The Raid franchise (2011 - 2014) Movies Review

I am quite an action junkie. In fact, the last 3 English films I watched in the theatre were Mission Impossible Fallout , Rogue Nation and Avengers Age of Ultron. So, it was a shocker for me that I did not review an action movie in a long time. Then, I came across The Raid on Amazon Prime Video which actually has a cult following and is my first outing to Indonesian films. I thought to check this film on my checklist and so how did I feel about the duology itself? Let's find out.

The Raid : Redemption and The Raid 2 are released in 2011 and 2014 respectively and stars Iko Uwais in the lead role. It is directed by Gareth Evans. 

Here is a breakdown of both the films. Both films are continuous in nature and focus on one thing. Action. The first film sub named Redemption begins with establishing the driving force for the hero, the family. 3 shots of it and then we are immediately shifted to a vehicle with armed SWAT officers who are about to attack Tama Riyadi in his place, an 15 floored apartment where all criminals reside. Then, the film goes savages with its action. Hereafter, the film is a blockbuster action film with smaller thread-like subplots like the lieutenant's distrust over his squad which contained young blood aka Rookies. Also, we see Rama's rise and how he survives the ghastly attack with 2 others. I have purposefully hidden some important elements because (A). there are not many and (B). they will spoil your experience. Before continuing to the next film, there is one major spoiler remained to drop that connect both the films. REZA. You will understand this word in the further proceedings. The second film begins after 2 hours of the attack where Rama is forced to go undercover to catch hold of the guys behind Tama. They are the Goto Family and Bangun who are a part of the gang war. This film actually is longer and has more story than the original. So, as a part of his mission Rama is sent to prison for 2 years to get Uco, son of Bangun. Winning Uco's trust, Rama gets himself a job at Bangun's office. Then, we get to know that Uco and Bejo (a growing crime boss) shake hands and kill Bangun to occupy the crime boss status. Stuck in this mess, Rama now goes savages while listening to orders of senior officials. Also, there is a plenty of action in the film. 

POSITIVES:

1. The Action : This action cannot be emulated in any other film. I only have one word. Brutal and Savages. Many Hollywood action films have a more refined and cleaner look to their action but this film has raw action. Bloody, gory and extremely brutal action. The first film is the best example for it. The second film has the best action but some of the uniqueness of the first film is lost in budget. Overall, I have to agree with some of the statements of the film stating it as one the best action films ever made.
2. The Score : Complementing the savage action, the score has the rock element in it which suit the scenes perfectly. Whenever an action scene comes, it goes boom. Elevates the action scenes two notches higher.
3. The Cinematography : I have to say I am not a fan of shaky cam. But, this film uses it in the best way possible. Also, the angles and frames used for the picturisation of the action scenes need to be appreciated. The second film takes the level higher as the use of changing aspect ratios hooks us to the screen.
4. (Only applicable to The Raid 2) The Storyline : While the first film runs with a very straightforward simple plotline, the second film tries to expand the world it is set in beyond the building. Both films feel drastically different to each other due to this. Also, the setting of the tone and pacing change in both the films and it works for the second film because it engages us more than ever.

NEGATIVES:

1. The Acting(Applicable to only the first film): I have to say, the actors in the first film except Iko Uwais did not impress me. I was subjected to bad poker faces by some of the actors and the others just manage it along the way. The second film improves on this flaw a lot. 
2. The English Dub : I know it is a difficult task to dub over Indonesian languages as they have a lot of Indian influences over them. But, I definitely know they could have written the dialogues better. When the subtitles of the film are much better than your dubbed dialogues, you know the dialogue gets campy.
3. The exhaustion : The action in the first film becomes so much that sometimes it gets exhausting.

Overall, I like both the films. I liked the first film for its racy pace and exhilarating action and the second one for its world-building and action. I prefer the first film as it has the rewatch ability that drags action junkies like me. Action junkies should definitely watch this film for sure. It is not for families as the action is brutal. Make sure you are watching this films with your buddies as it will give you the best experience. 

IMDb Rating : 7.6/10 & 8/10

My Rating : 8.7/10 & 8.5/10