Or, to give it its full title The Raid: Redemption. This Indonesian action movie burst onto the scene in 2011 from the Welsh director Gareth Evans (who also wrote the script) and starring Iko Uwais as Rama.
The plot, such as it is, is paper thin. A SWAT team invades an apartment building which is the safe house of a powerful drug lord Tama and his gang. Hijinks ensue. Lots of people come out of it very very badly.
I’d heard of this film a long time ago, but only recently got to see it. I’ve seen a huge range of action movies over the years and this seemed right up my street, but I wasn’t quite prepared for how utterly brilliant it is. The action scenes are exhausting to watch – it’s an hour and a half of pretty much non-stop action after the initial setup.
If you have any interest in action movies, I strongly urge you to seek this out. As with Oldboy, they’re talking about doing an american remake (Chris and Liam Hemsworth are reportedly being considered for the lead role). Don’t bother. Watch this instead and marvel at the sheer carnage. Glorious stuff. The action scenes are creative, original and intense. The film zips past, leaving you with your jaw on the floor and wanting more.
Luckily the sequel, The Raid: Berandal, is out at the cinemas now. I, for one, can’t wait.
previously, on The A-Z Challenge
A is for Alien
B is for The Breakfast Club
C is for Catching Fire
D is for Die Hard
E is for The Empire Strikes Bank
F is for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
G is for Goldfinger (and GoldenEye)
H is for Howl’s Moving Castle
I is for Inception
J is for Jurassic Park
K is for Kung Fu Panda
L is for Labyrinth
M is for Moon
N is for National Treasure
O is for Oldboy
P is for Pitch Black
Q is for Quantum of Solace
espresso coco