The Raid Redemption

[Drunk Monk]

Remember in my post on Merantau? (<!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://brotherhoodofdoom.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2166">viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2166</a><!-- l -->) "...it's really about Iko's choreography. He's the new young turk to watch in martial arts films." I told you.

Delicious ultraVI. The Raid doesn't mess around. Just pure unadulterated action, barely inhibited by the distractions of plot. It's like fight scene porn - absurdly entertaining if you like fight scenes (and who here doesn't?). Iko delivers. It's great to see a Muslim hero. My only criticism is it suffers from some some shaky camera work which either spoils great choreography or covers a multitude of sins. Machete and ratchet fights. Knife fights. Gun fights. Chair fights. Ass kicking from the get go. A total DOOM flick.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Two Thoughts: Didn't I do a review of this film somewhere or is it only on KFM?

Second: How did Raid 2 slip out without a press junket?

[Drunk Monk]

It starts today, and then expands a little next week. The main promo company that we work with is pushing it, but there aren't always press screenings for limited releases. Are you working the screeners in LA?

Here's some trailers at least
[youtube]Pg6IiGjJyM4[/youtube]
[youtube]TqmTQkvm64A[/youtube]

[cranefly]

Lady Cranefly and I ran out of coffee on Friday, so we decided to wake ourselves up proper Saturday morning with the next best thing: The Raid 2 at 9:05 am, Shoreline Theater.

Did I mention we rented the theater out just for ourselves? Okay, we didn't have to. Just the two of us.

The hero is played by Iko Uwais, the same dude in Merantau, and presumably the star in The Raid (which I tried to get beforehand at the library, but it's currently checked out).
The evil young Turk is a dead ringer for Brandon Lee (we both made this observation).

Wow. I'm going to recommend seeing this on the big screen. Three massage therapists were listed in the credits. They needed a whole lot more. I haven't seen this tight of choreography since Jackie Chan circa Project A. By tight, I mean you're up close in the fight but miraculously following the action. That's hard to pull off without a lot of takes. I fear for the well-being of so many stuntmen. This was Concussion City. Absolutely brutal sequences, and they just kept coming.

There was a sameness to some of the fights, but the techniques were so impressive and filmed so well that one didn't get bored. Other fights were unique and absolutely brilliant.

The movie had pacing. Yes, there was time for plot and character-building. What a concept. Even so, there was enough fight action for ten decent martial arts films.
We both liked it a great deal.

Highly recommended.

P.S. DM, I still have the Merantau you loaned me. Honest, I will return it (along with 13 Assassins). But let me check with Lady Cranefly. She may now be interested in watching it.

[Drunk Monk]

I don't care what you think you are doing in the next week or so. Run out and see this. It's not a little of the ol' ultravi. It's a huge heapin helping of maximum ultravi. I have this little chuckle when I see some fresh and amusing fight choreography. I'm sure many of you have heard it over the years but you might not have noticed. A good flick will get maybe two or three chuckles. In The Raid 2, I lost count. I told ya that Iko was a martial artist to watch. This is his tour de force. It's gritty, bloody, visceral, not your family friendly Forbidden Kingdom but hammers, baseball bats, pick axes, broken bottles, metal pipes, prison shanks, machetes, shotguns to the face and pistols to the forehead, judicious use of digital blood, lots of blood, splattering everywhere. And given that it's Iko, who is a master of Silat, it has the best karambit fight so far. The choreography is superb from every angle, long extended sequences showing Iko's virtuosity, leg catches, headbutts, knee and elbow shots - fast, tight and well showcased with the camera work. What's more, there's even a decent plot with intriguing characters (gotta luv Hammer Girl and Baseball Bat Man). It's well shot, even artsy at points, which is an extra double+ bonus in this genre.

This is the best martial arts flick of 2014, but the year is early. Offhand however, I can't think of a flick in 2013 that tops it.

TOTAL DOOM FLICK 100%

Catch it in the theaters now. Support it.

[Drunk Monk]

no rush on returning those flicks, cf. take your time.

i gotta rewatch the Raid too now...

8)

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Let the castigation begin.

I probably should have watched this with the Doom Brothers rather than by myself on a Saturday afternoon. I really liked the opening fight in the bathroom stall. I thought what a great idea to keep the amount of people from attacking you to a minimum. Eventually, Iko is overwhelmed but it showed smarts. A tad long, but there were a lot of guys. And as CF and DM have pointed out the choreography was awesome.

But then we take a break to tell the story. I think they were shooting for the Godfather but it came out all murky. And the explanation just went on and on. I still don't think I got it. And the explanation was kind of dumb. Yes, the son wanted to take over and wanted more responsibility. Blah Blah Blah. Most of the time it felt like placeholders until we get back to Rama who had an undercover name but I can't remember it. And he does a lot of standing around while waiting for his fight scenes to happen. He probably took a little nap like I did waiting for the fight scenes to commence.

I did like hammer and bat girl. But are hammers really the weapon of choice for a martial artist. Plus they look decidedly fake in the last battle, very rubbery.

You could easily have cut about 30 to 45 minutes out of this film. I also kept wanting the Raiders of the Lost ark bit to occur an somebody shoot the guys who were punching each other. And yes the punches were fun, but I kept thinking with that many blows to the head, the guy would be dead. And how many cuts to the chest do you get before you fall down? And why didn't all those leg strikes not break any legs? I shouldn't have the time to ask these questions, but the fight scenes never ended.

All the sets seemed to be have designed with odd elements that were only there so people could break things. Wow this kitchen sure is big with plenty of room for fighting. Plus we have this beautiful wine cellar with glass wall here in the kitchen, too. I wonder if the fight will go in there? Wow, look at all these glass panels standing here in the restaurant oddly in the center of the room. I wonder if people will fly through those?

And when the guns do come out, no one can hit the broad side of a barn. They went to the Hollywood school of marksmanship. Except for Rama who gets a shotgun blast to the chest and after a few deep breaths gets back up with no word of body armor. I guess he was just tough.

Too long. Too loose in the script. Too many fights that wouldn't end. And then too much stupid plot getting in the way of the too long fights.

I except your scorn.

[Drunk Monk]

Too many fights that wouldn't end.

srsly? That's like grounds for a DOOM blackballing.

Of course, as you run this forum here, I guess we can't do that. Well played, bro.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

It's a martial arts movie. You want Citizen Kane? Go dig up Orson Wells.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Zombie Citizen Kane would be awesome.

[Drunk Monk]

...just because G studied film in college, just because he worked in the film industry, just because he has written screenplays, he thinks he can review ultravi without a shot of moloko+. :roll:

It's a martial arts movie. You want Citizen Kane? Go dig up Orson Wells.

Well said maestro. Tru dat.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

I'm starting to dig "Zombie Citizen Kane", though.

[Drunk Monk]

What about bollywood numbers? I've always thought a bollywood number would work great in a zombie flick.

[cranefly]

Why yes, there is a Bollywood zombie flick. I saw it within the last three months. I've been sluffing on my reviews, it appears. What was the name of that sucker?
Ah, yes, found it. Go Goa Gone.
Decently funny, as well as delivering on the drama.
And prefaced with lots of warnings on cigarette, alcohol and drug use, if I recall. Yeah, India oversees Bollywood with a strong morality code.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entert...61514.html

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Zombie Citizen Kane XXX. Now with more dancing.