Review #762: 'The Raid 2' (2014)

After 2011's The Raid, in which a plot of blissful simplicity plays out in completely barbaric fashion as hordes of sharp instrument-wielding criminals go head-to-head with a small group of mainly inexperienced cops in what was one of the most thrilling action experiences I've ever witnessed, Welsh director Gareth Evans attempts to answer his fans question of just how he could possibly top that with it's sequel, The Raid 2. While The Raid was just over 90 minutes of heart-pumping, wince-inducing entertainment, it's sequel attempts to actually develop a plot.

Starting just a few hours after the events of the first film, Rama (Iko Uwais), strikes a deal with Bunawar (Cok Simbara), the leader of an anti-corruption task force, to infiltrate the criminal gangs overrunning the city. After assaulting the son of a politician who opposed the family of crime-lord Bangun (Tio Pakusodewo), Rama is sent to prison, where Bangun's unpredictable and ambitious son Uco (Arifin Putra) is currently serving time. Rama saves Uco's life in a prison riot and earns his trust, so when he is released, Rama goes to work for Bangun as an enforcer. But with Uco growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of opportunities given to him by his father, he is drawn into a plot with Bejo (Alex Abbad), another criminal, to set up a war between the two rival families and prosper from the chaos.

Like many Asian mob movies, The Raid 2 is littered with scenes in which indistinguishable overlords talk in dark rooms, talking in riddles and beating round the bush in scenes of heavy exposition that do little but over-complicate what is a rather simple plot. The film is confusing when it really shouldn't be, concentrating more on atmosphere rather than just getting to the point and letting the movie play out. It leads to a pretty exhausting 150-minute running time, and makes us wait a long, long time before unleashing a wholly satisfying, 45 minute blood-stained climax.

If you thought the fight scenes in the first film were brutal, then Evans unleashes a whole new world of painful deaths and maiming. It's also more cartoonish, introducing a female assassin who carries two hammers, and another who seems to know every possible way you can bash a man's head in with a baseball bat. CGI blood is everywhere, and also facial burns, shattered jaws, and protruding bones. Evans also gives us his first attempt at a car chase, and it instantly becomes one of the greatest chases ever. He has a real gift for violence, and it's actually quite unnerving just how much enjoyment I got out of watching the mayhem unravel. Although it struggles to tell an interesting story, especially with Rama going AWOL for large chunks of the film, there is really nothing else like it out there.


Directed by: Gareth Evans
Starring: Iko Uwais, Arifin Putra, Alex Abbad, Oka Antara, Tio Pakusodewo, Julie Estelle
Country: Indonesia/USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie