The Raid 2: Berandal

Plot synopsis:
The film opens in a large field, where two cars drive up to a man digging a large hole. Two men pull a man with a bag over his head out of the car and push him to the ground next to the hole. It is revealed that the one who is responsible for this private meeting is a self-made Jakarta gang lord called Bejo; having taken off the bag over his head, the hostage is revealed to be Andi, who looks apparently bruised and beaten (presuming after torture). Bejo lectures him about his ambitiousness and Andi begs for mercy, Just then, Bejo speaks of Tama (the film's previous antagonist and Andi's former boss), he tells Andi that despite his demise, Tama had all ready knew which amount of level he would reach which was why Bangun allowed him to let Tama be who he was, this was when Andi was given hope months ago but, when it came to choose between Bangun and Bejo, Andi chose Bangun, having finished his sentence and announcing that the full circle 'Ambition and Limitation' begins once more. Bejo shoots Andi in the head and his henchmen drag his body into the grave.Immediately after the events of The Raid, Rama (Andi's brother), Bowo, and Lieutenant Wahyu are sitting in an undisclosed location with Bunawar and two of his men. Bunawar, a police officer, is determined to bring both the corrupt police and the criminals to justice by any means. He tells one of them to take Bowo to the hospital. After he leaves, Bunawar orders his other man to kill Wahyu, despite Rama's attempts to stop this, Bunawar's men shoots Wahyu four times, killing him. Rama becomes angry but Bunawar tells him that he was a dead man anyway. Rama begins to argue with Bunawar by saying that he had evidence to testify against Wahyu and that he could have brought him to life on justice, but Bunawar declines his words and simple tells him that his evidence is not enough and that Bunawar and his corrupt unit are just a "small division", despite the fact that he also had the case to bring Tama's evidence that will give Wahyu more than just life in the inside. He then tells Rama that his life and his family are in danger after what transpired in Tama's apartment building. He asks Rama to be part of his undercover team in order to take out all the corruption in the police force, along with Bangun, Goto, and Reza, the top criminal heads. Rama refuses, explaining to Bunawar that while their goals are the same, their methods are not.In the aftermath of the apartment block raid, Bunawar presents his superiors with all the cops' files, except Rama's. He claims there were no survivors. The camera then shows two men watching from behind the mirror, the man is the grey suit asks about the previous events while the man in the black suit is revealed to be Reza, a corrupt police commissioner who was mentioned in the previous film to have paid Tama off in order for the killing of Wahyu after betraying him, as well as eliminating all who were part of his unit too. Reza responds that he'll "keep looking" and take care of the situation "personally", though presumably for any loose ends that may threaten to expose them.Later, we see Rama and his father mourning the death of Andi. This convinces Rama to take the job from Bunawar. His family is relocated somewhere safer as Bunawar has promised to Rama. During the meeting, Bunawar tells Rama that the man who killed his brother was Bejo, who is revealed to be a upcoming and ambitious gangster, though Rama already knows the name; he is then told that his brother had big enemies and if Rama doesn't accept the offer now, Reza and his men will come looking for Rama and have himself and his family killed. Rama is instructed to keep his focus between Bangun (from Indonesia) and Goto (from Japan), He is told that Tama had answered to Bangun in order to achieve his goals until his apparent downfall. His first order from Bunawar is to get close to Uco, Bangun's son, who is in prison, so that once as Rama gets close to Bangun, this will allow Bunawar and his division to wipe out Reza and his crooks; having learned that Bunawar wants evidences with all names that puts Reza's hands in Bangun's pockets. Bunawar tells Rama to beat up the son of a politician who Uco is enemies with in order to gain his trust and would lead to his arrest, Rama disagrees, saying that he needs a better reason to do this, Bunawar tells him that the politician is a major key player of Bejo, this gains Rama's attention, who does the job offscreen and as a result, Rama is arrested.Rama is in prison, sitting in a toilet stall when he is suddenly attacked by Uco's men, led by Benny. He fights them all before being overpowered. He later sits in his cell, bruised and beaten-up, punching the wall several times as practice. At lunch, Uco goes up to Rama, who calls himself 'Yuda', and tries to convince him to join his side since he