Action-Adventure The Raid 2: Berandal
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I finally saw this tonight and I know my view wont be popular, but here goes.
Now I'm not saying the film is without it's good parts and the talented team of stunt men and women allow Evans to capture a lot without edits, but he really needs to learn that less is more.
I actually thought the first hour was good, it set a familiar narrative on track and featured the prison yard fight sequence which was really good. Then Rama is released and we get the fight at the porn house which is also good.
Uco and Bangun are the best 2 actors in the film and it's a pity the guy playing Rama has no personality, it meant you never got a feel of him building a relationship with either. Then we meet Koso and my issues with the film start.
Koso, much like bat guy and hammer girl are introduced in scenes that I guess are supposed to make them look badass, but to me they were just silly. I mean really, all these gangsters and not one of them has a gun? and they all act like pro wrestling stooges, not attacking all at once but each running separately feeding their arm in the air to be blocked and killed.
Now I have no issue with the gimmicky cartoon nature of the above assassins despite the film initially seeming to be aiming to be a serious crime thriller as well as an action film, but these sequences were like exhibitions on a stage show. Great action draws you into the peril in my view.
After this we get the cool scene of Rama following Uco to his meeting with Bejo and starting to build his case, or at least I thought that was where things were going.
Koso was introduced basically so he can be killed off in another sequence where apparently none of the gangsters own a gun and all run at him one at a time. The retaliation sequences that follow with bat guy & hammer girl are equally silly, top gangster and his henchman travel by subway and par for the course none of them have a gun and all attack one at a time.
The film picks up with the big mob boss meeting and Uco's powerful scene with his father which leads to the car chase, a sequence that is an instant classic without a doubt and by far the best action sequence in the movie, a real adrenaline rush.
After this Evans gives up on structure or ideas, apparently Rama has spent two years undercover in prison for nothing as there is no catching the bad guys, so he just kills them all in a way that reminded me of an old SEGA videogame where you have to fight your way through levels of a building to get to the main boss.
This overly long sequence starts with lots of guys with no guns who all attack one at a time....this movie has a running theme I guess, then comes the movies best fight scene as Rama takes on bat guy and hammer girl. This is non stop with Rama having to contend with them both at the same time in a dizzying flurry of exchanges, quite amazing.
Sadly that gives way to the daft knife fight in the kitchen where Rama gets his knee ligaments sliced but bar one quick wince continues to fight and throw kicks like the guy had tickled him.This guy also apparently has a body that contains twice the amount of blood as most people as Rama stabs him over and over, but apparently never hits an artery and the guy just keeps coming.
Oh and somewhere around here Uco discovers the tampon sized wire Rama has put in his wallet and the big bosses all turn on each other before Rama comes in and swiftly disposes of his former prison buddy.
Evans has potential, he shoots his action well but is aided greatly by the fantastic stunt teams allowing him to require so few cuts, and he shows genuine touches of action genius with the car chase and Rama vs bat guy and hammer girl, but he still has a lot to learn about pacing his sequences. He also shows a knack for good dramatic scenes with the sit downs between the bosses, unfortunately they feel like they belong in another movie given how tonally uneven The Raid 2 is.
He's certainly a director who has plenty of room to develop and I honestly feel this films reception is boosted by the fact it's not US made, and in an era where most action films are PG-13, this is a brutal hard R and that appeals to a certain core of action fans, but to me a lot of the violence is excessive and just used to mask the films many flaws. Enjoyable but not a masterpiece by any means.
7/10
Now I'm not saying the film is without it's good parts and the talented team of stunt men and women allow Evans to capture a lot without edits, but he really needs to learn that less is more.
I actually thought the first hour was good, it set a familiar narrative on track and featured the prison yard fight sequence which was really good. Then Rama is released and we get the fight at the porn house which is also good.
Uco and Bangun are the best 2 actors in the film and it's a pity the guy playing Rama has no personality, it meant you never got a feel of him building a relationship with either. Then we meet Koso and my issues with the film start.
Koso, much like bat guy and hammer girl are introduced in scenes that I guess are supposed to make them look badass, but to me they were just silly. I mean really, all these gangsters and not one of them has a gun? and they all act like pro wrestling stooges, not attacking all at once but each running separately feeding their arm in the air to be blocked and killed.
Now I have no issue with the gimmicky cartoon nature of the above assassins despite the film initially seeming to be aiming to be a serious crime thriller as well as an action film, but these sequences were like exhibitions on a stage show. Great action draws you into the peril in my view.
After this we get the cool scene of Rama following Uco to his meeting with Bejo and starting to build his case, or at least I thought that was where things were going.
Koso was introduced basically so he can be killed off in another sequence where apparently none of the gangsters own a gun and all run at him one at a time. The retaliation sequences that follow with bat guy & hammer girl are equally silly, top gangster and his henchman travel by subway and par for the course none of them have a gun and all attack one at a time.
The film picks up with the big mob boss meeting and Uco's powerful scene with his father which leads to the car chase, a sequence that is an instant classic without a doubt and by far the best action sequence in the movie, a real adrenaline rush.
After this Evans gives up on structure or ideas, apparently Rama has spent two years undercover in prison for nothing as there is no catching the bad guys, so he just kills them all in a way that reminded me of an old SEGA videogame where you have to fight your way through levels of a building to get to the main boss.
This overly long sequence starts with lots of guys with no guns who all attack one at a time....this movie has a running theme I guess, then comes the movies best fight scene as Rama takes on bat guy and hammer girl. This is non stop with Rama having to contend with them both at the same time in a dizzying flurry of exchanges, quite amazing.
