Health & Fitness
Moview Review (DVD): The Raid: Redemption
A review of Chris Evans' martial arts and action flick "The Raid: Redemption", in which twenty elite cops fight for survival against a ruthless crime lord. New on BluRay and DVD.
Movie (DVD): The Raid: Redemption
1 Ruthless Crime Lord. 20 Elite Cops. 30 Floors of Hell.
Find out what's happening in Oxfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
When I initially saw this tagline for Gareth Evans’ action flick The Raid: Redemption (2011) I was expecting an over-the-top and pointless movie more concerned with how many liters of blood it would spill than having an actual plot. Not that there is anything wrong with senseless violence in a movie; it has its entertainment value. But with the market already saturated with “Expendable”-esque movies and whatever Michael Bay can assault us with, I delightfully pleased to find several morsels of plot, character, and theme in Evans’ film.
The plot, as with all action movies, is simple: good guys beating the snot out of every bad guy they can get their hands on. The Raid: Redemption tells the straightforward story of an elite, twenty-man Indonesian SWAT team tasked with neutralizing the crime lord Tama, his two cronies Mad Dog and Andi, and any other criminal tenants they encounter within the thirty-story apartment fortress.
Find out what's happening in Oxfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The protagonist is rookie team member Rama, who is introduced in the movie’s opening scene as a man both dedicated to family and duty. But as the movie unfolds and the plot twists subtly, one must come before the other, and Rama is faced with the difficult question: what happens when family is the duty?
These themes, along with the under layer of bureaucratic greed are present throughout the movie, but they are not obvious and overpowering. Nor do they spoil the beauty of the martial arts choreography that makes this movie both a gripping action film and a visual pleasure. The Raid: Redemption shows off traditional Indonesian martials arts techniques. Consequently, the fight scenes are absolutely superb and engaging, gritty and fluid. Evans makes Rama and the few remaining men of the SWAT team work hard for their victories, providing the movie with a nice balance.
Overall, The Raid: Redemption is a splendid action and martial arts film. For those of you who are squeamish when it comes to spurting blood and breaking bones, this movie keeps those aspects surprisingly low-key. “The Raid: Redemption” is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD or at your local Redbox.
Overall Rating: 9.0 out of 10
