Release Date: Mar 28, 2014
Runtime: 2 hr. 28 min.
Director: Gareth Evans
Cast: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Arifin Putra, Oka Antara, Tio Pakusadewo.
Two years ago, a little known film single-handedly altered the action landscape, blasting the bars of violence to a whole new level. Pitting fists versus bones in a winner-take-all, subtleties were absolved in favor of brutality. So how do you top one ruthless masterpiece with another? Add more carnage, of course. Gareth Evans returns as writer and director, continuing the story from where we last left off. Rama (Iko Uwais) is now tasked to work undercover and weed out the police corruption from within the crime cartel. But as he learns quickly from prior experiences, there's more on the line than just his life. With greater intensity and brilliant choreography, Evans has really outdone himself the second time around. Edited with an eye of ingenuity, the fights transpire impressively with an air of fluidity. Opposing Rama in a new set of battles are another horde of criminals with no sense of fear. Standouts include siblings "Hammer Girl" and "Baseball Bat Man," names very reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino. With each new scene is a geyser of blood, and no escape from the expo of death. It's the defining trait of this action-packed series, not recommended for the weak and the weary. As for the rest, "Raid 2" falls short of the first film, with less suspense and tension due to its slightly more detailed plot line. What was great about "Redemption" was its single-minded goal, which in turn, confined itself to tight spaces and centralized fights. But duplicating themes is never a strong point of sequels and Evans finds ways to progress on through. With the intention of this being an integrated trilogy, we can expect to see more bloodshed in the foreseeable future. That's bad news for Rama who's taken more beatings than he can sustain.
Rating: 4 stars
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