JOIN USThe first thing you notice about The Raid: Redemption is the brisk pace at which the film moves. There is no melodrama, you are kept at the edge of your seat till the very end. It’s filled with action, be it machetes, knives, guns, tubelights, or anything the actors can get their hands on.
The film is the second from director Evans that promotes an Indonesian martial art called Pensak Silat, which takes place inside a high-rise tenement. Thus it almost resembles a video game such as Doom — the enemies can be lurking behind the walls, it’s a question of who kills who.
The plot is simple. Crime boss Tama (Sahetapy) has made a building in the middle of a Jakarta slum his HQ. He collects money from the residents and also runs a narcotics manufacturing unit on one of the top floors, with help from henchmen Andi (Alamsyah) and Mad Dog (Ruhian).
A SWAT team led by Lieutenant Wahyu (Gruno) with 20 cops attempts to break into the building to capture Tama. One of the cops is Rama (Uwais), whose pregnant wife is two months due. As they watch the slaughter of 15 of their comrades, it’s a fight for survival for Wahyu and Rama.
The Raid: Redemption may be short on story and dialogue. But it makes up for it with intense action, devoid of one-liners. A treat for action buffs.