Awesome. Chop. Kick. Awesome.

THE RAID REDEMPTION (2012)

I love martial arts. If you know me. If you know me through this blog. You know I love roughly seven things, and one of them is martial arts. I hear about a new actor, or director I get excited, and when they deliver... well... I feel so damn good. Just happy all over. I imagine it's how most women feel during the 8th time they watch a notebookish type flick. Yup. I get a little emotional inside.

A few years ago Tony Jaa melted my brain in theatre with "Ong Bak" and then "Protector". Since there have been a few moments of warm feelings. Bangkok Knockout, Chocolate, Jacky Wu, and a couple others. But, mostly there have been almosts, and disappointments. Including one that dropped a lil while ago "Merantau" featuring a new team of director Gareth Evans and his star IKO UWAIS. I checked it out. And was basically whelmed. At best. The martial arts were good, even great at moments, but the film itself, boring. So very boring. Then I heard about this new film. THE RAID. Then I saw a trailer. And inside, I began to get so very happy. Then it debuted in NA at the Toronto International Film festival (TIFF), and everyone was saying it was one of the greatest action films ever. And then, I finally got to see it.

Awesome.

That is the best way to one word review this flick. The story is exactly what it should be for a hardcore action flick simple, and to the damn point. Evil drug lord operates out of a 15 floor building. A swat team has had enough, and attacks the building off the books one early morning. They make it a few floors up before kids they just couldn't bring themselves to shoot sound the alarm. Then the bodies start hitting the floor. Gritty. Realistic. These are words that will be blasting your mind as the air escapes your slack jaw. And then the bullets are gone, and it's knives vs feet vs fists. No turning back. No chance but to fight through. The Choreography is like nothing you have ever seen. Ever. I have seen it all. And I have never seen anything like this. Memorizing, violent, but never across the line of the believable and very real. The Evil henchman in this flick is just wicked. A mans villain. Not afraid to throwdown with the heroes. And boy howdy, do peeps get thrown down. Just to keep things going they throw in a few twists. Actual plot to fill the minimal gaps between bone bashing.

This is simply one of the greatest action flicks of all time. The fact that most website have it an 8, or much higher, out of ten, shows that. People that don't even get action movies, love this flick. Add in a new crisp Mike Shinoda soundtrack (I was a lil worried when I heard he redid it for me and my fellow North Americans, but damn its good, I am curious about the original though). And the ending... an ending that leaves a sequel open without screwing the entire movie up, or screwing the audience out of a showdown.

I love this movie. That's it. I hope you do too. Unless you severely hate awesome things, including kung fu, and fridge grenades... in which case... stay away... :)

movie scale 4 out of 5 stars.
Kung Fu flick 4.99 out of 5 stars.

Why no 5 you ask. Well. Me and good ol' K. K. Bucklesworth are well aware of a certain movie... starring Tony Jaa and so many more... Protector 2 in 3D dropping later this year. And I want to leave myself room. Just in case. I don't know though... have to see....

- Charles B. Boonsweet.