The Raid/2011/Sony Pictures Classics/100 min.
The central character of “The Raid” (Iko Uwais) aims to complete a SWAT team’s covert mission to remove a crime lord from a dilapidated apartment building in Jakarta. This is particularly challenging once their cover is blown, their leader (Joe Taslim) falls and they are trapped inside.
Fans of martial-arts action flicks might find this (and the Mike Shinoda/Joseph Trapanese score) good fun. The choreography of the fight scenes was top-notch. But I’d been hoping that a bit of intrigue and noir storytelling would be layered into the mix; instead “The Raid” was ridiculously, relentlessly, stupefyingly violent. Yawn.
Perhaps Welsh-born writer/director Gareth Evans (who teamed with Uwais on 2009’s “Merantau”) sums it up best: “I’m the guy that makes stunt performers take multiple kicks to the head for the pleasure of what I hope is a captivated audience. … I deal in blood and mayhem.”
“The Raid” opened in New York and LA on March 23.
I am a fan of martial arts flicks and I can confirm I found this great fun. It’s definitely for the hardcore fans. Here’s a one sided review from someone who loves ultra violent flawlessly choreographed action movies: http://cinema-punch.com/2012/03/24/the-raid-redemption-review/
Don’t worry Flm Noir Blonde, I won’t hold this one against you. Y’all still rock in my book. Would have like to read more on your thoughts on this, I feel your negative review would sound a lot like my positive one… Haha.
Thanks for writing. I read your review and you are right that the choreography of the fight scenes is brilliant. I was just craving a little character development, story, plot, etc. Anyway, fun to discuss even if we don’t agree. And generally it has garnered good reviews, maybe I would have been more into it if there’d been a femme fatale.