The Raid: Redemption

An uncompromising action cutup that, despite the brilliant fight choreography, feels slightly repetitive, especially in its second half. In any case, the final impression is very strong, because I've probably never seen anything like it. A perfect example of a film where the characters themselves merely play second fiddle and where everything is strictly orchestrated for an intense, brutal action experience. (05/01/2020)

That long-haired walking holocaust especially, who gives soda to the main characters even with a fluorescent light down his throat, is really growing on me, and the fact that the animals are really, really badly hurting each other and it looks so real that I'm still not sure there weren't people dying in the filming, gives truth to the claim that films kicked off with a convo like "Here’s a building and a million bucks, do what you want." "Okay." might be the real thing. (05/29/2012)

It's as if Jackie Chan had swapped humour for brutality and in a film directed by John Woo, who got tired of guns. I enjoy straightforward action movies and The Raid is a perfect example of how they should look like. The film gets right down to business, everything feels real, honest, there's no time for big plot twists, it's a completely different, blood-soaked display of acrobatics that takes your breath away. In addition, the cramped setting of corridors, staircases and small apartments invites to invent more and more ways to destroy the hordes of villains, who sometimes jump from everywhere in the style of the undead from some modern zombie flick. I'd seen the films it has inspired (Dredd, The Princess, maybe even John Wick) before The Raid, but I didn't mind it at all. (01/03/2023)

I must say, I was surprised by how much is still possible to do in an action film. This is really a slaughterfest. One apartment building and a solid group of people who want to kick some ass. There's shooting going on, but primarily hands and feet are being used. These are scenes that will absolutely get you, and you'll be surprised by how gripping they are. You don't see this type of carnage every day. It's a brawl from start to finish, and moreover, it looks incredibly realistic. (07/04/2014)

This is by no means a perfect film, the fight choreography, although shot in an absolutely breathtaking way, starts to get a bit tiring towards the end and some scenes are awfully exaggerated and contrived. But in spite of that, or maybe because of it, this is, I dare say, the best and most honest action flick ever made (The Rock is just such a weak concoction in comparison). I believe that even Chuck Norris would have to take his hands out of his pockets this time to get it all done in 100 minutes :-D (03/26/2013)