Only a short time after the first raid, Rama goes undercover with the
thugs of Jakarta and plans to bring down the syndicate and uncover the
corruption within his police force.
Director:Gareth Evans
Writer:Gareth Evans
Stars:Iko Uwais,
Yayan Ruhian,
Arifin Putra |
See full cast and crew »
Story line:
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 a new identity as the violent offender "Yuda." In
prison he must gain the confidence of Uco - the son of a prominent gang
kingpin - to join the gang himself, laying his own life on the line in a
desperate all-or-nothing gambit to bring the whole rotten enterprise to
an end.
- Written by
Sony Pictures Classics
-
In Jakarta, Indonesia, the SWAT officer Rama meets with police officer
Bunawar that invites him to join a secret anti-corruption team. The
reluctant Rama accepts to join the team to protect his family and learns
that Bunawar wants to expose the corrupt chief of police Reza that is
dealing with the mobster lords Bangun and Goto, but needs evidences.
Bunawar asks Rama to hit the son of a politician to be imprisoned and
get close to Bangun's son Uco in the prison. Rama goes undercover using
the name Yuda and saves the life of Uco in a mob in the prison
befriending him. Two years later, when Yuda is released, he is hired by
Bangun to work in their organization with his right arm Eka and Uco. But
the ambitious Uco is not satisfied with the behavior of his father
towards Goto's family and he secretly associates to the gang lord Bejo
to begin a war between the families. But Bangun does not want a war
against the Japanese mobster and Uco kills his own father. Yuda saves
Eka and now he has to fight for his own life.
- Written by
Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
-
Only a short time after the first raid, Rama goes undercover with the
thugs of Jakarta and plans to bring down the syndicate and uncover the
corruption within his police force.
- Written by
Official site
- The raid2 Review:
-
Viewed on March 28th at the Regal E-Walk cinema in the heart of New
York City.
After surviving the apartment building raid, Iko Uwais goes undercover
to take down an Indonesian crime syndicate that is feuding with an
invasive Japanese yakuza clan in Jakarta. Things get out of control and
everything goes to hell. That's the plot in a nutshell.
The fighting is the main draw of this film. Martial arts films are
frequently under-appreciated because critics tend to downplay the
artistry of orchestrating a fight sequence. In some ways it's like
staging a complex dance with extremely difficult performances by
physical talents who have spent their entire lives perfecting their
craft. In many cases it can be even more challenging than executing a
good dramatic moment. With that said, "The Raid 2" is an exquisite
ballet of death with an incredible variety of expertly crafted action
sequences that have a grounded, realistic feel to them. It's hard to
describe, but despite the insane action there's very little
outrageousness present. The choreography here is some of the best ever
put on film.
There is no question that Uwais is currently the premiere martial arts
star, and there is certainly no question that Gareth Evans is the
greatest action director on the planet. This man is a genius in terms
of visually expressing action through vivid, mind-blowing camera-work.
This guy never directed a car chase sequence in his life, and yet his
very first attempt is impressive. I did notice a bit more shaky cam in
this film when compared to its predecessor, but one can see everything
so it's not a problem. Evans is also a pro to create a crescendo of
action where every fight seems to outdo the one before it. This
generates an absolutely thrilling final hour that will go down in
history.
The gory violence of "The Raid 2" is a big "screw you" to PG-13 action
movies. Some critics are already whining about the graphic
bloodletting, but these are the same guys who hand out 90% approval
ratings to movies with incompetent action and no edge – *cough* "The
Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire" (2013) *cough*. The gore in "The Raid 2"
isn't just randomly thrown in either. It's a logical consequence of the
situation and characters, and it is applied in very creative ways. I
have heard that Evans was only coerced to cut a few "frames" due to the
MPAA review, but I have no idea which frames those were because the now
infamous shotgun kill is present in its full, unadulterated glory.
The $4.5 million budget is an even bigger "screw you" to mega budget
Hollywood blockbusters. "The Raid 2" has more thrilling action than
every $100+ million superhero movie I've ever seen . . . at less than
4.5% of the cost. It's almost unbelievable what these guys can do with
a limited budget.
Given the exceptional quality of the action, the 148-minute runtime
puts some pressure on the story to maintain its momentum between the
violence. The first "Raid" received much criticism that asserted a
generic story and undeveloped characters, but I felt that it
nevertheless established a "feel" for the characters without the need
for long-winded exposition. That "feel" can add quite a bit to an
action film. "The Raid 2" spends more time setting up its premise,
which results in some genuine plot and character development. It
attempts to do this by taking a generic gangster template and infusing
it with a sprawling crime saga that implements many characters. This is
essentially a "chess board" setup where numerous pieces are first put
into place, allowing for many possible confrontations. The viewer is
therefore able to relish the moment when a particular piece attacks and
takes down another, revealing the actual outcome amidst the countless
possibilities.
I really liked some of the supporting characters in this, and actually
felt a bit sad when they died (even some of the villains!). I am a bit
disappointed that both "Hammer Girl" and Baseball Bat Man" are only
given a few scenes, but they are certainly memorable. I really liked
that brief moment where Hammer Girl picked up her hammers on the bar
shelf. It was slightly child-like and innocent, like she was going out
to play with friends. This brief, split-second moment can communicate a
lot about her character.
I suppose it helps to already be a fan of the actors and actresses
here, since there are a number of familiar faces from both Indonesian
and Japanese film industries. Needless to say, the performances are top
notch. The Japanese actors have their little moments, but they could
have been given more to do in this. Maybe "The Raid 3" will give them
more time in the spotlight.
Overall, "The Raid 2" is a very satisfying action film that justifies
its hype after just one viewing. It's simply spectacular
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