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The Raid 2
R1 - America - Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (7th August 2014). |
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The Film
 Sometime around late 2011, the internet (read: film fanboys) began losing their collective sh*t over a small Indonesian film called “The Raid” (2011), directed by then-unknown Gareth Evans (NOT Edwards, who did this year’s “Godzilla”). Specifically, those who had seen the film pointed to the incredible action and wholly impressive fight choreography as reaching the pinnacle of martial arts in cinema. In recent years martial arts movies coming out of Thailand and Indonesia have been gaining traction with moviegoers, a fact that may be explained by their use of fighting styles vastly different from the traditional kung-fu, chop-socky style from China that most audiences have seen. Evans’ film employed the art of pencak silat, a traditional Indonesian style of martial arts that, quite frankly, looks absolutely brutal when coupled with the insane choreography the series has now become known for. The first film gained traction in the U.S. when distributor Sony had Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park fame) re-score the film with a harder industrial vibe, and retitled it “The Raid: Redemption”, which, really, was quite unnecessary. Still, it succeeded in galvanizing the internet fanboy base, always coveted by studios, and soon after a sequel was put into motion. “The Raid 2” (2014, Indonesian title: “The Raid 2: Berandal”) picks up literally hours after the end of the first film, with our lead, Rama (Iko Uwais), brought into the fold of a clandestine organization intent on exposing and eliminating the corruption that has run rampant in the police force. As this occurs, his brother, Andi (Donny Alamsyah), is brought to an open field and killed by Bejo (Alex Abbad), a gang leader from Jakarta. In order to infiltrate the criminal underworld seamlessly, Rama must spend some time in prison with the son of a local crime boss, Bangun (Tio Pakusadewo), to establish a relationship that can carry on to the outside. Rama gets himself tossed in prison by assaulting a rival politician’s son, where he eventually meets Bangun’s son, Uco (Arifin Putra), whose life he saves during a prison riot in the yard. Uco does not forget this, and once both men are on the outside Rama is welcomed into the family business by Bangun. From here, the plot gets relatively convoluted. It isn’t so much that it’s hard to follow what’s going on – though it can be difficult to keep up with allegiances given there’s so much double crossing – but mainly that Evans is packing a wealth of material into what it ostensibly a film with lots of fighting. There’s simply no good reason to stretch events out to an epic 150 min.; yet he does deserve credit for pacing this drawn-out picture in such a way that it never feels dull. In between all of the back room dealings and gang warfare business, there are plenty of the fisticuffs viewers have come for. And unlike, say, “Man of Steel” (2013), where viewers complained there was too much action and not enough story, “The Raid 2” manages to feel satisfying in both story and smashing (of faces and assorted body parts). The action is the highlight here, not the plot. The grand conceit basically boils down to Uco being mad at his daddy because he wants to be treated like an equal in the family business, but because he’s a big baby he goes about everything operating under the impulses of a child. Setting aside, there is nothing novel about the story, which is merely a skeleton upon which the flesh of hand-to-hand combat is packed. And it is truly glorious. Not only is the fight choreography second to none in terms of what’s being seen in films today, but Evans and his crew stage is so damn beautifully. The camera doesn’t simply set up wide shots to showcase all the range of motion, nor does it pull a Paul Greengrass and jam itself in the actors’ faces to heighten tension (a technique nobody likes)/ Instead, the camera starts and stops in unexpected positions, moving fluidly around the action, showcasing it always, but doing so in such an artistic manner. Brutal and uncompromising would be the best adjectives used to describe the film’s many scenes of carnage. Iko Uwais, who plays Rama, is also the film’s fight choreographer, and a few of the other main actors are also experts in Indonesian martial arts. Because of this everyone moves less like Hollywood stars that spent months rehearsing moves and more like professionals that have been doing this their entire lives. The skirmishes are exhaustive, literally leaving the viewers at home nearly as breathless as those who are doing all the fighting. One in particular, Rama’s penultimate fight against a top level enforcer, is a knock-down, drag-out knuckle pummeler. And by the end, you will feel drained. Not content filling his film with simple fighters who can show off their impressive skills, Evans gives a few of the “bad guys” (nearly everyone here is bad to a degree) distinct character traits, such as the Baseball Bat Man (Very Tri Yulisman) or Hammer Girl (Julie Estelle), who most fans seem to be gravitating toward. She’s this film’s Go-Go Yubari; a weapon-wielding mistress of death who viciously decimates anyone in her way with absolutely extreme prejudice. These little touches add a video game quality to the film, which is not a knock, because it feels like Rama is testing his own mettle and “levelling up” with each successive foe he defeats. All of this raving about brawling and I forgot to mention one of the most brilliant sequences – a lengthy car chase, featuring multiple vehicles, in-car fighting, and some of the most daring, continuous camera movement you’re likely to see this year. Evans’ film may seem a bit long in the tooth to some, but expansion requires, well, an expanded running time. The world of the first film inhabited a single, albeit looming, 30-story building, and this time around he’s trying to establish an entire criminal underworld, full of powerful players, corrupt officials, and absolutely insane henchman.
