Movie review: The Raid 2: Berandal

NZ Herald·

27 Mar, 2014 10:00 PM2 mins to read

Throat-cutting sadism, limb-breaking brutality and some very inventive uses for a hammer on a train. If you saw 2011's cult hit The Raid, you know what you're in for with the sequel: bloodthirsty violence delivered in jaw-dropping, eye-popping set pieces.

Yes, The Raid 2: Berandal (that's "thug" in Indonesian) packs an almighty martial arts punch, delivering wave after wave of gruesomely violent yet stunningly inventive moments that will leave you wondering exactly how director Gareth Evans managed to pull them off.

One early scene involving a prison inmate riot in a rain-drenched yard is so exquisitely shot it could be a work of art - an extremely bloody and muddy canvas which has a body count that might rival the first film on its own.

It's a sign that Evans is trying to broaden The Raid's horizons - an ambition that he doesn't always manage to pull off.

Set two hours after the end of The Raid's insular tower massacre, the sequel follows Iko Uwais' character Rama as he goes undercover to track down corrupt politicians and police involved in Jakarta's criminal underworld.

Self-edited by Evans, Berandal suffers from second-film syndrome: it is a muddled mess at times, with scenes of confusing dialogue viewers are forced to wait out until the next set piece.

Despite some momentum-sapping moments, there's always action just around the corner. Like a breathless kitchen fight that finds some very inventive uses for a walk-in wine fridge.

Or the duo Baseball Bat Man and Hammer Girl, a brother-sister combo of baddies who excel at expelling foes using their weapons of choice and have an incredibly tense hallway showdown with Rama.

Then there's a climactic car chase that sets the bar at a new height for the action movie staple, thanks to some incredible camera work as Evans seamlessly swoops through cars and across crash sites - a trick he might want to use as his Hollywood calling card.

Yes, Berandal gets lost while trying to expand its boundaries. But like the first film, this is still one hell of a fight club that action fans should sign up for.