defeated fifteen of his men. Rama declines his offer. During visiting hours, Uco meets with one of his father's underlings, Eka, who wants him to have extra protection since his life is in constant danger. He tells Eka that he is curious about Rama/Yuda, but is told that he isn't of interest. Meanwhile, Rama meets with one of Bunawar's men who tells him that he has to stay in prison for two years, not months like he was promised, due to the politician's anger.In the prison courtyard, the prisoners sit away from the rain. Rama starts to notice some of the prisoners on the other side signalling to each other and passing around a shank. Soon, Benny and the other two approach Uco who is sitting a few seats away. Before they could strike, Rama uses a broom handle to fend them off and saves Uco's life. This initiates a riot in the courtyard, and the prisoners and guards fight in the mud. Some prisoners are shot dead as they try to climb the prison fence. Uco is attacked several times and when he is almost unconscious on the ground, Benny goes over to finish him off. However, Rama steps in and once again, saves Uco and nearly kills Benny, However, he is later knocked out by a guard, but not before catching Uco's attention.Two years later: Rama is released from prison. He notices a wire on his jacket and immediately tears it out. Outside, he is met by Uco, who had him released a year early. He takes him to his father, who wants to thank Rama personally. In Bangun's place, Bangun and Goto are meeting to discuss the uprising of Bejo. During the meeting, Goto worries about Bejo's ambitions and wanted to meet Bangun so that one of them will take care of Bejo's situation; Bangun tells Goto that he'll monitor the situation and he'll take Bejo out if he makes another move against them. After Goto and his son, Keiichi, leaves, Uco brings Rama before his father. He tells Rama to strip all of his clothes off to make sure he's not carrying a listening device. Bangun orders Eka to check Rama's clothes to double sure that he is not a cop, Eka don't find anything and Bangun accepts this. He is given new clothes along with a penthouse to stay in. As he puts on his new clothes, Bangun assures Rama that he will always appreciate for what he had done for his son and he'll truly never forget that, but Bangun warns him that he will now play by his rules and that he himself brought Rama into his family, looked after him and treat him like he truly is his family. Bangun then simple says to Rama "If you fuck up, you're out", Rama vows to keep Bangun's word and promise, before assuring Bangun that he will not let him down. Eka then shows Rama his own penthouse and leaves him be, but not after Eka gives Rama a cryptic message, stating that "they came from the same world".After he's alone, Rama blasts music really loudly and calls Bunawar using a SIM card he'd hidden in his mouth. He argues with his boss that he almost got him killed for having that wire on him and that he will do things his way from then on. After that conversation, Rama calls his wife. He asks her if he can listen to his son for a while.The next day, Uco, Eka, Rama, and two other henchmen go to an underground porn industry where they demand payment from them. The leader, Topan, refuses to pay the extra 5000 after he is caught importing drugs. One of his men reaches under the table for a concealed shotgun. Rama notices and immediately stops him. A firefight ensues, leaving all of Topan's men killed along with two of Uco's. Topan escapes and Rama gives chase. He catches him in a room where he mercilessly beats Topan but stops himself from dealing a killing blow.Eka compliments Rama's skill to Bangun. Uco then asks his father when he can move on to bigger things than simply collecting debts OR presumably taking over his organization if he dies. His father says he isn't ready to move on yet, which angers Uco. Later, at a club, Uco begins to abuse two of the working girls while getting drunk. Enraged after getting into an argument, Uco kicks one of them unconscious while abuses another for insulating him and refusing to sing, before singing with her though, Uco expresses his jealousy over his father's business and sulks for not accepting what's his. When the manager steps in, Rama tells the girls to leave. When the two men are alone, Rama tries to reassure Uco that his father will come around. Uco's phone rings and he steps outside to speak to the mystery caller. Rama takes the opportunity to place a wire in Uco's wallet.Meanwhile, Bangun meets with Prakoso, one of his most trusted hitmen who is also a homeless person. He gives him an envelope containing a new target. Prakoso is later sitting by a curb with his machete by his side, waiting for his target to appear. When he sees him and his guards with him, he quickly fends them all off and gives chase to his target. When