The Raid 2
Director: Gareth Evans
Cast: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian
Length: 150 minutes
Country: Indonesia, USA
The much-anticipated sequel to Gareth Evans’s 2011 Indonesian martial arts global hit has opened in selected cinemas and boy if it isn’t a gorgeous mess. The Welsh director reteams with his original crew headed by the pencak-silat-trained leading man Iko Uwais, this time delving into the Indonesian underworld that we only saw a glimpse of in the first film. The Raid blew audiences away with its volatile mix of heart-stopping tension and fist-pumping fighting choreography, and now with The Raid 2, it’s clear we didn’t know the half of it. It boasts an ambitious 150 minute running time – expanding out its setting, variety of characters, and of course most importantly the scope of the balls-out throat-grabbing action sequences which are no doubt the film’s main pull. It’s disappointing, however, when The Raid 2’s ambition flies it far too close to the Sun, resulting in a film both parts scorched and beautiful.
Protagonist Rama’s story picks up more-or-less immediately after the events of the first film. With a few twists and turns to jump-start the film, Rama (Iko Uwais) eventually gets sent to prison undercover in order to get close to the son of a dominating mob boss of Jakarta. This triggers the film’s sprawling narrative, introducing a host of new characters: Uco – the dick son of the crime family, Bangun – the feared boss, Goto – the other feared boss but this one’s Japanese, Mad Dog 2.0 – a hobo with a machete, Baseball Bat Boy and Hammer Girl – the siblings from hell, Bejo – a Jeremy Piven lookalike, and ‘The Assassin’ – because eventually they ran out of names. I won’t be inclined to give much away plot-wise because the film’s promotional material has expertly avoided it. But in essence, The Raid 2 draws heavily from a variety of crime dramas like Infernal Affairs, A Better Tomorrow, and the works of Johnnie To, focusing on the cutthroat nature of this blood-curdling business.
Even if The Raid 2 doesn’t seem to be anything more than the sum of it amazing action sequences, it can still be a lot of fun. But by upping the blood, brawn and babes, The Raid 2 works to overpower the remnants left by the first film instead of following strategically on from it.
The Raid 2 excels where it counts. Every single action sequence is meticulously choreographed, excessively violent (it gets to some but I only gave away a couple winces) and unlike anything that came before it. The integration of martial arts into each high-octane set piece is absolutely masterful. Rama takes apart his foes with a sort of lyrical brutality. Baseball Bat Boy and Hammer Girl get there time to shine too, even if doesn’t quite match our hero’s. In terms of style and tone, Evans works effortlessly to sidestep every action film cliché. Michael Bayesian quick cuts are traded in for unique tracking shots that thrust the audience into the arena. There’s always an aura of brooding tension present before the fighting begins – it doesn’t build as effectively in this film, but this is brushed aside by the sheer gusto of some of the bigger action set-pieces – the prison riot and the final kitchen fight come to mind.
Beyond the blood-drenched extravaganza, Evans is hoping to achieve a lot more than the average blockbuster. A lot of care is taken to create an emotional journey for Rama, not just a physical one. Many of the secondary characters play their roles formidably even if they’re only second fiddle to Rama’s fists. But at times some character motivations are laughable at best. It feels as though Evans has packed too much into this punch that it just end up feeling padded. The Raid 2 occasionally squanders the incredibly visceral approach of its action with astonishingly shoddy story editing. It’s unfortunate that this film has to bear the responsibility of being ‘the second coming of the action genre’ but the scope of Evans’ vision is admirable and indeed a step in the right direction.
Other than Rama’s heroic expertise in kicking arse, there is nothing really here to draw you into this film’s world and call me old school but I wish it had a lot more love for squibs over digital blood (maybe Django Unchained has ruined me). So even if The Raid 2 doesn’t seem to be anything more than the sum of it amazing action sequences it can still be a lot of fun. But by upping the blood, brawn and babes, The Raid 2 works to overpower the remnants left by the first film instead of following strategically on from it. The original’s simplicity is replaced with a bag of convoluted crime-drama tropes. The madness and brutality that was once contained is now released to wreck havoc on the film’s pacing and its host of hit-or-miss secondary characters. This second raid bears little resemblance to the first; it’s unlikely the third film will be anything like this one. In regards to the plot, it’s clear that Evans has kept his cards close to his chest and in it’s entirety the film really does draw a pair of aces. It’s a shame it still gets beaten.
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