Certification. 18
Running Time. 2 hours 30 mins
Director. Gareth Evans
Apparently set several hours after the events of The Raid, The Raid 2 sees Rama (Iko Uwais) embarking on an undercover mission to infiltrate a notorious crime family and uncover widespread corruption amongst the Jakartan Police Force. The need is plainly outlined by his superior, Bunawar (Cok Simbara),
"Rama, your brother had big enemies. But they're nothing compared to what's coming for you. I can provide safety for your wife and child."
What is initially advertised as several weeks of incarceration, Rama then spends four years in prison where he ingratiates himself to Uco (Arifin Putra), son of the Jakartan crime lord, Bangun (Tio Pakusadewo).
Whereas The Raid confined the action to the claustrophobic setting of a 15-storey apartment block, The Raid 2 is a sprawling storyline spanning a number of years. The straightforward, tight, almost video-game-like storyline of The Raid is replaced by a more expansive narrative that though, immensely enjoyable, lacks the uniqueness of the original.
Whilst ambitious, the expansion of scale doesn't quite work. Director Gareth Evans struggles to maintain a coherent storyline. The linear simplicity of The Raid narrowed the director's focus. Whenever there was a fight, you knew exactly what was at stake - simply, survival. In The Raid 2, it is less clear if the confrontation is a matter of life or death, or another betrayal or double-cross. Evans continuously grapples with the plethora of characters and multiple sub-plots, without the skill of a Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese or Michael Mann.
But hell, can Gareth Evans direct a fight scene. Once again, the action is incessant. The pencak silat is superbly choreographed resulting in many of the action sequences blurring the line between martial arts and dance. Admittedly a bloody, brutal dance. For some, the gore and gratuitous violence will be problematic, but the uncompromising, visceral action is spectacular, particularly the prison yard brawl in the mud and the exhilarating final confrontation with Hammer Girl (Julie Estelle), Baseball Bat Man (Very Tri Yulisman) and The Assassin (Cecep Arif Rahman).
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