they are both at a dead end, Prakoso impales his target with his machete.Rama meets Bangun the next day where he warns him on the matter of trust and ambitions. It is revealed that he killed Topan before Eka and his men dumps his body in a lake. Bangun recognises that Rama is best positioned to keep an eye on his son and asks to be kept informed if anything important comes up involving Uco.Later on at night, the person who called Uco is revealed to be Bejo, who wants to cause a war between Bangun and Goto, claiming both territories in the aftermath. During dinner, Bejo seems to be a practical man and appears unconcerned with history and tradition. As a gesture of goodwill and a show of commitment, he brings five former prisoners, including Benny, who attacked Uco and lets him to execute them all. As Uco goes to slit each of their throats, they discuss how they will be able to cause a rift between the two families. In reality, Bejo sees Bangun as a weak businessman whilst Goto drowns Reza and his crooks with whiskey and woman. Before killing Benny, Uco notices a distinct tattoo on Benny's wrist, who then looks at an unfazed Bejo before finally accepting his fate, Uco then kills Benny after ignoring his suspicions over the tattoo. Having finished watching Uco killing Benny and his last friends, Bejo says that they will need to kill a trusted man in Bangun's family and not just a foot soldier, When Uco begins to question this, Bejo says that he already has someone in his mind. Outside, Rama listens in on their entire conversation and then watches both Uco and Bejo shaking hands before leaving on separate diversions, Rama becomes shocked to learn of Uco's new alliance and shows his anger as he sees the man who killed his brother.At a restaurant, we see Prakoso meeting his ex-wife, who berates him for being an assassin. He asks if he can see his son, in which his ex-wife refuses. He later gets a message from Uco and leaves early. They meet up at a dance club where Prakoso tells Uco to be patient with his father and that he has the same fiery ambition within him. Uco goes to the bathroom. Prakoso takes out a locket with a picture of his son in it and stares at it for a while. He soon realizes the entire club becomes empty. The doors swing open and numerous men (who appear to be Bejo's henchmen) come in. Prakoso starts to fight these men. The fight leads to the alleyway, where Prakoso gets sliced numerous times but not while killing all of Bejo's henchmen. As Uco runs outside to witness the aftermath of the fight, both he and Prakoso notices Bejo's Assassin on the other side of the street, leaning against his car (whom Bejo is inside), Just then, Prakoso discovers that Uco betrayed him by allowing Bejo to have him killed before realizing that he is finished. Taking out the locket, Prakoso faces the Assassin, who leans in to look into his victim's eyes before quickly finishing him off with his two knives, killing Prakoso, all the while Uco is watching.At Bangun's headquarters, Uco pretends that Prakoso was killed by the Japanese, Goto's men. He demands retribution from his father but Bangun shoots it down, stating that he does not want to ruin the peace between the families. Rama comes in and is told to go calm Uco down. He tries, but fails. Uco calls Bejo and tells him to continue with the plan, regardless of Bangun's approval. Bejo then orders his three assassins, The Assassin (who killed Prakoso), Baseball Bat Man, and Hammer Girl, to hunt down specific targets from Goto's family.The Assassin is seen beating up his target in the fields, the target tries to escape, only to be captured by Bejo's henchmen. It is shown that The Assassin's target was confronted at the same fields where Bejo killed Andi in the beginning of the film. Bejo then watches as The Assassin executes his target, who begged for mercy. Meanwhile, Hammer Girl's target is shown in the train with 10 of Goto's gangsters; Hammer Girl easily dispatches Goto's henchmen before killing her target in cold blood. Elsewhere, Baseball Bat Man uses his Baseball Bat to slaughter all of Goto's goons before confronting his target, who is having a meeting with somebody; presumably for Goto's organizations or plots for Goto's next step. Baseball Bat Man then uses his Bat and Ball to kill Goto's organizer and wound his target, who tried to escape but now as a broken back. Baseball Bat Man tells his target to "Give him the ball", but he instead tosses it away. Baseball Bat Man responds that what he just did was "a mistake" and, despite Goto's member begging for mercy, ends up killing his target by smacking his head with the Baseball Bat repeatedly, before the screen turns black.The scene then turns to Rama, who enters into a Taxi and prepares to head back to Bangun's headquarters. All seems quiet, when suddenly he is attack by a group of attackers, who end