<><><><>
The Raid: Redemption is an Indonesian action film. It was originally titled The Raid, but Redemption was added when it was exported. Joe Taslim, of Mortal Kombat, is a police officer participating in the raid of a drug lord’s apartment complex. The dialog is all in Indonesian, but there is not much to read as this film focuses on close-quarters combat. What starts as a gunfight quickly devolves into a knife fight and then a fistfight.
I am always impressed with the choreography in martial arts-based action films. Whoever did the choreography in The Raid is world-class. The cinematography does not lag at all. The camera angles and switching are done masterfully and should not cause any motion sickness. This is an impressive movie from a technical perspective.
If you just watched Mortal Kombat and are looking for a similarly great action film then this should be on your list. Modern film-making techniques have elevated martial arts films. Minimal dialog is no longer a problem because these fight sequences are so brilliant.
I can’t recall seeing another film from Indonesia, but if this is the quality coming from Jakarta a decade ago, I need to explore more. If you are hesitant to watch a foreign language film because of the reading this is a good place to start. The reading portions are short and well-spaced. There are tons of time to sit back relax and watch a few men lay waste to scores of others.
Comments