Action-Adventure The Raid 2: Berandal

[Daywalker89]

My full review

Spoiler

The Raid 2

I would never thought Gareth Evans would out do his original film, but he did it in spades. It's easily one of the best or probably THE best action/martial arts/whatever film ever made. He really stepped up his game in terms of directing and cinematography. He pretty much took his original concept and open the box to the outside world and combined it with a bunch of classic type action films. Imagine a combination of Departed/Infernal Affairs + Die Hard + any number of classic yakuza films + Bruce Lee's Game of Death + any fighting video game characters + Car chase from Ronin + the violence of The Raid. For a 2 and a half hour movie, no scene was wasted, nothing really dragged. What the Raid 2 have that the original didn't have was build up, the movie starts off pretty tamed and it just escalates and escalates. Hammer Girl, Bat Boy, and the Assassin were incredible, they are like video game characters that came to live and I mean that in the best possible way. They kicked ass. Iko Uwais as Rama really brought in the humanity side of it more so than the first one. This is the movie you don't want to miss this year or in your life.
10/10

You went in with is review Kane I saw this for a second time and it was even better this time around. I made a premature comment about the shaky cam ( )that was rectified when i sat in descent postion this time around, it made my viewing experience top notch and didn't have issues with the earlier fight scenes. I have bumped my score to a 9 (was 8.5) The film is everything i could wish for. I actually engaged more into the story and the cinematography on this viewing. As kane said it made me realise how much Gareth (and the actors) took it to the next level. I wonder if he is a Anime fan.

IMO i saw certain techniques that gave off a Anime scent, i know ones live action and the other is cartoon but i just got a certain vibe from a couple of scenes like when the hinges are about to be knocked off , then it cuts to Rama's eye movement and then the screw on the floor. the buildup to the prision yard fight is another one. I guess the Imagery in this movie speaks volumes . Its such a rarity to see a film shot like this. Thats why Gareth and co are rewriting some of the mythos on what makes a action film.

 

[L.A.]

Subtitled

That doesn't answer my question

 

[nocomics]

Spoiler

I'll get the negatives out of the way first: The pacing was very slow and over 2 hours was too much imo(I dozed off a few times). Second, in some fight scenes they used a moving/chase camera type technique and it was hard to follow in some scenes.
The good: The fight scenes were very intense and well done(okay, maybe the camera stuff was annoying in some spots, especially in the prison mud fight). The final fight in the kitchen I think rivaled the 2 on 1 fight in the first movie, and that's how a big fight should be, no cutaways to another sequence, stay on the fight. Rama was a better character in this one as well, and 'Mad Dog's character was okay.
Overall, it was a decent movie, I liked the first one a tad better, but will have to see this more to see if it grows on me.

 

[sapiontel]

The Raid 2's deleted scene "Gang War"

[YT]fs_Qhmiz40E[/YT]

Gareth said, the entire deleted scene will be available on blueray version..

 

[Liam_H]

Saw it a 2nd time and the audience I was with was pretty dead relative to my first showing. Having people react just adds so much more fun to it.

 

[Drz]

Iko vs. Hammer Girl & Baseball Bat Boy got the biggest applause and laughter, the fight with the Asssassin was so scary, i knew **** was going down when he finally takes out his blades.

 

[Ajendo]

The assasin's little gestures, smirking and facial inflections where hilarious when he was vesting Rama at the start, then once the blood soaked his face, he looked like frikkin' Satan lol!

 

[Daywalker89]

My audiences biggest laughs were at the porn factory, when Rama tells Eka to run on a damaged leg. Bejo assistant tells him that Rama on his way,Base ball man ' bring back the ball ' and Hammer girl nearly forgetting her hammers near the bar.

 

[BlackFox]

Just got back from seeing it. Great sequel and some jawdropping fight sequences and car chases. Brutal, bloody and just down right bonkers, in a good way.

My only complaint is that was just a bit too long and dragged in parts a little, but in the most part it was great and had many original ideas. Its different from the original but I think that worked out to be a good thing as it kept it feeling fresh and not just a rehash of the first as there was a bit more story to this one.

Sorry its a bit of quick review but thats my initial thougts anyway.