up killing the taxi driver in the process. Rama escapes momentarily and runs into a restaurant. He defeats his multiple attackers. He stops the last one by pressing his face into on a hot grill, and then notices the man is wearing police identification, meaning that the men who tried to kill him were Reza's crooks.At a meeting between Bangun and Goto, the two are ordered to repair their truce or forcibly disband their families. Bangun agrees and takes full responsibility for everything his son has done, much to Uco's anger. Returning to his penthouse, Rama treats his wounds and angrily calls his boss Bunawar. He tells him that he was attacked by police and demands to be pulled out. Bunawar refuses. Instead, he reveals that the cause was actually Corruption, shock to learn, Rama is told that he was never investigating Bangun and now Reza and his men are getting support from the Goto family; although Bunawar tells him that his identity is safe. Rama then angrily hangs up and sighs in frustration after Bunawar is suddenly making his mission a lot more difficult and harder; now that being told that he was never investigating Bangun and the only target who Bunawar wanted to focus on was Reza all this time. Just then, Rama receives a call from Bangun's assistanct, Eka, who tells him to come to Bangun's immediately. Bangun beats Uco for provoking the Japanese. Uco expresses his outrage at not being promoted in his father's organization. Bangun finds out that his son is directly involved with the growing feud between him and Goto, after the latter attempts to make things right, Bangun punches Uco until Eka stops him for doing more. Bangun then orders Eka to prepare for a meeting where he sells his land to Goto and his family.Just then, Bejo and his men, including The Assassin, arrive to confront Bangun. a tearful Uco tells his father to forgive him, Bangun learns too late that Uco has betrayed him (just as he discovers he did the same to Prakoso) and that he was with Bejo to get rid of Goto and his syndicate the entire time, Uco then shoots his father at blank rage, killing Bangun. Eka calls Uco a traitor and attempts to stop this but Uco shoots him in the leg. Just as Eka asks Uco about his betrayal, Bejo takes the gun from Uco and prepares to kill Eka when Rama arrives, having founded out of Bangun's death, Uco's betrayal, Bejo's arrival and Eka's injury. Rama fights past Bejo's henchmen and disarms him but his chance to kill him is blocked when The Assassin attacks, Rama tells Eka to run, Eka flees before the short fight begins, The Assassin defeats Rama easily, Bejo asks Uco what does he want to do about Rama, a wounded and guilt Uco makes no response and Bejo has Rama taken away, ordering to have him killed later on.Eka watches as Rama is dragged into a car. A convoy of Bejo's men then drive him away. On the way, Eka pursues the convoy and calls Rama. He collides with the car Rama is in, inciting a car chase. Rama fights the men holding him captive while Eka takes out the accompanying vehicles. Rama disables his captors with great difficulty and escapes, jumping into Eka's car. The two make it out of the chase alive while all of Bejo's henchmen are left dead.In Goto's office, Goto, having heard of Bangun's death and Reza's betrayal, is angry at Bejo's involvement and demands that he be killed. Goto is about to complain about Reza when Ryuichi, Goto's translator, reveals that Bangun was killed by Uco, who allied himself with Bejo and that Reza is off to a meeting with them. Concerned with this new alliance and making his decision, Goto decides to 'start over' and declares war on Bejo and Reza, demanding that everyone of Bejo, Uco, Reza and the syndicate (Bejo's gang and Reza's corrupt cops) all die that night. Keiichi is shocked about this but Goto warns his son that Reza and his crooks are no longer cops and that they're in ''his world now''.At a ruined site, Eka pulls over and reveals to Rama that he knows he is an undercover cop and that he was one too. Bleeding to death, Eka tells Rama that only by taking out everyone at once can the conflict be ended. He leaves the car and dies peacefully while Rama drives away.He calls Bunawar and argues about Eka, wondering why his presence was kept a secret. Bunawar reveals that Eka fed him bad intel, which led to ten cops dying, and is disgraced. After being told that the commissoner is dead and also furious over Bunawar's complaints that Eka had betrayed the police and Bunawar himself for Bangun and becoming a family man of his life, Rama learns that Reza, his true target, is being picked up in Uco's wire and that Bunawar is on his way. It is revealed that Reza wants to talk to Bejo and Uco to start a new business organization and in order to disband Goto and his syndicate. Just then, Rama asks his boss if his family is safe and will remain that way, in which