Review of The Raid (2012) by Hoops2448 — 30 May 2012

The Raid is one of the most visually stunning action films I have ever seen and the fact it was made on a minuscule budget only furthers my amazement. With that said, it is not a perfect film. The story is that of Rama, a rookie police officer who with another 20 or so police officers is taking part in a Raid (to my complete shock) of an apartment building being run by a notorious drug lord.

However Rawa has another reason for wanting into that building, something revealed later in the film in one of the films few moments of levity and actual conversation. The film, to almost every male viewers joy, is almost wall to wall violence.

It's manic, its fast paced, its incredibly inventive and it takes up almost all of the film. The few moments were there is actual talking it is to progress to the next fight, the next set piece meaning there is little place for emotion of character in the film.

It might make me sound greedy but a little more story and dialogue was needed as by the end of the movie I was visually impressed but emotionally anaesthetised. There is no doubt the director is talented and put a considerable amount of passion into the way he presented the movie as the direction is unexpected and at times shocking (but in a good way).

He made the film he wanted to make and with very little to spend on it and that is commendable, especially considering the levels of destruction the film brings, but all in all its an action film with no soul, no one to root for as its just two groups of people massacring each other in an old building.