The Raid: Redemption

Release Date: Mar 23, 2012 

Runtime: 1 hr. 41 min. 

Director: Gareth Evans 

Cast: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Ray Sahetapy.

When 20 elite cops attempt to overtake a druglord housed in a 30-story building, the only way out is up. But getting there is easier said than done, as merciless criminals lurk in every corner, and ammunition is no longer an option. For all the moments the action was never enough, or the hero had it too easy, "The Raid" is the unequivocal answer. Like taking the hallway scene from "Old Boy" — you know the one I'm talking about — and amplifying it by a thousand, this film is not for the squeamish. There's blood, there's gore, and everything else in between. Credited with introducing Silat (Indonesian martial arts) into cinema, director Gareth Evans brings a striking balance of art and combat in a film that epitomizes the action genre. From gunfights to knifefights, the choreography is spectacular, and pulsates against the hypnotic tracks produced by Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda. But the real deal here is the hand-to-hand carnage, where time plays no factor. Just when you think it's over, another begins, and death is granted only by the hindmost of seconds. Spoken entirely in Indonesian, and starring local talent, "The Raid" breaks the mold in foreign cinema and the martial arts world. It's the type of action film that others have tried to surpass, and some can only dream of. In other words...it's bone-crushingly, neck-breakingly awesome. And if that's not enough, the American remake is already in the works.

Rating: 4 stars