Rama’s
last mission was an off-the-books frontal assault. He was one of the few
survivors. This time, he will use stealth and deception. Don’t worry, he will
generate the same massive body count in Gareth Huw Evans’ The Raid 2 (trailer
here),
which screens during this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Ironically,
busting his corrupt commanding officer might not be so hot for Rama’s career.
It is likely to attract the wrong sort of attention. Fortunately (or not), the leader of the new
anti-corruption squad papers over the whole affair, so he can recruit Rama for
a deep cover operation. The honest cop
and family man will spend two years in prison, where he will become the
protector of Uco, the unstable son of Bangun, Jakarta’s top mob boss. His
objective is not to take down Bangun, but to expose the cops in his pocket.
Matters
get more complicated (as gangster business often does) when Uco hatches a plan
to usurp his father and launch an all out war against their Japanese Yakuza
allies. With chaos unleashed, Rama forms a de facto alliance with Eka, Bangun’s
more rational lieutenant, played by Mr. Sundance, Oka Antara, co-lead of the Mo
Brothers’ Killers.
Raid 2 starts a bit
slower than the previous film, actually devoting a minute or two to exposition,
but it is soon off to the races. In addition to the mega-melees, there are
several feature spots devoted to various supporting beat down artists. Yayan
Ruhian, Iko Uwais’s co-action choreographer on both films, reappears in the
persona of Prakoso, a loyal Bangun assassin done wrong by Uco. However, the sequel’s new fan favorite is
likely to be Julie Estelle, who literally tears it up the joint as the aptly
named “Hammer Girl.” Watching her go Sears Craftsman on various Yakuza is what
the movies should be all about.
Once
again, Uwais and Ruhian’s fight scenes are spectacularly violent and wildly
cool. Close quarters combat is unquestionably their forte. While their moves
are often dazzling cinematic, there is nothing superhuman in Raid 2, except perhaps its characters’ tolerance
for pain.
Uwais
is an earnest enough screen presence with truly ferocious action chops.
Likewise, Ruhian and Estelle should be future cult stars in their own
right. Arifin Putra brings plenty of
entitled villainy as the recklessly ambitious Uco, while Antara and Tio Pakusodewo’s
Bangun nicely hold up the Johnnie To gangster tradition.
