The Raid: Redemption
I’m a little proud to admit that I’ve seen films from all around the globe. I’ve seen films from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Spain, Mexico, China, Japan, India, South Korea, and even Iraq if you count non-socialist documentaries. With “The Raid: Redemption”, I can add Indonesia to that list. The Raid is a brutally hardcore action flick that takes place in an apartment building that is ruled by a sociopathic crime lord. The plot of the SWAT team going in to take the crime lord down is simple enough, and it doesn’t take long before everything expectedly hits the fan. There is a story here with a few subplots that dive into some of the characters, but it all takes a back seat to the action. The movie does a good job building up tension before people start shooting at each other which makes the initiation of the violence that much more effective. The action itself is well shot and paced throughout the movie so you’re never really overloaded. The only downside to the action is the lack of variety. Once the ball gets rolling, it starts out rather gun heavy but turns into a martial arts film by the movie’s half way point. The film might have been improved if they did a better job switching between the two.
Another lacking feature is that most of the characters are never really introduced. Even the movie’s script doesn’t bother to give most of them names and you can see them in the credits as “Drug Lab Fighter #12” and “Seven Floor Hallway Guy #8”. The characterization it does do, it does well, but there is a lack of emotional commitment to the death of characters we know nothing about. Thankfully, the movie makes up for most of this by keeping the camera on the characters it bothered to name. Yes Raid is mostly shallow, but brilliant craftsmanship and pacing keep you entertained. You can’t get action films this brutal and stuntmen heavy stateside anymore because it’s an industry ruled by lawyers and insurance salesmen. That’s what we have great foreign films for.
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There are too many movies for me to review in full, so I created a twitter account to give brief opinions on the many movies I view. If you wish to read my smart ass remarks, follow M.O.V.I.E. Reviewer @MutantOpossum.
 Skirt made from an … $100.00
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 Indonesian necklace… $55.00
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 Indonesian Tato Boo… $20.00
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 Indonesian Batik Ho… $40.00
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 INGLORIOUS BASTARDS $5.00
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 ABCs of Bad-Assery … $25.00
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 Lights Camera Actio… $12.00
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 PULP FICTION 163 – … $50.00
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