Superlatives may as well have been invented in the first place simply to describe the action sequences in the outstanding The Raid. It's hard to think...... more
Superlatives may as well have been invented in the first place simply to describe the action sequences in the outstanding The
Raid. It's hard to think of too many other films that have framed action cinema as ambitiously as director Gareth Evans and his team manage here, bringing the events of The
Raid to life in exhilarating, breathless fashion. The simple idea behind the film is this. A 30-storey tower block houses some of the most dangerous, nastiest criminals in Jakarta. Unsurprisingly most give it a wide berth, until an elite SWAT team embarks on a deadly mission to effectively clear the building out, a floor at a time. It's spoiling nothing to reveal that this plan has its flaws.What makes The
Raid so much more than this basic premise, though, is the incredible, stunning execution of it. This is a pure, relentless, expert action film, boasting incredible camera work and equally strong fighting. In fact, feel free to throw a few more superlatives at
the movie. It absolutely deserves it.
The Raid is, then, that rarest of things: a modern action cinema classic. --Jon Foster
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