The Raid Redemption

This little gem of a violent fable takes place on the day when an elite third world swat team wants to take down a vicious drug dealing holding an apartment building as his base of operations. They actors all come from the East but the voices are pure US black and white crime noir. No one is trying to re-vent the wheel here but re-invent a genre of urban police combat action/adventure films they do.

This reminds me alot of the cops and robber movies by the great JohnWo. I so wanted Chow Yun Fat to show up in the middle to turn the tide for the good guys. But I am not sure there are any good guys in this film.

This one was a terrific ballet of death much like the recently remake of Dredd. This version on the 'criminals control building' theme was made on a budget but has ten times the attitude of any American picture since Scarface. This one also is part Die Hard part torture film. I learned from this movie that there are many ways to kill a man and sometimes you have to be brutal to insure he doesn't kill you first.

Each guy on both sides gets to show us if they are good or evil. There are no grey lines here. Just cop and robbers in a violent time and place. Everyone knows what happens when the police arrive. You either co-operate or get shot. These thugs don't cooperate

Then again when the bullets run out and the thugs have sharp swords and machetes that they can use with dead efficiency....that's when shit gets real. Many gruesome deaths here but they are pretty deaths to watch. Everything moves so fast that it's hard to keep up sometimes and I like that kind of action movie.

The cinematography and action choreographing are both top notch. Everything about the mission s rehearsed and planned to the last detail. It should be an easy objective except for the things that you can never control in a crisis situation.

The apartment building set is a maze of floors and apartments with sharp corners that you have to look around carefully lest something attacks you that you don't want attacking you.

It's a human cockfight with one man controlling the building and using the cameras he's installed to watch over his investment.

The movie starts up and never lets go until it's bitter cynical end. I love how nothing about this film is compromised. They made it as gruesome as they wanted to and the world is better for it.

The Indonesian martial art that is showcased here is one brutal but effective fighting style. It allows you only spend only seconds with an opponent before crippling them.  You can take out a hallway full of bad guys in under half a minute. So sleek and efficient and you get to see the punches and kicks and stabs and broken bones. It's not for the squeamish but will look cool played back in slow motion.

Of course it's always phoney because NO ONE could take the abuse the main characters dish out to each other and live. It has elements of Muay Thai, Russian knife fighting, Aikido, Chinese fight dancing and good old American boxing. It's very dynamic and the takes are not quick cut - you see ten moves in a row and three deaths before the camera ever leaves the action.

This was not a happy day at work and everyone takes their killing up a notch. Death's made are deaths EARNED.

I do have one quibble, however. Always try to negotiate first. That is the first rule in a conflict situation. Why can't anyone ever try to negotiate until most of the killing is done. If not, what's the point in getting revenge for the death of all your buddies. No, you gotta negotiate FIRST.

Everything moves with a kind of balletic flare. It's a dance  between their characters and their captives and their consequences. Holy shit was I riveted.