The Raid: The Way of the Gun-Fist Combo

The Raid: Redemption

Written and Directed By: Gareth Evans

Starring: Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim

Director of Photography: Matt Flannery, Editor: Gareth Evans, Original Music: Aria Prayogi, Joseph Trapanese, and Fajar Yuskemal

Correction: The review of this film accidentally misidentified the director of the film. It is Gareth Evans, not Gareth Edwards.

            “Why are we attacking today?” A soldier asks his captain before their raid of an apartment complex. Another soldier, before the captain can answer, chides such a question. “You do what you’re told!” he exclaims. And what better way explains The Raid: Redemption, an Indonesian action flick that combines cops and robbers with extreme kung fu. The Raid (the Redemption was added by distributor Sony Classic Pictures for confounding reasons) has been heavily buzzed and critically lauded since it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year, and thus expectations have probably risen to incalculable amounts for a film that is simply a balls-to-the-walls action flick. And perhaps because of those expectations, I found the flick to be dull and monotonous, occasionally inspired by its kung-fu intensity, but not once engaging.

            If anything, The Raid should launch the career of writer-director Gareth Evans, who has a tale of classic good guys versus bad guys. The film begins with Rama (Iko Uwais), a soldier whose taskforce must infiltrate the apartment complex of a high level crime lord. The apartment is seething with criminals, all armed with machetes, machine guns, and the likes. And of course, it turns out that the raid itself has not been commissioned on any official channels; these boys are on their own, and soon find themselves outnumbered and outmatched.