Have you ever watched a movie and afterwards thought to
yourself "Man, I wish I had more time on my hands...I want to watch that
movie all over again right now!" I can't say that I've experienced that
feeling very often but I did after watching THE RAID: REDEMPTION. I didn't want
to go to sleep, I wanted to do one of those college day deals where we stayed
up all night and watched a movie over and over again.
Filmed and taking place in Indonesia, the movie starts off
with a young SWAT officer waking and preparing for his day. He says goodbye to
his wife and tells his father something that feels ominous, as if we're missing
what is going on. We later find this to be true.
Once he meets the other SWAT team members they suit up and
head out, being briefed on the way. Their goal is to take down the worst drug
lord in Jakarta, a man who has holed up in a 30 story apartment building.
Within the walls of the building the drug lord has regular paying tenants and
some of the worst criminals in the country. They pay him to live there and
aren't bothered by police. That's about to change as this SWAT team are about
to enter the building with the goal of taking out the drug lord.
But you know what they say about the best laid plans. While
the head of the group gives them information about what to expect and who to
look for, nothing could prepare them for the day's events. The two main
sidekicks to the drug lord offer the brains and the brawn of his team. One is
the thinker, a man who helps plan things out while the other, the smaller of
the two (which seems odd until later), is the more ruthless member. Both will
play an important part as the film progresses and one will have a secret that
some may figure out before it is revealed.
The SWAT team enters the building and has no problems at
first that they can't handle. But as the reach the sixth floor things change
when they are spotted and the signal is sent to the drug lord. Picking up his
microphone he informs the tenants of his building via PA that they have
"pests" in the building. Should anyone eliminate these
"pests" he will grant them a free life time pass to stay in the
building forever.
What follows is a rampage of street thugs and martial arts
masters all doing their best to take down the SWAT team. Many are gunned down from the start while the
others do their best to get out of the stairwell and into some form of cover.
But the bullets fly and machetes are wielded with ease as the combatants try to
take out this dedicated team.
There are no words to describe the battle sequences these
policemen find themselves in. The first amazing fight sequence takes place at
about the 38 minute mark, a hand to hand combat scene that only lasts 2 minutes
or so but that you'll find yourself rewinding to watch again. When I went back
to watch sequences before writing this review that was the first spot I went
to. It's followed by more sequences of amazing action and combat that first off
is rare these days in action films more interested in chase scenes and secondly
gives us a full view of the action rather than the close up shots seen in most
action films these days. This movie captures the essence of action and never
lets you go.
When I watched this film I watched it with the subtitles on
the screen (it was shot in Indonesia but directed by a Welsh director).
Fortunately for those who aren't willing to go the subtitle route, the film is
subbed in English. This brings up the fact that the film is indeed foreign. But
that shouldn't stop anyone from watching this film, especially if you are an
action fan.
In looking back over the past year and the action films I've
watched, I find it difficult to find another film that packs as much of a
whollop as this film does. The only one that comes to mind is THE EXPENDABLES
but that was released a year earlier. This is a movie that as an action film
fan I wanted to make sure I had on my shelf. It's a film that I know I'll
revisit from time to time. Looking at the behind the scenes moments offered in
the special features I found it an even more amazing film to watch. Make a
point of at least checking this movie out. As for me, I think I'll go fire up
the DVD player and watch it one more time.
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