If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like if fifty savage prisoners attempted to attack a single man in a prison stall, then 2014’s The Raid 2 might just be for you. Before moving on, to let you in on how they shot the scene, a simply genius technique is used where the stall walls are on hinges – so that the handheld camera can get in and around the developing action.
Written, edited, and directed by Gareth Evans, this Indonesian import is a sequel to 2011’s The Raid: Redemption (also created by Evans), starting up a mere two hours after the previous film finished. Miraculously, you really do not need to see the original, as this story is easy to catch on to, despite its complexity when compared to the 2011 feature. If Redemption was shot in the style of a non-stop action video game, its sequel is as if John Carpenter (Escape From New York) and David Cronenberg (A History of Violence) came together with Martin Scorsese to create a twisty story along the lines of The Departed. If you do want a refresh on the original, or would like to know more about it, feel free to click on this link to read my review: http://filmizon.com/movie_reviews/movin-on-up/
Still following Rama (Iko Uwais – the actor impressively does all of his own stunts), the cop is in tough, for after what he has learned (in the previous film), both crooked cops and criminals are gunning for him to keep their secrets safe. Meeting with Lt. Bunawar (Cok Simbara), an aging officer in charge of a very small task force attempting to root out dirty cops, he is looking for the hunted man to go deep undercover in prison (which will also protect his family) and befriend Uco (Arifin Putra), the son of Bangun (Tio Pakusadewo), one of the heads of the two major crime families in the city of Jakarta. . . the other crime family are Japanese, run by Hideaki Goto (Ken’ichi Endô).
Taking an alias, he quickly impresses (and then ingratiates himself with the mobster); the above mentioned stall scene, as well as a prison riot sequence (which ratchets up the tension and the action), brings the pair together, eventually getting Rama the meeting with Uco’s father that he so wanted once he is released from prison.
Embedding himself within the organization, Rama’s job is not to get dirt on the criminal organizations, but rather, the dirty cops they are paying off. This will be easier said than done, despite the fact that the two crime syndicates have not been at war for over ten years, as Uco’s ambition is far reaching. Meeting with Bejo (Alex Abbad), ‘a speak softly and carry a big stick’ mid level criminal who, like Uco, has his sights set higher, this union may just be the calm before the storm. Bejo is always accompanied by three assassins, a man simply known as The Assassin (Cecep Arif Rahman) – who loves using his fists, though if the situation arises, brings out two sickle-like blades that hook around his fingers; a woman we should perhaps call MC 2 Hammers, real name Alicia ‘Hammer Girl’ (Julie Estelle) – a killer who, you guessed it, wields two hammers to do her dirty work; and a man who dispatches his foes with Ichiro Suzuki-style hits (Very Tri Yulisman) – Baseball Bat Man wouldn’t make it in the MLB, he utilizes a metal baseball bat.
And, while we are on the topic of assassins, crime boss Bangun has his own lethal killer, Prakoso (Yayan Ruhian – Mad Dog from the first movie), a man who may look like a homeless person, but don’t let that fool you, he is like the harbinger of death, the Grim Reaper – winning no matter how bad the odds. With all of this chaos (a violent hell more dangerous than the River Styx), it is hard to imagine Rama having a chance, though perhaps he is the Charon of this Greek mythological tale, the ferryman who can navigate the land of death.
With a visual style nonpareil, Evans has a tool belt full of tricks – using slow motion, tracking shots, long takes, both handheld and dolly camera work, crane shots, and so much more – he plays with the viewer, drawing out the perfect amount of suspense, tension, and violence to induce gasps and cringe-inducing mayhem. Using limited CGI, you may shake your head watching some of the scenes – thinking there is no way that they could have pulled that off the way it looks, but they did. Perhaps the most impressive is an extended shot during the car chase sequence. . . the vehicles moving at full speed, the camera is positioned on a filming car immediately to the side of where the action takes place. Moving from the front car to the one trailing, the Director of Photography passes the camera through the window to the secondary DOP (hidden in plain sight), who, after filming his portion, passes the camera through the window (on the other side) to another cameraman who is crouched below the car – continuing the action. So, to reiterate, the camera is passed twice during a consistent fifty kilometre an hour chase sequence. It is worth following this link to see the creativity on display: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxb9xzAaYjM
Now, you may be wondering where the Carpenter and Cronenberg comparisons mentioned earlier came from. The former is Evans’ style in which the main character is seemingly stranded in an inescapable situation (à la Escape From New York) – a savage city filled with chaotic mayhem where there is no place to go, while the latter is his penchant for intense violence. Sometimes expected, other times not, this body horror provides brutal spikes in the action – a sort of roller coaster ride rarely experienced. . . the John Wick series would be one comparison.
With a unique fusion, Evans boldly develops a wholly different sequel from his original vision. Actually based on a screenplay he had written that never came to fruition, he wove it into the Raid storyline, boldly making sure this was not simply a rehash of the original adventure. Often shot with gritty realism, he adds some playful comic book aspects – like the colourful assassins. . . henchmen that would fit right into a Kingsman, James Bond or Austin Powers feature.
Colour must also be mentioned, for unlike the uniformity of the original feature (and its singular setting), each set location has a different flair. . . Bejo is always surrounded by a Stanley Kubrick-like red from The Shining, while the kitchen fight (arguably the film’s most epic) is backed by a starkly clean white. . . look for greens, earthy reds and browns (specifically in the prison), and so much more.
With a death count of 327, this arguably excessive film is an action afficionados’ dream. Fifty minutes longer than the original, with a beefier plot and (somehow) more action, The Raid 2 will likely indulge any film fan who is not too squeamish. With no signs of being done, Evans creates a rare sequel that arguably surpasses its predecessor. So, head undercover and discover a world of shady dealings and violent, power hungry psychopaths – you won’t be disappointed.
This film is in Indonesian and Japanese with English subtitles