The Raid 2: A Brutal and Ambitious Sequel
Picking up where the first film left off, Rama (Iko Uwais), barely alive after escaping the besieged building, is strong-armed by a secret police unit into an undercover operation. His mission: infiltrate a prison, gain the trust of a local crime boss’s son, and ultimately embed himself within the criminal organization. With his family’s safety hanging in the balance, Rama has no choice but to accept. The “higher-ups” promise to protect his wife and child while he’s deep undercover.
In the past decade, martial arts cinema has seen relatively few groundbreaking moments. Donnie Yen’s reinvention in “Ip Man” and Tony Jaa’s brief surge in popularity with Muay Thai films stand out, but the list of truly genre-defining works remained short. Then, two years prior, Gareth Evans’ “The Raid” exploded onto the scene. Evans, a Welsh filmmaker based in Indonesia, delivered an action spectacle so innovative that it left even the most seasoned action aficionados speechless.
Interestingly, the general outline for “The Raid 2” was conceived before “The Raid.” However, Gareth Evans couldn’t secure the necessary funding, leading him to first create the micro-budget “The Raid.” He then reworked the original script into a sequel.
Expanding the Scope
The success of “The Raid” was so immense that Hollywood acquired the rights for a remake. However, Evans wasn’t interested in simply replicating his previous work. He remained in Indonesia and began developing a sequel, promising to surpass the original. And he largely succeeded. “The Raid 2” is bigger, more substantial, grittier, bloodier, more inventive, and more spectacular – although perhaps not quite as relentlessly paced as the first film. This is understandable, given that “The Raid 2” clocks in at two and a half hours. This time, Evans aims for more than just pure adrenaline, attempting to craft a full-fledged gangster saga with a multitude of characters (in the film’s third act, Rama even takes a backseat), intricate plots, betrayals, and double agents.
Did you know? The third installment of “The Raid” (yes, Gareth Evans has plans!) will begin three hours before the finale of “The Raid 2.”
Echoes of Hong Kong Cinema
The most apparent influence here is Johnnie To’s “Election 2,” particularly the second part, known for its sprawling cast and audience appeal. To’s influence is evident in the set design, the composition of static scenes, and even the color palette (black against blood-red!). This, frankly, is a bit concerning. Not because Evans’ filmmaking is subpar – on the contrary, his camera work and editing remain brilliant – but because the top-tier, unparalleled action sequences are interspersed with a relatively well-made but ultimately derivative gangster drama, somewhat marred by weaker acting performances. This, combined with a slightly uneven pacing (again, almost unavoidable in this case), is the primary reason why “The Raid 2” doesn’t achieve a perfect score. To draw a Hollywood analogy, it’s akin to “The Chronicles of Riddick” following “Pitch Black” – the scope expands, but the focus diffuses. However, expanding boundaries is the only way to transition from the claustrophobic “Alien” to the epic “Aliens,” so the attempt was worthwhile, even if some aspects fell short.
Action Redefined
What does work, however, works so incredibly well that the first “Raid” now feels like an extended trailer for the sequel. The action scenes are plentiful and incredibly diverse, both visually and in terms of overall choreography. From a brutal fight in a cramped toilet to a muddy field brawl, a subway car showdown, and even a claustrophobic car fight, each scene is meticulously crafted. The stakes are also raised in the smaller details – heads are smashed, limbs are broken, throats are slit, all with even more graphic detail than before, culminating in a particularly memorable “headshot” as a special treat.
The “rogues’ gallery” has also expanded significantly, with the addition of some truly eccentric characters alongside the more traditional killers. These include a pair of assassins: one wielding a baseball bat, and the other a deaf-mute girl in sunglasses armed with two hammers. The former typically starts by launching a baseball at his victim before cynically asking the bleeding target to “fetch the ball.” The girl, when her brother grabs her hand and drags her “to work” (since she can’t hear the boss’s orders), touchingly, almost girlishly, reaches for her beloved hammers from the bar. These are all small but witty and memorable touches, revealing that “The Raid 2” is far from a mass-produced product, but rather a handcrafted project, a labor of love between Gareth Evans and the “classic” action genre.