Every few years, a martial arts film propels the genre into an exciting new direction. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon brought the genre to new audiences with its epic sensibility, whilst Tarantino’s Kill Bill translated retro stylings into a modern Hollywood format. The Raid, from young Welsh filmmaker Gareth Evans, is the latest film to take the genre to a completely different level.
The story may be familiar from many an action movie – a special police team enters a labyrinthine tenement building, seeking to crack down on the notorious drug lord who uses the building as a safe house.
When officer Rama finds himself last man standing, he has to fight his way to the top of the building to escape with his life. But the distinctive and atmospheric Jakarta setting adds a compelling new dimension whilst the execution is never less than spectacular, an action-packed, bone-crunching, unrelenting 100-minute odyssey with new thrills around every hidden corner.
Winner of the 2011 Midnight Madness People’s Choice Audience Award at the Toronto Film Festival, the Audience and Critics’ Choice Awards at the 2012 Dublin International Film Festival, The Raid stars the martial arts sensation Iko Uwais and features a kick ass score by Mike Shinoda and Joe Trapanese.