Bunawar assures they are and will be. Rama then hangs up on him (telling him to keep it that way before making one last pray to himself, If he survives, he can go home and reunite to his family in one piece, but if he dies, at least he knows that his family is still safe under Bunawar's protection from Reza and both his crooks and syndicate). He is outside Bejo's restaurant where he drives through one of the garages and alerts his men. While he fights them, Uco is in the bathroom upstairs, bruised and beaten. As he is about to tip the towel boy, he notices the wire. He goes back to Reza and Bejo sitting at the table and remains silent throughout. One of the henchmen warns Bejo that Rama escaped custody and is now in the building. He orders everyone to kill him, sending The Assassin, Baseball Bat Man, and Hammer Girl. When Bejo accidentally drops his cane, Uco looks down and notices the same tattoo that was on one of the former prisoners he executed. Uco learns that Bejo was the one who tried to have him killed in prison and that now the alliance is no longer useful, Bejo will try to have him killed again to spark the war and take Goto's land and territory all for himself.After finishing everyone off in the warehouse, Rama moves up to face Baseball Bat Man and Hammer Girl. During the fight, Baseball Bat Man is overpowered before Rama slits Hammer Girl's throat and, despite Baseball Bat Man's shock response with the shout of "NO", Rama kills her. Baseball Bat Man then viciously tries to avenge his fallen sister, only to be defeat by Rama, who then kills him by slamming his face with his Baseball Bat. He enters the kitchen and faces The Assassin. The engage in a lengthy and very brutal fight, and Rama, unlike his prior fight with The Assassin, keeps the upper hand. Near defeat, The Assassin pulls out two curved knives he's kept in sheaths behind his back. He wounds Rama, but Rama eventually disarms and takes one of the knives, where the two begin to slash each other. All looks tied until The Assassin starts to get the advantage, but Rama finally keeps his ground and begins slashing The Assassin repeatedly. Blooded and Wounded near the end of the fight, Rama finishes the Assassin off by cutting The Assassin repeatedly until he slices his throat, killing him.Bloodied and wounded, Rama enters the dining room, interrupting Bejo, Uco, and Reza. Using the knife he obtained from The Assassin, he kills two guard and fights a third. Bejo retrieves a shotgun runs from the bar. He throws it to Reza but Uco grabs it instead, shooting and killing Reza. Bejo grabs a second shotgun, kills his own henchmen by accident and shoots at Rama several times, but Rama is only slightly wounded and takes cover. Uco shoots Bejo, first in the leg, and then the shoulder. Uco stands over Bejo and drops the wire on him before pointing the shotgun in his face and firing, this ends up exploding his head, killing Bejo. He turns to kill Rama behind a couch. He shoots relentlessly but as he approaches the couch, Rama seizes the moment before Uco can pump the shotgun again to jump up and throw the knife, wounding Uco. Uco and Rama cling to each other, both wounded, until Rama finishes Uco by stabbing him.Uco dies and Rama stumbles out of the dining room. Bunawar races to Bejo's restaurant but before he can get there, Rama reenters the warehouse. Keiichi and his men are waiting for him at the entrance. They talk, words unheard, though all is assumed that Keiichi offers Rama a chance to join the japanese, the discussion, as well as the entire storyline, ends with Rama simply says, "No...I'm done."

Tags: comedy, neo noir, murder, violence, flashback, action, revenge

Review:
The choreography here is some of the best ever put on film.There is no question that Uwais is currently the premiere martial arts star, and there is certainly no question that Gareth Evans is the greatest action director on the planet.
This movie is a great combination of a gangster flick with a very well coordinated martial arts.The director Gareth Evans is masterful at filming incredible action sequences, probably better than ANY Hollywood directors working right now.
Not to mention the unforgettable cinematography that was brilliantly managed by people who knows what they're doing.The only downside is perhaps the running time which could have been shortened 15-20 minutes, but you will still always be entertained while watching this movie.Overall, The Raid 2 is arguably one of the best sequels ever, and even one of the best martial arts movies ever.
This film try's a lot of new things and all of which work for example are car chase scene which is one of the best I've seen in any movie.
And with good story and characters of course comes excellent acting which is often rare in action films, these actors are absolutely teeming with talent, all of which can act and can fight.
