“A masterclass in economical filmmaking” is what we said about The Raid back in 2011. An instant classic, the film didn’t work within its limitations so much as thrive on them, shrinking plot, character development and setting to the bare minimum – without sacrificing them – and then going for broke. It’s a risky move by director Gareth Evans to move on from ruthless efficiency and aim to make everything bigger and better with The Raid 2: Berandal. Fusing its predecessor’s action with undercover cop and underworld crook machinations, the result is a crime saga with the frequently jaw-dropping fight scenes you’d expect.
But walking onto the same hallowed turf as The Godfather et al brings a very different sort of comparison to bear than the standard The Raid was judged against. Can it really stake a claim to compete with the best crime dramas of the past fifty years? Of course it can’t. But as the sometimes predictable plot twists come and go, dudes make speeches and double-cross each other, and the film’s hero Rama (Iko Uwais, returning from The Raid) unsurprisingly finds himself in increasingly tenuous predicaments, it doesn’t seem like Evans is overstretching. He knows we’ve seen the films The Raid 2 emulates and doesn’t pretend this is the first time these tropes and character types have been rolled out. As with his previous film, he pushes this one to its limits – of acting, pacing, audience buy-in – without overstepping them.
Oh, and the action? It’s exhilarating as you’d expect. The fighting and stunt scenes are integrally intertwined with the narrative, but the latter serves to break them up, bringing a high anticipation for their arrival and an opportunity to reflect when they have passed – needed recovery from the spectacular brutality, choreography and cinematography served up.
‘The Raid 2: Berandal’ Movie Times
