The Raid (2011)

The Raid (2011)

6/10 

Starring

Iko Uwais

Directed by Gareth Evans

Here is a movie you will so much enjoy. After a brief intro to the lead actor, the movie kicks off with an introduction to the task at hand.

The Raid is an Indonesian martial arts action film written and directed by Gareth Evans (the first I’m seeing of his work), whose setting is what I believe Dredd (2012) copied.

What our lead have are “particular set of skills. Skills acquired over a very long career. Skills that made him a nightmare – yeah, I'm quoting Liam Neeson in Taken (2008).

The movie plot is very straight forward, and it starts by introducing the lead – an officer named Rama whose wife is pregnant. Not much of his personal life is detailed in the beginning of the movie, but we get to know more about him later.

Rama was assigned to a 20-man squad which were going to raid an apartment block in the slums. The team were to get in, capture the crime lord Riyadi and get out.

Things started off easy, when the team were able to get in and take down some of Riyadi's men, but one sloppy mistake and an alarm was set off alerting Riyadi of their presence. He sends the whole apartment building against the squad as well as armed men, snipers and his own men who are good with knives and martial arts.

Soon the team realized there is more to this raid than what they were told and before they knew it, it seemed impossible that any of them will get out of this building alive.

If you have seen the movie Dredd (2012) where Dredd was trapped in a building with the people he wanted to apprehend and stop, you have an idea how this movie setting will be. This movie treads on the same tale, but the difference is – our lead is on his own without any telekinetic skill (or anyone with such skill) to help him.

The Raid was a commercial success making more than eight times its budget in the box office. A sequel, The Raid 2 was released in 2014, it was also written and directed by Gareth Evans. The Raid is one of the most amazing martial film you will get to see, the movie does not make our hero one indestructible force, but a very lucky police officer. The fight scenes were enjoyable, and the movie plot is very straight forward.

Make out time to see this movie, but remember it is an Indonesian movie so, either find an English version or one with subtitles.