With its fast paced action and believable fight scene choreography whilst not being over the top with an aim for realism that would diminish the combat's entertainment factor.With 'The Raid 2: Berandal', we are brought back into the gritty world of the first movie directly following where the story left off.
We also get to watch them fight and are able to enjoy their unique styles rather than the usual, 'this character is a bad guy' scenes to barely introduce them.The fight scenes are excellently choreographed and the way they are shot is spectacular, a lot of imagination and ingenuity is used to really throw the viewer directly into the action.
The gore and violence level reflect far more realistic outcomes considering the brutality of both the scenarios and the weapons.When I try to compare this to the usual Hollywood blockbuster action movies reduced to PG13 to get more people in to watch it, its impossible.
The movie delivers far more in the way of action and fight sequences whilst maintaining a sensible and cohesive plot.If you are expecting(for some bizarre reason) to see an amazing plot to compare to The Godfather or The Departed you probably are expecting the wrong things.
((From: http://thinmanmoviereviews.wordpress.com/)) In 2011, Welsh director Gareth Evans gave us "The Raid: Redemption" – one of the best pure action films of the last decade – and hinted at his potential to be a new and exciting presence in the writer/director realm.
The action was hard-hitting, lightning fast, supporting a simple, contained story of one man fighting against an entire tower of enemies in a way that was reminiscent of classics like "Die Hard".
In fact, I'm going to make a bold statement that you can feel free to quote me on:"The Raid 2″ is the best action movie ever made.Where sequels are concerned, this film does absolutely everything right.
No longer contained to just one address, the fight scenes in "Raid 2″ cover car chases, cramped subway trains, muddy prison yards, night clubs, and city streets, and every action set piece hits all the right notes.
Furthermore, this sequel is indeed a confirming proof that Gareth Evans's undoubtedly an experienced and adept action film writer-director whom i think should be eyed and wanted by the Hollywood producers to direct/write decent action movies, with martial arts but perhaps less violent.
Iko Uwais, although his total screen-time percentage's less (reduced because of the more complicated story n characters) compared with the first film and the role of his character is, didn't lose his hero persona, he constantly showed off his skills in the martial arts by fighting tons of enemies, got a bit improved in his acting (thanks to the story with its more dialogues).I urgedly forbid any parent to bring their young little children to watch this movie.
This Movie Will Blow Your Face Off. The first Raid remains one of my favorite action films of all time.
From a deeper story and plot, to more bone crunching, blood letting violence, everything here is bigger, better, and hits harder.Picking up pretty much where the last one left off, our hero Rama is the last survivor of the original film and is wanted by a special, small law enforcement group attempting to out crooked cops.
What follows is a twisted plot of shifting alliances, as our hero navigates the underworld while punching, kicking, kneeing, and elbowing everything that gets in his way.While the first film was confined to a single location with lots of closed in fights, this is all out, balls to the wall action that has little boundaries.
Conspiracy theories out the window!This movie is a masterpiece of martial arts cinema and is easily the best thing to be released from Asia in the past 15 years.Being a fan of the previously released Raid film, specifically due to its relentless overload of close quarters action, I was a little sceptical about the second film's plot expansion and how it would all work.My worries where in no way realised as this movie combines the abundance of action found in the first film with a well written and executed storyline that is both deep and easy to understand.Performances from the cast are all round excellent, everyone plays their part and does so with a sense of menace similar to that of old age Asian cinema.The way the film is shot is at times breathtaking, setting the scene with some fantastic panning shots of pivotal areas and the use of lighting brings these shots to life in beautiful detail.
From a snow ridden back alley to a dark and seedy nightclub, everything is realised in such detail that it is hard to ignore what a great job the DOPs have done!The score is tremendous, building and crashing as the action on screen flows or complementing subtlety a plot developing scene in a restaurant or an office.Gareth Evans has far exceeded my expectations with this movie and originally I was again sceptical upon reading, prior to seeing this movie, that The Raid 3 would be set 3 hours prior to the conclusion of The Raid 2..
Maybe it was because I had heard so many great things about it that my expectations were a bit too high, but it was still the best action movie I had seen in a long time at it's release.
Amazing fight scenes, brutal violence and surprisingly good story & acting make this movie a true credit to the genre and should set the standard for any action movies that come after it.
