Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!
If the trailer above doesn’t even entice you in the least, then stop reading and go watch some kid movies. The Raid: Redemption is by far and away one of the best action films of the year period. This is a film in which the hype matched the content of this movie and surpassed all my expectations going into this movie. This is an action film fans wet dream, the sort of thing that makes the regular readers of Soldier of Fortune magazine blush when they witness a film that brings together fantastic gun play, acrobatic fight scenes and no holds barred, gritty, visceral attitude to a pure action film. Grow a set and read on!
The Raid just kicks the competition in the chest with it’s pulse pounding action scenes, throwing out everything possible in terms of stunt, variety and stylistic kill. Gareth Evans seems like a director that got told bedtime stories from thrown away action scripts and instead of The Muppets, he watches kick ass action films. It shows through every frame of this film as he absconds with plot and places more and more frenetic action than possible. Sure, they try and tell a story with a humanistic side so we can kind of sort of connect with the hero, but then it even gets bored of itself and decides that now would be a perfect time for a 8 on 1 fight scene or hallway shootout. The times it slows down in this film is ramped up with the next set piece. If you are going to go for thrills and no frills, then go all out.
Listen, if the trailer didn’t appeal to you, then I don’t know what to say. It appeals to the film goer who just wants to see senseless, mesmerizing fighting and action, which The Raid delivers. It comes out today on Blu-Ray and I put this film on my top ten list of the year easily. Check out my review excerpt below for more goodies.
I got to hand it to Evans and The Raid, cause this is what an action movie is supposed to be. The film is basically a series of action movie tropes, but done right. You got scenes where countless thugs are just using full auto bursting guns with a seemingly endless stream of bullets. In fact, only like 4 people in the movie, all cops, seemed to remember to reload their guns. It’s like they forgot the guns that never run out of ammo at the gear check in the station. You have a high body count that would make any action star blush along with bulletproof bodies, requiring entire clips to take down one person. It plays out like a video game where each floor of the apartment houses a new enemy type. There is a floor where everyone knows martial arts or a floor with only machete wielding, killing machines and then the big boss is at the top. It might all seem too ridiculous to exist, but believe me that it does and it is wonderful. Read More