will pack anywhere near as blisteringly visceral a punch as it does here. Evans shoots most of the hand-to-hand combat scenes with a steadicam and allows them to flow, rather than overcutting them. That shows supreme confidence in Uwais and the stunt team, who dutifully oblige their director with consistently impressive fisticuffs.
Action fans do not want to miss this. The Raid will charge you ten quid (or so) to slap you stupid - and it's worth every penny.

Watch: The Raid

Review by Mike Sheridan | 09:00 | Wednesday 22nd February 2012 | Movie Review

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Comments

• FilmBuff76

  Brace yourself for the action film of the year - The Raid delivers on every level. It's an Indonesian martial arts and action film directed by Welshman Gareth Evans. The plot is ideally simple - rookie cop Rama (Iko Uwais) joins up his team of elite cops to storm a building housing a local crime lord. However, the crime lord has the place locked down and under surveillance. When the cops are spotted, the crime lord sends out his thugs to "enjoy themselves" and dispose of their unwelcome guests. We follow Rama as he fights for survival against many floors of hostile aggressors, showcasing his fast-moving martial arts skills. Based in Indonesia himself, Evans directs the martial arts sequences with a visual flair that is pumped full of sweat and adrenaline. It's almost like you can feel the vibrations from every body being slammed on the ground. The set pieces are well staged and the fight scenes have a raw brutality to them that Hollywood would find hard to match on health and safety grounds. The crime lord is a bit one-note and a little more character development wouldn't have gone amiss, but these are minor faults. If there's one film to see this month, this is it. Don't wait for the inevitably inferior Hollywood remake - catch the original while you can. Simply unmissable.

  Posted 11:56 | Sat 5th May 2012

• Happy Chappy

  I've heard this is just amazing!

  Posted 18:54 | Fri 18th May 2012

• 81_Boarder

  Forget 3D and all that crap. Hollywood blaming piracy for falling attendances, when audiences are just tired of being feed poor, lazy films. Take note, make a good movie and people will come out in numbers. This is an epic movie! Much watch.

  Posted 18:14 | Sun 20th May 2012

• brian

  This film leaves you giggling to yourself and shaking your head in disbelief as you exit the cinema. A rollercoster, action fest of the highest callibre. Among, if not the, best action film I've ever seen (and I've seen alot)......Rush to the cinema to see this film

  Posted 21:19 | Tue 22nd May 2012

• chell

  People normally get put off films because they are subtitled... doesn't bother me in the slightest, but i have to say this movie was... Absolutley amazing !!

  Posted 15:46 | Sat 9th Jun 2012

• dave connell

  Iko Uwais....... son your about to be a superstar

  Posted 17:04 | Sat 23rd Jun 2012

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