• Sep 05
• THE RAID: DVD review
• Posted by Deljhp - 05/09/12 at 06:59 PM

Director: Gareth Evans. Review: Adam Wing.

Bad movies are much easier to review than good movies, because when it comes to bad movies, there’s so much more to write about. A problem arises when all you really want to say is, “You have to see this film. Like right now.” There are only so many ways you can write, “Jaw dropping”, “Spectacular” and “You need this movie in your life”. It doesn’t help of course when there’s next to no plot to speak of, and that’s really not a criticism by the way. The only downside to films like Ong Bak and The Warrior King is that the plot (what little plot there is) gets in the way of the really good stuff. Films like Merantau don’t find their feet until act two; The Raid on the other hand, gives you five minutes to get comfortable.

In 2009, Welsh director Gareth Evans and martial artist-turned-actor Iko Uwais introduced a worldwide audience to the martial arts style of pencak silat. Merantau was born, and with it, a rising star capable of giving Tony Jaa a run for his money. It was only a matter of time before they knocked down some walls with The Raid, an intense action movie about a SWAT team's attempt to ‘quietly’ extract a powerful drug lord from an apartment block filled with dangerous criminals. That pretty much describes the entire plot of the movie. As you might expect, the SWAT team's cover is blown, and after somebody on the inside hits the panic button, the ill-advised mission falls foul of relentless gun battles, extreme ass kicking and glistening knife fights. If you’re looking for wall-to-wall action this month, you’re unlikely to find a more literal definition...Continue review here.