In 2012, the cult hit The Raid: Redemption hit theaters and introduced director Gareth Evans to a wider audience. In the film's brief existence, it has managed to become one of the most beloved, iconic action films of the past decade with the use of Indonesian fighting style pencak silat. It was graphic and brutal, but in an exciting and fresh way. With his sequel in a proposed trilogy, Evans continues to push the limits of the fighting technique by placing it within an epic realm that introduces more memorable characters, even crazier set pieces, and an even more incoherent plot. For those wanting a profound story, look somewhere else. For those wanting a visceral adrenaline rush, The Raid: Berandal may be one of the best films of 2014.
The story follows returning protagonist Rama (Iko Uwais) as he infiltrates a crime syndicate as an undercover cop. Through the film, he goes from a jail stint featuring the most intense mud fights in history to one of the most intense car chases in history. Clocking in at 150 minutes, the film is considerably longer than its predecessor and uses that time to push literal excessive force into strange, new places. Never mind the story, which is bare bones and a tad predictable. The only real difference is that Berandal takes more time than Redemption to get going, thanks to exposition. Even then, the tension is building, only to be released in a fantastic blast.
Where Redemption saw Rama climbing up a singular location to defeat the boss on the top floor, this one sees him climbing up the social ladder to attack Bejo (Alex Abbad) and destroy corruption in the police force. The story as a result is also more complicated, focusing on Rama's own family, the criminal characters, and even a few that exist for mere minutes. The film is bogged down with conversations that may benefit the story, but helps the film to drag. Even then, this exposition mostly plays as a relaxation time during action set pieces, which are the film's greatest achievements.
Even in the film's highly stylized world, it doesn't play fair with its characters. Rama is consistently thrown into harm's way. With bruises and stab wounds, he often limps through fights. Evans understands how to make a compelling action sequence, even if they sometimes feel unfocused. Generally, the film's attempt to turn massive crowd fights into something artistic backfires notably because of the general carnage. There is no central figure that the camera lingers on, instead choosing to wander to the next cool scene with a shaky camera that sometimes blurs images. It looks cool, but adds a monotony at times that keeps it from feeling immersing.
For all the faults of the film, it is unrepentant in the final act in which all exposition has been set aside and replaced with one of the most fantastical action set pieces of the year. Rama is almost done with his journey, yet he still needs to fight his way through a crowd that includes an amazing car chase, and blatantly described goofy villains Hammer Girl (Julie Estelle) and Baseball Bat Man (Very Tri Yulisman). Blood flies and bones break, but the sheer energy is pushed to new extremes as the stakes rise. Yes, the protagonist manages to win most fights, but mere inches from death. It draws the viewer in, seeing how things will work out.
The Raid: Berandal is not for the squeamish. It may not compare to The Raid: Redemption's amazingly economic and ingenious progression, but it fulfills all the ideals of a sequel of this nature. It's more insane with even more cartoonish villains and higher stakes. With the script not being particularly impressive, the film manages to skid by on visual flair. Evans knows how to make a moment visceral while impacting to the story. The limits may be stretched here, but the ways in which they were are amazingly unique. Violence is pushed into new and creative directions while allowing Evans to grow as a filmmaker. The only hope is that The Raid 3, which is most likely happening, will not be more complicated plot-wise. Contrivance can be forgiven only so many times. Stick to the action and everything will work out with mind-blowing results.
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