8/10

 

[Liam_H]

Its expansion this week wasn't too hot, not surprising since its still a fairly niche movie. But if you intend to get another showing in, do it soon before it disappears from your cinema.

 

[Drz]

I saw the movie for the 2nd time, i want to discuss Raid 3 a bit, and i got some dumb questions too to boot!

Spoiler

The Goto family had Reza (the corrupt police leader) working for them, while alongside Bejo as well, meaning Bangun & Uco we're always the under dogs more or less, even tho Bejo was a middle-man. We learn from Bejo that the Goto family was gaining more influnece with the politicians and corrupt police, because Bangun did nothing about that.

By the end of the movie, Reza, the current big boss of the corrupt policemen and the man both Rama & Bunawar wanted to nail as well, Bangun, Uco and the middleman Bejo are all dead, so this just gives an easy cleansate for the Japanese Goto to take over.

Raid 3 is suppose to begin 3 hours before Raid 2 ends, which as some posters have speculated, could very well hint towards the Goto family gathering, could be about Bunawar too or both! While thats how the movie ends, we don't know will the movie also jump forward in time, as Rama ends up in prison for 2 years as an example.

My two questions:

Spoiler

1) Do you guys think Eka figured out Rama's identity because his jacket (which had the mic) had torn spot? Maybe that motivated Eka to do an background search?

2) What do you guys think Bejo's story is? Guy used to either run or be a part of a clan that had their tattoo wrist logo, but now he has a cane, wears a suit, always sunglasses (even tho he has perfectly normal eyes) and always has gloves.

 

[Liam_H]

Spoiler

Reza was working mainly for Goto? I thought he and Bangun each had equal sway with him? Well at least until he defected to Bejo.

Plausible theory about when Eka knew but I had thought that he already knew when he was visiting with Uco in the prison. He emphasized how much of a nobody Rama/Yuda was so Uco wouldn't be suspicious.

 

[Drz]

Spoiler

That's the impression you get after the car chase scene, the Goto family with their right hand have learned that Reza was seen dining with Bejo, so the head of the family Goto man questions that Reza works for them, and that Bejo is a nobody.

Then he learns that Uco has killed his own father, so Goto declares war. Stating that they will start over, he wanted both Uco and Reza dead.

 

[cabel]

I almost fainted. There's my review.

 

[kguillou]

i almost fainted. There's my review.

this! ^ lol

 

[L.A.]

Finally saw this movie. Me being indonesian makes me proud that our movies are being well received. Saw it with my dad and he agrees there's a huge corruption and gang problem in Indonesia. I would definitely recommend this flick

 

[addison81]

Saw this a 2nd time. Love this film. I see people complaining about the story but it just works for me. And the action is incredible.

 

[sapiontel]

i've seen the movie twice and still want to watch it..lol

still waiting the blueray version..

 

[sapiontel]

Tony Jaa (Ong Bak)..

According to IMDB he's going to be in The Raid 3

 

[Ajendo]

Imdb??? I'll wait for something credible before I shoot my load.

 

[Drz]

Gareth Evans said Raid 3 is from years away, he wants to do 1-2 movies before going back to conclude Raid 3.

 

[henzINNIT]

My audiences biggest laughs were at the porn factory, when Rama tells Eka to run on a damaged leg. Bejo assistant tells him that Rama on his way,Base ball man ' bring back the ball ' and Hammer girl nearly forgetting her hammers near the bar.

Yeah a lot of laughs on these, particularly Rama telling Eka to run haha.

This film was utterly brilliant. Hope I ca get around to see it again.

 

[Daywalker89]

Imdb??? I'll wait for something credible before I shoot my load.

Im with you on this one mate BUT have you seen The protector 2. IMO he has fallen off the banwagon abit . Actually i would say Iko Uwais (Rama) has taken the his spotlight aswell.

 

[Kane52630]

I'm listening to the whole soundtrack now, man you can hear the little influences Trapanese brought in from Tron Uprising. I'm lovin it.

 

[nocomics]

What happened to this movie, it's already off my local theatres after 1 week. I guess it'll becoming to Blu Ray soon.