From the tense opening scene, you can certainly expect another Raid vibe. It is both heavy in its violence, but also in its style of executing its action. While at times the action can wear you down, the combination of slick camera tracking and ballet-esque choreography make the fight scenes such a treat. There are many highlights with various action scenes in many places like in a bus, an office, a forest, a beach and then a final showdown in a bunker.
The camerawork is quite a violent one. It's as if its being thrown around very aggressively, and yet we still manage to see what is going on.
The performances were well done. The amount of work the supporting cast and extras have to go through must be a tough regime. To make something so brutal and yet graceful is all thanks to them. Iko Uwais is as great as you would expect. He plays the hero well and is easy to root for. Chelsea Islan was a solid leading female, and worked well with Uwais in the more dramatic and emotional scenes.
Sunny Pang was very haunting as the main villain, and it was great seeing Julie Estelle make an appearance, after creating a lot of attention from playing 'Hammer Girl' in The Raid 2.
It has a fairly obvious negative, and that is the thin and simple plot. I know The Raid films did not have simple plots either. But Headshot makes The Raid films look heavy detailed.
Thankfully, I don't mind a film like this to have a simple story. It may be nothing too different from your generic mindless action flicks from Hollywood. But what gives it its credit, is the high quality visceral action, stylish cinematography and kick-ass performances that make you care for the characters.
Some other reviews are calling the violence gratuitous. They are definitely more violent then in The Raid films. But I still feel they are highly entertaining and as impressive.
Many people never get tired of action films starring people like Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Seagal, Van Damme or Lundgren. For me, it is Uwais. I can certainly appreciate the talent in these films, and the execution of it makes it a thrilling and exciting experience.
It is amazing to see the talent that is out there, as director of both Raid films Gareth Evans is not involved in this project whatsoever. I am excited to see anymore directors that get involved. Also, I hope this is the start of a certain type of action films that will be embraced by the western world with open arms and have a bigger distribution.
Rating: 8/10
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