Ambition and limitation monopolise The Raid 2’s opening monologue and the 148 minutes of fast fists and flying kicks that follow, as Gareth Evans unveils his sequel to 2012’s breakout hit. Aspiring enforcer Bejo (Alex Abbad, Rayya, cahaya di atas cahaya) openly ponders the connection between the two films as he attempts to ascend the heights of Indonesia’s criminal underworld, a move only possible after the events of the first production. Writer, director and editor Evans has both firmly in mind as he expands on his concept and content, thinking bigger and bolder, and offering not just carnage but context.
The skill of the initial installment lay in the unyielding beat-ups and knock-downs contained within its single setting. Its gaze trained upon rookie cop, Rama, (Iko Uwais, Man of Tai Chi) and his efforts to reconcile a family quest with an assault on a drug dealer’s den, the film thrust feverish displays of physicality into every inch of a dilapidated apartment complex. As the feature’s star as well as its action choreographer, Uwais’s fleet feats of martial arts physicality were frenetic, finessed, and the fortunate recipient of animated, enthusiastic helming. The fury didn’t stop in the balletic, brutal film, nor did audiences want it to.
With the same stylistic flourishes and fondness for long takes, The Raid 2 recognises the strengths of its predecessor, and also the scant criticisms of physicality overshadowing the story that slides its way. Evans doesn’t try to simply repeat his success, but to enhance it. Striking set-pieces decorate his follow-up, as Rama encounters a range of foes in a variety of locations. The action offers spectacle, as punctuated with a grander, broader narrative. The Raid 2 is as much a showcase for exceptional action sequences as it is Evans’s version of a sweeping gangster epic.
In the immediate aftermath of Rama’s initial outing, he embarks upon a new mission, fuelled by revenge but furnished by exposing the corrupt core of Indonesian law enforcement. A stint undercover and in prison allows Rama to befriend Uco (Arifin Putra, Badai di Ujung Negeri), the son of feared mob boss Bangun (Tio Pakusodewo, Java Heat) – and the centre of a rekindled feud with their Japanese counterparts, as cunningly incited by the manipulative Bejo.
The Raid 2 shoves its plethora of influences into view with all the subtlety of its characters; however, its cobbling of police-and-perpetrators double-crossing from Infernal Affairs, and its evocation of mood and tone in the same vein as Only God Forgives, only add to what is an evident pastiche of inspiration and energy. In branching beyond the bounds of The Raid, the film weaves its many cues into a chaotic cavalcade befitting and belying expectations. A sequel that both adheres to and augments its type is rare, but in doing both it achieves its aims.
That’s not to say the mix of materials always succeeds in eliciting the desired effect, particularly in the languid conversations that mark the lapses between the action, nor to say that a tighter focus would’ve gone astray. Yet The Raid 2 does all that it needs to, returning its enterprising hero to the depths of conflict, allowing its star to unleash his brand of unrestrained violence, and capturing and compiling it all with pulsating glee. It also does much more, celebrating old and new cast members, adding a feisty female fighter to the mix, offering sequences of visual, visceral splendour, and grounding the imagery in an involving tale. And, amid the artful blood spurts and brain splatters, it relentlessly, ruthlessly entertains.
Rating: 3 ½ stars out of 5
The Raid 2
Director: Gareth Evans
Indonesia, 2014, 148 mins
Release date: March 28
Distributor: Madman
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