Review of The Raid 2 (2014) by Do You Even Jay C — 16 May 2014

So the Raid 2 just premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival....My mouth has dropped to the floor... Gareth Evans, director of the highly flawed Merantau and the Raid: Redemption, brings us the Raid 2, the vision Evans had originally wanted for the Raid. Let me say this...this film not only exceeded my expectations, which were low due to the lower score, it shattered it. So far, this is the best film I've seen all year, and it's truly a special film. There's a reason 94% of the audience loved it.

The Raid 2 picks up just after the events of the first film and it's intense. In the first shot, we meet this ruthless gangster named Bejo. It takes one scene just to show how awesome and vicious he is, though he doesn't get his hands dirty in said scene. You just know he's not a guy you would mess with. I would discuss further on about the plot, but I firmly believe in the thought that I shouldn't give out any plot point. I walked in with a fresh mind, and came out amazed.

If there was a problem I had with the first film, it would definitely be the dialogue and story. The dialogue was really uninteresting, and very scarce, which made it impossible for me to connect with the characters. The story felt more like a Die Hard rip off, which also threw me out of whack. However, this film improves upon the first, especially in the story department. The story can seem a little too convoluted at times, as many characters are introduced and it's tough to follow who's who, especially cause the language barrier. But I love those types of films. Makes me want to rewatch it more and more.

I will purposely leave this review short, just cause if I continue to babble, I might spoil something.... So overall, yes, this is an improvement over the first film. The story is more ambitious and daring. The acting has been improved upon, especially by Iko Uwais, who doesn't rely on his skill of martial arts as much as true acting. He brings depth to Rama as a whole and it he makes the character much more likable. The dialogue is much much MUCH better than the first film. Just think, Martin Scorsese making a kung fu movie and you have the Raid 2. Looking forward to what more this team has coming for us.