Review of The Raid 2 (2014) by Subz — 04 Nov 2014

A true masterpiece in the world of martial arts films. As an absolutely huge martial arts fanatic, I am proud to have seen some of the greatest martial arts films ever created from the old brilliant classics such as One-Armed Swordsman or Seven Samurai to the new timeless treasures such as Ip Man or 13 Assassins.

Having made it my goal to see some of the best martial arts films this world has to offer, I can safely say that this movie goes into my TOP 10 movies of all time list.

The simple yet exciting story from the first Raid film was made a bit more complex and fleshed out in this stimulating and dramatic sequel. Gareth Evans truly outdid himself with his fantastic writing and directing in this piece. The story had the perfect balance of drama and action which isn't easy to accomplish, and when the action did come, it blew me away! The fight choreography and absolutely brutal combat in the first film was fantastic, to be able to go to the next level and still keep it fresh is no small feat! The fighting didn't seem too ridiculous as a lot of martial arts films tend to do (but we still enjoy seeing it), it seemed more realistic and more efficient, which is what Pencak Silat is all about, a wonderful martial art used in creative and spectacular ways. The cinematography and editing in this movie is also something I really enjoyed, everything was perfect in those aspects, used to really make the story telling more clear and thrilling.

There aren't many martial arts films these days that can REALLY impress me these days, but this did it. Can the 3rd Raid film top this? While that seems impossible, knowing Gareth Evans, the brilliant Iko Uwais and the team, they can do it.