Sadly that gives way to the daft knife fight in the kitchen where Rama gets his knee ligaments sliced but bar one quick wince continues to fight and throw kicks like the guy had tickled him.This guy also apparently has a body that contains twice the amount of blood as most people as Rama stabs him over and over, but apparently never hits an artery and the guy just keeps coming.
Oh and somewhere around here Uco discovers the tampon sized wire Rama has put in his wallet and the big bosses all turn on each other before Rama comes in and swiftly disposes of his former prison buddy.
Evans has potential, he shoots his action well but is aided greatly by the fantastic stunt teams allowing him to require so few cuts, and he shows genuine touches of action genius with the car chase and Rama vs bat guy and hammer girl, but he still has a lot to learn about pacing his sequences. He also shows a knack for good dramatic scenes with the sit downs between the bosses, unfortunately they feel like they belong in another movie given how tonally uneven The Raid 2 is.
He's certainly a director who has plenty of room to develop and I honestly feel this films reception is boosted by the fact it's not US made, and in an era where most action films are PG-13, this is a brutal hard R and that appeals to a certain core of action fans, but to me a lot of the violence is excessive and just used to mask the films many flaws. Enjoyable but not a masterpiece by any means.
7/10
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Mrs. Sawyer
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Kane's head is gonna explode from that score.
Ajendo
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After the fight with Ramadan nd hus brother against mad dog in the first one, any oddity or ridiculousness such as lack of guns or anything else no longer mattered.
This film is just straight crazy with the action and I love it. These films are made with a style and perspective that caters to western audiences from a secondary outlook. If you look at many movies coming out of south east Asia, especially the action, although different, there are very many similarities that may be raga red as a film making flaw in Hollywood and western audiences but I suppose that part of the charm with many if these films. However, I do agree that Evans has a lot if room for improvement and he could have paced things better but still, I regard it as a phenomenal action movie/crime thriller.
This film is just straight crazy with the action and I love it. These films are made with a style and perspective that caters to western audiences from a secondary outlook. If you look at many movies coming out of south east Asia, especially the action, although different, there are very many similarities that may be raga red as a film making flaw in Hollywood and western audiences but I suppose that part of the charm with many if these films. However, I do agree that Evans has a lot if room for improvement and he could have paced things better but still, I regard it as a phenomenal action movie/crime thriller.
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I love inventive camerawork.
Great stuff, the camera guys are like stuntmen themselves!
For the record I wasn't a fan of the first movie either and cited that end fight as repetitive and ridiculous as one of the things I disliked about it. I have a huge collection of Asian action films, I have just never seen one get this lauded despite so many flaws. If you are going to be as ridiculous as Evans is with this film then tonally it would be better to forgo all of the attempts at actually setting up what is a decent crime thriller story within the stagey fights, and just make it like a Kill Bill where it's not set in reality. However none of that changes the poor fight scenes where guys just run one at a time with their hand up to be slaughtered, it's not fighting. compared to the elevator fight in Cap 2 where everyone is going at Steve at once none of these fights hold a candle, and no amount of gratuitous violence and blood spray will alter that.
sandracarol24
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That movie is the perfect combination of martial arts and violence. My favorite one.
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In one or two instances he did and of course the prison toilet fight was really clever with how he used the door to isolate individuals from the mob, but when they attack him in the restaurant or at the end, they all run at him one at a time. However the fights showcasing Koso, bat guy and hammer girl were worse for this aspect.
I'm a hardcore fan of The Raid series, but I like your review. It's just a matter of taste, some people enjoy the silliness you mentioned, I'm one of them
t:
Gareth Evans, Iko Uwais, and the 3 Japanese actors attend Tokyo International Film Festival. Evans revealed that The Raid 3, sequel to Raid 2: Berandal, will take place in Japan. He said he'll be happy if the 3 Japanese actors are willing to play the same characters again in the sequel.
Gareth Evans, Iko Uwais, and the 3 Japanese actors attend Tokyo International Film Festival. Evans revealed that The Raid 3, sequel to Raid 2: Berandal, will take place in Japan. He said he'll be happy if the 3 Japanese actors are willing to play the same characters again in the sequel.
Take place in Japan? That's awesome. Where did you get this info?
Sorry, Evans said "I want to shoot the 3rd installment in Japan," to be exact. So it's just the director's wish so far, nothing is decided for sure yet.
source: http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20141024-00000025-eiga-movi
Thanks.
Rowsdower!
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Japan, eh? Interesting. Wonder why the story will shift over there. Anyway, I'm game. Love this series so much.
Kane52630
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Kane52630
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THE RAID Gets a Bone-Crunching Sequel Comic Series
https://nerdist.com/the-raid-titan-comics-exclusive/
https://nerdist.com/the-raid-titan-comics-exclusive/
Lencho01
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Deck Rickard
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Damn. But if Gareth doesn't think the story has anywhere else to go, I respect him for not dragging it out. We get so obsessed with trilogies but I'd rather they stop at two than make a third movie that doesn't measure up.
Kane52630
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Well... I guess The Night Comes for Us will do for now.
'The Night Comes for Us' Review: A Bloody, Action-Packed, Punch-a-Minute Thriller [Fantastic Fest]
'The Night Comes for Us' Review: A Bloody, Action-Packed, Punch-a-Minute Thriller [Fantastic Fest]
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