This 2012 Action Film May Be the Best of the 21st Century
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There are few action films that have the ability to make its viewer hastily move around in their seat more than The Raid: Redemption. As the onslaught of kicks, punches, bullets, machetes and refrigerators fly around, it is hard not to duck and dodge in response to the on-screen chaos that seemingly feels as if it is becoming tangible. Written and directed by Welsh filmmaker Gareth Evans, the film became an indie darling when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2011, naturally placing Evans on Hollywood’s radar.
At one point he was tapped to direct a Deathstroke movie for Warner Brothers/DC that never came to fruition, which is likely for the best as it allowed him to focus on the types of films he is better suited for like The Raid: Redemption and its eventual sequel The Raid 2. Set and produced in Indonesia, the films are more personal to Evans than they may appear as he was introduced to the culture by his Maya, who helped him land a freelance directing gig for a documentary about the martial art pencak silat. In doing so, he discovered martial artist Iko Uwais (who was so big at one point he had a supporting role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and made the low-budget action film designed around him in 2009’s Merantau. Having only scratched the surface with what he could do with pencak silat on screen, Evans devised the perfect film to showcase the obscure martial art.
What Is The Raid: Redemption About?
Iko Uwais plays Rama, a young police officer whose wife is pregnant with their first child. The film opens with his ritualistic exercise, prayer and farewell as he prepares to undertake a daunting mission: to seize control of a high rise that is owned by a ruthless crime lord who rents out his property to criminals who seek refuge from the police. It is structurally similar to Die Hard but makes the fight sequences in that film look tame in comparison. Only making it through five floors before being caught, Rama and his squadron must fight for survival as tenants pour out of their rooms with whatever weapons they have to eliminate the officers and earn a free stay in their grimy sanctuary.
What is the Martial Arts Style in The Raid: Redemption?
If it were not for the unbelievable fight choreography in The Raid it would have just been another disposable, thinly plotted Die Hard rip-off in the vein of another 2012 film Dredd, which makes up for its weak script with inventive, albeit CGI-heavy, gore and splatter. The Raid has its fair share of iffy visual effects too, but that is completely forgiven thanks to its combat sequences which look and feel unlike anything that has been seen in any American action film and even most of Eastern action cinema. There is no wasted movement in the rapid fire fighting as a punch to the face quickly turns into an elbow to the neck or with how a knee to the ribs somehow turns into a kick to the back of the head. Because of this the violence never feels monotonous nor does it ever linger on the grisly kills; it is about the literal action. When its characters choose a fight to the death rather than an easy kill, it makes sense as the villainous Mad Dog proclaims “pulling a trigger is like ordering a takeout.”
Who Are the Characters in ‘The Raid: Redemption’?
In addition to the thrilling action that effortlessly propels the unimpressive story, there are also a handful of surprisingly great performances that elevate the material. The aforementioned Mad Dog, played by Yayan Ruhian, is a terrifying screen presence who manages to pack so much fear and rage within his deceivingly small stature. His boss Tama, played by a scene-chewing Ray Sahetapy, is playfully sinister in his own right as he toys with his victims. There is also Rama’s superior Jaka, played by Joe Taslim (whose performance earned him a role as a villain in Fast and Furious 6), who sways from poise to frustration with an intensity that provides some emotional drama in between the glorious action.
Will ‘The Raid: Redemption’ Be Remade?
The Raid was an all-around success from its strong reception with audiences, critics (particularly an enraged Roger Ebert; a professional stamp of approval if any) and at the box office, grossing $13 million on a $1 million budget. Naturally, Hollywood took notice and Sony, the film’s distributor, announced that a remake was in development soon after it was purchased at TIFF in 2011 and the project has gone through a myriad of creative changes over the past decade.
The latest update came in January 2022 when it was reported that the film landed at Netflix with Patrick Hughes (The Hitman’s Bodyguard franchise) directing and Michael Bay producing; not exactly a team that should be trusted. There is simply no reason for this doomed project to exist as it will almost definitely contain none of the distinctive action of the original and veer into the over-produced Die Hard rip-off category. While Gareth Evans will serve as an executive producer on the film, one can only hope that the remake of The Raid never finds a screen of any kind.
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