In this case, there is a real story and many things are really unexpected and very well thought about.The movie is 30 or more minutes longer than the first one which is mostly used for setups and character development; however the level of violence higher and realism of the fights is shocking.
just got back from seeing this movie, I have to be completely honest, I've literally seen thousands upon thousands of action movies, and I have to say with this one tops every movie that has come before it in action, brutality and relentlessness, it literally does not let go of your senses till the credits roll 2 and a half hours later, it has the best fight I've ever seen put on film, here's a good example of a good movie fight, Jet Li vs General Fugita in Fists of Legend 1992, That fight was epic because it had enough length to really get into it and very well choreographed, you can also add any and all of Tony Jaa's movie fights all of Bruce Lee's movie Fights as well as Jackie Chan's movie Fights, in short any fight you've ever seen in a movie would pale in comparison to the last major fight in the movie, trust me, it was Epic and Brutal in the best of ways, also this movie should really be rated NC-17 because of the non-stop Graphic Violence, there isn't any one particular scene that's uber graphic with the exception of maybe 2 or 3 but it's the sheer amount of violence throughout the movie, I for one loved every minute of it, I have to have this on Bluray the minute it comes out, will probably see it again before the week is up and can't recommend it enough, how do you top this movie?
You are here to see as much carnage as legally possible within a certain timeframe.And boy, does it deliver.Containing just as much action as in the original (although it was spaced out far more because of time length and storytelling elements in between), The Raid 2 is flawlessly directed and edited by Gareth Evans (easily rising as among the top directors in the world) as every single gunfight, fistfight, and chase sequence is delivered with just enough creativity, bloodshed, and content to satisfy any action fan.
Conversely The Raid 2 aims to be a full blown crime saga with factions, character arks, double crosses all while maintaining the lightning fast, ultra-visceral style of martial arts filmmaking that was present in the last installment.After the events of the first film our hero Rama (played in this installment with a surprising amount of emotion by Iko Uwais) is drafted into an undercover branch of Jakarta's police force.
Not that this is at all a negative however; as soon as the film kicks into action with a jaw-dropping opening scene, time becomes a mere fantasy as you become lost in Evans' dazzling world of violence, gore and snippets of dark humor.
This was literally the perfect action movie, fight scenes all over the place with choreography like iv'e never seen before.
Released like a bat out of hell in 2011, Welshman Gareth Evans Indonesian set Iko Uwais starring actioner The Raid can now in the years following its legacy be classified as not only a cult classic but also an undisputed action classic that gave the genre a kick (and a gas canister filled fridge) where it needed to be kicked and set the standard for adrenaline racing thrills that many Hollywood wannabes lack.
After sitting on my thoughts for a few days now I finally feel confident in expressing my particular thoughts on what could be the year's most memorable movie.The Raid 2: Berandal (which stands for Thug or Thugs in Indonesian) is a massive step up in scope and territory for not only its writer/director in Evans but his cast which features the stars of the first entry Iko Uwais and everyone's favourite Mad Dog Yayan Ruhian in a new role as "The Assassin" plus a raft of new members.
To pick faults with ambition is a petty thing however when so much of the Raid 2 is above and beyond anything you have seen or are likely to see in the future both near and far.The scope and vision spoken about earlier appears so frequently throughout this movie that it almost could be taken for granted but what watchers of this film are privy to is a film that boasts action set pieces that defy logic to be bigger and better than the one before all culminating in what can only be described as one of the best car chases of recent memory and a kitchen set 2 man fight that is all types of amazing (the cinema audience I sat in with was well and truly up on their feet and clapping by this moment, and in truth most of the movie).
Credit needs to go to Evan's and his star Uwais who have shown considerable growth since the first outing with Evans showcasing an incredible vision as a director which well and truly sets him up as one of the most unique and talented working today while Uwais should be proud of his growth as an actor that should set him up in good stead to have a long a hopefully great career in the genre.There are pacing issues in this film and despite not possessing the original films unique charms and set up along with the firsts complete out of the blue appearance for many, The Raid 2 is still seriously jaw-dropping stuff that a cinema full of clapping, cheering and at many times wincing audience members can attest to.
