andrewdtrigg

A powerful examination of the futility of war and what it can do to the humans involved. Fascinating, beautiful and profound.

The Raid puts most Western action movies to shame for its sheer energy and and uncompromising fight scenes. It's a frenetic, gritty, brutal, stylish action flick that grabs you from the first minute and doesn't let up till the final frame. Although the plot is about a SWAT team storming a slum apartment block to arrest a gangland boss, it's peppered with Indonesian silat martial art scenes that are breathtaking for their speed, style and creativity -- as well as their brutality. They're some of the most bruising and high-octane punch-ups ever filmed, performed with amazing flair by a host of Indonesian martial artists, including Iko Uwais, the telegenic lead and Yayan Ruhian, the oh-so-evil "Mad Dog", who at times exudes an almost demonic, monster-like quality. The camera is kept so close to the action that you feel you're in the thick of the action at all times and the film never lets you off the hook. It's very violent but I don't think it glamorizes violence in the same way as many films of this genre do. The heroes suffer. They would rather not be there. They don't make jokes after killing people -- killing is not fun but a necessary evil. The gangland boss, played Ray Sahetapy, is also worthy of a special mention. He's not your stereotypical baddy, but an aloof, menacing, strangely quiet villain who's devoid of empathy and capable of the most awful atrocity at any moment. Truly scary, and truly new in an Indonesian movie. This is a truly world-class movie and by far the best Indonesian action film I have ever seen. It truly deserves its high score on Metacritic, and is a must-see for all action buffs.