Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!
Today's review is The Raid: Redemption.
Written and Directed by Gareth Edwards.
Fight Choreography by Yayan Ruhian & Iko Uwais.
Review #156
MPAA Rating: R for strong brutal bloody violence throughout, and language.
Runtime: 110 min
Cast
Iko Uwais ...Rama
Joe Taslim ...Jaka
Doni Alamsyah ...Andi
Yayan Ruhian ...Mad Dog
Pierre Gruno ...Wahyu
Ray Sahetapy ...Tama
Tegar Satrya ...Bowo
Iang Darmawan ...Gofar
Eka 'Piranha' Rahmadia ...Dagu
Martial arts films. Oh how I LOVE martial arts films. I can't get enough of them. They are my personal cinematic crack. When I see a good martial arts film, my life gets brighter just ever so slightly. I know I sound silly but it's just the truth. Of the many different genres of film that hold a special place in my heart. Martial arts films are at the very top of the list.
This is no secret to any of you who REALLY know me.
The popularity of martial arts films in this country has died a very quick death since Jackie Chan and Jet Li ended up on the wrong side of 40. This is a very sad fact. What's even sadder is that the films that these 2 legends graced our American cinemas with weren't even close to the mastery and wizardry that they possessed. We were given cheap bankable crap that showcased beyond prime talent. Or even worse, Americanized martial arts. After that fad Hollywood tried something different. Since nobody was going to see Jackie and Jet do their thing. They got the Keanu Reeve's and Tom Cruise's of the world to take a whack at it. A noble idea but for a true martial arts fan it just doesn't jive. It got the people in the seats which is what the suits cared about. For a martial arts purist, it's a disgrace. The only positive was that the powers that be learned a lesson. They hired the right choreographers to take the action to Hong Kong levels with substandard talent.
Of course that didn't last long either.
So what happened to the world of martial arts films? They went back home where they belonged. Back where they can be appreciated and loved for what they truly are. Then the unthinkable happened. Martial arts films began to lose their popularity in the very countries that invented the genre. It seems the movie audiences everywhere fell victim to the star power phenomenon. Since the heavyweights in the business were way past their prime to perform anymore. Hong Kong went the route of employing pop stars who looked good on camera but couldn't throw a punch to save their lives. This watered down the action to pedestrian levels and the genre was on the verge of decay. Then a breakthrough.
Tony Jaa.
When Tony Jaa broke on to the scene with his hit film Ong Bak. He gave the martial arts film world the shot in the arm it desperately needed. How did he do it? By simply giving people something they've never seen before. That may sound silly especially in the martial arts film world. It's hard to think that you can show something new in a world of films that's showcased practically every style there is. But it happened. Ong Bak introduced the world to the brutal art of Muay Thai. Otherwise known as kickboxing. That film showcased the brutality the discipline of Muay Thai employs while giving audiences a glimpse of Jaa's uncanny ability to move with grace and violence. This trend exploded all over Asia and gave filmmakers all over the globe the confidence to put their countries martial art in the forefront on film.
Which leads me to Gareth Edwards and what he's done to introduce the world to the martial art called Silat. It's a discipline based in Indonesia that focus a lot on the knees and elbows. In fact you could make the determination that Silat is a masterful blending of 3 specific styles. Wing Chun based in Hong Kong. Muay Thai from Thailand and Kali from India. Silat is the style on full display here in The Raid: Redemption and it is by far the best action I've seen in a martial arts film in about 5 years.
Plot
A SWAT team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs.
When going into a martial arts film it's understood right from jump street that the action is primary. The story is just filler to keep you paced between clashes. Every once in a while though a martial arts film will do the impossible and blend a top notch story with top notch action. It's as rare as a good Michael Bay film. That's pretty damn rare. The Raid: Redemption accomplishes this in spades. The plot is as simple as you can get but as the film gets deeper into the siege against the swat team. The story begins to twist and turn into something far more interesting.
It was a pleasant surprise to watch.
Of course there's no reason to get into the story when the action is the only reason to see this film in the first place. Like I mentioned earlier. The fights in The Raid: Redemption were top notch action, choreography and entertainment. There were some spots where the choreography gets a little too whimsical and the fighters form begins to lose their tight movements and fluidity. This is of course a small nitpick. This mostly took place when a major stunt sequence or crazy finishing move was about to take place so it's easily forgiven.
The bottom line is The Raid: Redemption has put martial arts films on steroids by following the same blueprint that Tony Jaa's films did. They upped the ante with the choreography and brutality. The fights contain more intricate moves while supplying enough realism to make your bones hurt when one of these guys take a hit. You combine that with a tight yet simple, well written story and you have a martial arts film for the ages.
Gareth Edwards....Thank You!
On the 5 star scale. The Raid: Redemption gets the full house. 5 stars with a "Worth Every Penny" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
