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)

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)

An assault of pure physicality that more than anything else harms its own aura. With the label "action spectacle of the year" or even the decade, the expectation automatically arises that something more will emerge from The Raid: Redemption than just a bloody brawl. It doesn't – and it's not necessary. In the catalog of Indonesian fatalities, the boiling adrenaline was most heightened by seemingly inconspicuous but deadly Mad Dog Yayan Ruhian. His main performance, in which he gradually transitions from rubber jumps, twists, and turns to gathering the last remnants of strength for the hardest blow, literally takes your breath away. (12/18/2014)

Unbelievable carnage that surpasses most of what has been filmed so far. Where most directors shy away from pushing the envelope and move the camera or cut the shot, Evans keeps it in the frame with maximum detail in every scene. Very bloody, very brutal, and incredibly explosive in terms of choreography and audiovisual aspects. Is it possible to shoot something like this on such a pitiful budget? Americans (and everyone else) should take note, this is how pure action is filmed. The plot is irrelevant. (08/14/2012)

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)