Where the first movie had its main henchman Mad Dog, a vicious killer who was involved in one of the best 2 on 1 fight scenes I have ever seen, The Raid 2 has 2 hit men simply name Baseball Bat Man and Hammer Girl.
The first film was an extremely satisfying, virtually plot-free, relentlessly brutal fight-fest that left the viewer gasping for breath, but the sequel is so much more than that—a densely plotted, visually stunning, brilliantly acted, wonderfully controlled piece of drama with richly drawn characters that gradually morphs into an insanely violent, incredibly gory (so much blood!) and utterly exhilarating stunt-packed martial-arts/action masterpiece, one that re-defines the entire genre.Reminiscent of the Hong Kong heroic bloodshed genre (particularly those films by John Woo) and numerous Japanese Yakuza films, the plot explores the familiar themes of respect, honour and betrayal and features characters for whom the line between good and bad have become blurred.
However, in terms of action, it leaves these films in the dust (hard to believe, I know), with countless flawlessly executed scenes that put the viewer right in the midst of the mêlée, where each and every punch, kick, stab and slice can be experienced in extreme blood-drenched close-up.Pitted against some of the most awesome cinematic baddies ever realised (the likes of which will have Tarantino crying into his coffee knowing that he has forever been trumped by a Welshman), Iko Uwais, as undercover cop Rama, is simply amazing—one of the most physically impressive action movie stars I have ever witnessed—while Director Gareth Evans displays an understanding of his visual medium that I find difficult to comprehend, every scene executed with the utmost of care and skill, whether it be a simple lingering shot of a leaf in a field (before the inevitable explosion of violence) or a jaw-dropping, breakneck car chase (my personal favourite moment); together, they have taken the art of the action movie to a whole new level.
I really hope that someone gives this director a big Hollywood feature to play with, if nothing else so that this quality of action can be brought to a wider audience.Now they could have played white static in between each of the fight scenes and I would have still given this a decent rating, but there's also an engaging plot that makes you care about the characters and makes them much more than just vehicles for the next stunt-filled set piece.
The Raid released back in 2011 was an instant classic, the film didn't work within its limitations so much as thrive on them, simple plot, minimal character development, single location and then going for broke with non-stop action scenes that thrilled.
Better story, better directing, better characters, better writing, better action, better choreography and the list goes on The Raid 2 is the best sequel since The Dark Knight.It does what every good sequel (e.g. Terminator 2, The Godfather Part II) does and doesn't simply tell the same story with a bigger budget like most sequels, but creates a brand new story which improves upon the original's that makes it a standalone film and not just "the second one".
I saw the Raid and it was one of the best action/martial arts films in perhaps a decade (yes better than Ong Bak, SPL, etc...).
Its director Gareth Evans was already being hailed as a genius, with his innovative and realistic fight scenes, which did not let up on the gore.This sequel is called "The Raid 2: Berandal." While the first film was over in a quick hour and a half, this second one was an hour longer in its running time.
I usually don't write reviews but really have to come out in praise of this young director who has finally brought martial arts back into movies with aplomb.The raid was the most refreshing film i saw in years with the action and martial arts a perfect blend (far better then dredd).
Where the first movie felt like one very long fight scene (which wasn't a bad thing), this one went bigger and took its time to create a meaningful story for the characters.
The Raid 2: One of the best martial arts action films ever!
The story is very good; the way director Gareth Evans has blended highly impactful action into a story of this kind is commendable.Negatives:Undoubtedly, it's an out and out action movie meant to be watched more for the action than anything else and that's why the long duration, which is mostly due to the dramatic scenes might not go down well with everyone.But still the film is a complete entertainer!Repeat value: Definitely!THE RAID 2 is simply one of the best martial arts action films I've ever seen.
The Raid 2 is truly amazing.The End. Great movie, Fighting scenes are smooth and realistic.
The Raid 2: Berandal (2014) is a hard-core action martial arts-flick and one of the best sequel I have ever seen!
I have never seen in any action or martial arts film with the level of incredible stunt work and just brutal fighting in any other film.
There's a car chase sequence in the second half of the film that easily ranks as one of the best action sequences ever, and I wanted even more of Hammer Girl and Baseball Bat Man. All in all, I wouldn't rank this too far below the original The Raid.
If you like your action/martial arts films, just do yourself a favour and watch this.