The Raid 2: Berandal

Perhaps I missed out by not seeing the martial arts crime thriller The Raid: Redemption (2011) because its sequel is certainly not easy to follow, the constant double crosses and subplots don’t help? The first film apparently is about the same main character Rama who along with other members of a SWAT team set out to raid an apartment block in Jakarta’s slum’s to rid it of the criminals that reside there. In this latest film, The Raid 2: Berandal (2013) Rama (Iko Uwais) is sent undercover to flush out corrupt police officials and to take down various gangs who frequent the local criminal underworld.  One impressive, but over long ultra violent set piece, follows another impressive but over long ultra violent set piece and eventually you don’t care who lives or dies you just want the whole violent episode to end! The film is totally without sophistication, depth of feeling and without a solid understandable story to hold the whole shebang together. I’m sure the movies target audience loved it, but the only two characters that made me sit up was a young lady who fights with claw hammers and her partner who has a special skill with a baseball bat and ball – perhaps they should have had a film of there own! Both The Raid movies are directed and written by an Indonesian based Welshman called Gareth Huw Evans who it is alleged is responsible for introducing the Indonesian martial arts, known as pencak silat to European cinema audiences – thanks Gareth!