Raid 2, The (2014) [Blu-ray]
Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline: It's Not Over Yet

Following immediately after the events of The Raid, Rama (Iko Uwais) is forced to reinvent himself as an undercover cop in order to provide protection for his wife and child. Working for the anti-corruption taskforce led by the one person he can trust, Bunawar, he is given a mission to engage himself as an enforcer for a local mob boss, Bangun. Finding a way in through Bangun's son Uco, Rama must hunt for information linking Bangun with police force corruption. All the while, he harbors a dangerous and personal vendetta for revenge and justice that threatens to consume him - and bring both this mission and the organized crime syndicates crashing down.

Storyline: He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen - a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls - rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn't have been more wrong. Formidable though they may have been, Rama's opponents in that fateful building were nothing more than small fish swimming in a pond much larger than he ever dreamed possible. And his triumph over the small fry has attracted the attention of the predators farther up the food chain. His family at risk, Rama has only one choice to protect his infant son and wife: He must go undercover to enter the criminal underworld himself and climb through the hierarchy of competing forces until it leads him to the corrupt politicians and police pulling the strings at the top of the heap. And so Rama begins a new odyssey of violence, a journey that will force him to set aside his own life and history and take on ... Written by Sony Pictures Classics

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman on July 7, 2014 -- The Raid 2: Berandal, Director Gareth Evans' follow-up to the hugely popular 2011 Action extravaganza The Raid: Redemption, returns that film's lead character for round two of bloody, ultra-violent mayhem, this film supported by a larger scale dramatic involvement than was seen in its predecessor. The film in some ways benefits from a tighter purpose and greater narrative structure even as it comes at the expense of screen time for hardcore action and grit. Fans of the first may worry about this film's slower pacing and focus on characterization and character relationships, which eat up about half the runtime. Fret not, however; the film maintains, if not increases, the level of violent intensity that defined the first, going so hardcore in spots that the film has been banned in Malaysia and suffered a few minor nicks and cuts of its own in the editing room, leaving the film as it is undoubtedly a little less bloodied but not any noticeably less intense when the action kicks into high gear. All that said, unless audiences want only a highlight reel of blood-and-guts, The Raid 2 should satisfy fans of the original, even if all of the added drama and character complexities never venture very far away from genre generic.

The film picks up immediately after the end of the first. A bloodied Rama (Iko Uwais), upon learning his brother has been murdered by a criminal outfit headed by the dangerous Bejo (Alex Abbad), is coerced into going undercover to infiltrate another dangerous crime syndicate. He leaves behind his wife and infant child for a stint in prison, going by the name "Yuda," where he gains the confidence of Uco (Arifin Putra), son of the powerful criminal boss Bangun (Tio Pakusadewo). Two years later, he and Uco have been released. Yuda becomes a key figure within the internal power structure of Bangun's organization. As things become more dangerous and a rift forms from within, Rama must face his deadliest challenges yet in an effort to do his job and stay alive.

The Raid 2 plays like a film of two unique styles, one of tight, relentless action and the other all of the character interactions and dramatic angles and build-ups necessary to transport the film to a time and place in which the ultra-violence makes contextual sense. Even as the film maneuvers through a host of dramatic arcs -- Rama's undercover work, the growing schism in the Bangun family, the clash of criminal organizations -- none of it feels particularly new or, frankly, all that compelling beyond that aforementioned push it gives towards the film's impressive action scenes (more on those below). In its character drama, The Raid 2 fails to capture the imagination, giving only passive play to Rama's personal life outside of his undercover work (even as it may drive him across a more invisible, inward arc) and playing with a host of been there, done that contrivances that likely won't pique the interest beyond their ability to frame the film's action scenes in some context and allow for a particularly bloody -- and not at all expected or shocking -- final act. It's all well executed by a talented cast and crew and it's sufficiently fleshed out, but that lack of dramatic creativity doesn't allow the film to stretch its legs in those many moments when the fisticuffs and firearms are set aside in favor of all of those other elements in play.

Yet the filmmakers know that many fans will buy tickets only in anticipation of the expected parade of violence, and Evans and company don't disappoint. In that arena, The Raid 2 proves bigger and better than its predecessor, building on the foundation established in the first and pushing limits in this second installment. The Raid 2 showcases some of the most brutal and relentless violence ever captured on film, the type that would probably make Quentin Tarantino happy (and it even introduces a character in "Hammer Girl" that would feel right at home in one of his red-washed epics). The Raid 2's dark interior and darker façade only accentuate the violence's purpose and production. The film features not only copious amounts of blood, but choreography equal to the bloodshed. It's a reference reel of make-believe violence sold as reality, from fists to hammers and from edged weapons to firearms doing their thing to fragile flesh. While the film's pacing and lengthy interludes between its violence may give the impression that this sequel is somehow less violent than its predecessor, rest assured that when people get angry, there's absolutely no lack of precision, hard, and sometimes difficult to watch action.

The Raid 2 is bigger and longer, but not necessarily better, than the original. It's a fine film, featuring flawless Action execution and delivering some detailed, but not really hefty, dramatic and character currents amongst the bloodshed. Fans of the original will probably be pleased, even considering this film's overall larger structure. The action is just as, if not more so, intense, and the film sufficiently pushes its protagonist further along in his career. Sony's Blu-ray release of The Raid 2 delivers high end video and audio. The package includes a nice assortment of extra goodies. This is not for the weak-hearted but it definitely comes recommended to fans of the first and aficionados of bloody film action.

[CSW] -3.1- The first 'Raid' stampeded into American with proper acclaim: devastating choreography, with masterful editing and composition by the director Gareth Evans. It was a lean, efficient storytelling machine, spending just enough time developing the characters and conflicts to ensure it wasn't simply a meaningless jumble of visceral and brutal combat. It was hardly storytelling gold, but it did the job. So yes: aiming for something more epic is a worthy goal - escalating the claustrophobic events of film one to a citywide scale and encompassing a complex, spiraling gang war. In a genre like action films, where story is so often treated as a mere inconvenience, lord knows aiming for something more in-depth is something to be praised. Regrettably, Evans sabotages that goodwill with haphazard execution. The fight scenes were damn near ruined by disappointingly excessive shaky cam work. Obviously the intention is to get the viewer right in there, and that's a really admirable goal, but IMO they took it way too far and ended up actually distracting me. There's clearly a lot of amazing stuff happening, but it's as if the film wants to make it as hard for us to enjoy as possible. The trio of fight scenes at the end did make up for it somewhat with far more dynamism and energy and less shaky cam work. If you have to choose between the first and the second be sure to watch the first one first.
[V4.5-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box


º º