Video
Stretching the limits of DVD, “The Raid 2” features a 2.40:1 16x9 anamorphic image that looks about as good as the old format can muster. Detail is maxed out, colors are finely reproduced and it looks about as good as possible. The real visual treat here is the awe-inspiring camera work, which makes use of the available frame to pack in as many flourishes as Evans can fit. But, really, the fanbase for this series is going to be buying it on Blu-ray because they want the best presentation, so it’s hard to recommend watching a DVD when this is a movie that cries out for hi-def.
Audio
Audio is one area where DVD's can still deliver a decent experience, and the Indonesian Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound track gets the job done. It’s immersive, featuring a strong low end with a powerful score that builds up at all the right moments. There are nice touches to the diegetic music, too, such as when a character holds a finger up to their ear to “mute” the audio. Would a lossless Blu-ray track smoke this out of the water? Of course, but for DVD this isn’t a total slouch. Subtitles are included in English.
Extras
The DVD of “The Raid 2” gets shafted, featuring less bonus material than its Blu-ray counterpart. That being said, it still features an audio commentary, featurettes that include interviews with the film’s top talent and bonus trailers. The audio commentary features director Gareth Evans, who is a well-spoken guy with a lot to say about his much anticipated follow-up. He speaks about directors who have influenced his films, his style of direction, choreographing the film’s many intricate fight scenes, and so on. It’s a great track full of all the right information fans of the film want to know, so give it a listen if you liked his movie. “The Next Chapter: Shooting a Sequel” (16x9) is a featurette that runs for 10 minutes and 47 seconds. In a short span of time, this piece packs in info on the film’s characters, how the fight scenes are integral to the plot, and choreographing the car stunts and numerous fights. “The Cinefamily Q&A with Gareth Evans, Iko Uwais and Joe Trapanese” (16x9) is an interview featurette that runs for 44 minutes and 9 seconds. The leading trio – director, star/choreographer & composer - of the sequel showed up at L.A.’s Silent Movie Theater to discuss “The Raid 2” after a screening. Some of what is said is redundant after hearing the commentary, but good information is still there to be gleaned. The disc also includes bonus trailers (16x9) for the following: - “Appleseed Alpha” runs for 1 minute and 17 seconds. - “The Calling” runs for 2 minutes and 19 seconds. - “Afflicted” runs for 2 minutes and 37 seconds. - “House of Cards” runs for 2 minutes and 16 seconds. - “The Raid: Redemption” runs for 2 minutes and 6 seconds. - “A Fighting Man” runs for 2 minutes and 3 seconds.
Packaging
The single disc comes housed in a standard amaray keep case.
Overall
Like a swift kick to the head, “The Raid 2” is brutal and uncompromising, with a plot that attempts to bring a bigger criminal underworld to light. It can feel a little long in the tooth at times, but Evans’ sharp direction, coupled with astounding fight scenes, makes this a sequel that was worth the wait.
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