After surviving the raid on an apartment building, police officer Rama is back on duty. It seems that task in the first installment was just a dot on the Richter scale. This sequel puts Rama's situation on a much grander scale.
With the plot being pretty simple to grasp in the first part, it has become more complex, and the action follows suit.
The main reason for its success with the fans was the well choreographed action scenes that almost felt operatic, or if you were watching ballet on an extreme level.
Usually, sequels are obviously well known for being a bit disappointing and not matching the hype. However, The Raid 2 has gone on the same road as the Terminator and Dark Knight franchises. Everything is cranked up, and fledged further out to make it even more exciting viewing.
The main draw is by far the fighting scenes. The level of athleticism, pain you feel when watching and choreography is as great as Ronin and The French Connection. Some of the great martial arts films usually get over-looked by critics and experts. With this one, it seems everyone is appreciating the skill needed to stage this and make sure it is timed to perfection.
There is also a lot of strain on the actors and actual trained martial artists involved that you can appreciate. Despite the extreme violence and gore throughout the two and a half hours, it is exquisite to watch and you manage to grimace with every hit that is being made. Another positive with the violence is that none of it seems gratuitous.
With most recent blockbusters being forced to make the violence suitable for a 12 certificate, Evans has taken the right path and has basically stuck two fingers up to the major Hollywood film-makers. Evans has shown how artistic violence can be without even using a big budget and that it can win critics over. There are even some comedic moments during some of the fighting scenes which was a nice touch to show the variety they can do.
As for the acting, it still plays an important role in this film. All the main actors are given great development during the whole film and we get to know some fascinating personalities. Some of them would fit right in to several Quentin Tarantino films.
There are so many fighting/car-chasing scenes I could mention that would easily out-do any major blockbuster over the last decade. If I had to choose one, it would be the penultimate one, so I recommend everyone should keep an eye out for that epic encounter.
Overall, I absolutely loved it. Everything was so satisfying and it is brilliant to see a director that has gone on a path not many would go down. It is clear to see the talent he and his team have, and that they are not afraid to go to the next level. The action scenes are some of the best I have ever seen and the plot was cranked up to give it its complexity. This is an early candidate for my film of 2014 and I will certainly never forget this one anytime soon.
Rating: 9/10
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