THE RAID - REDMEPTION, Carlisle's Final Word

 "Pulling a trigger is like ordering a takeout."

Mad Dog.

Half circle down-to-forward and 'square' unleashes a Fire Ball.

Synopsis;

The Raid (or, The Raid Redemption as it’s also known) is the second film by Welsh (Welsh???) director Gareth Evans- an explosive Indonesian action movie.

A 20-man elite unit is sent on mission to eliminate a notorious criminal king-pin held up on the top floor of an apartment block which serves as his own personal fortress. Amongst the unit are the experienced Sergeant Jaka and young rookie Officer Rama- who also happens to be a master in the deadly art of Pencak Silat. This is a useful thing to know because (as you can probably imagine) the raid quickly goes catastrophically wrong. The surviving members of the team are then forced into a brutal game of survival while being hunted down by the king-pin's ruthless henchmen.

Script Logic; 0/2

There isn't really any logic to the script, but does it matter? The film is hoping you'll be too caught-up in the action to really care for the plot-holes. How did (spoilers ahead) a corrupt Lieutenant manage to deploy an entire armored unit without the proper authority or expecting his superiors not to notice? How was the unit even assembled without the proper documentation and warrants? Not a bother. Such a disregard for realism is ballsy if nothing else.

Pace; 1/2

Well, the film starts off at a run and doesn't really let-up. I was almost going to award the film 2/2 for this, but a perfect score has to be withheld for a perfect pace, and many of the films individual action scenes are overly-long- especially the final three-way battle, clocking in at over 8 minutes, I was ready for this clash to finish by the halfway point...

Acting; 1/2

Again, it's not really an 'actors piece'.  I mean, they have little to do besides grunt and fight, and the only concession to character building before the action starts is 30 seconds spent establishing that 1; the hero's wife is pregnant, and 2; he's pretty good in the gym. Still, that's all you need, and the film spends very little time concerning itself with minor details like character development. Only Joe Taslim, as the squad's experienced Sergeant, manages to bring any pathos or credibility to his time on screen- everyone else appears to be on strict instruction to ham-it-up.

Aesthetic; 2/2

The sets are suitably grungy and foreboding, so nothing really to report in that respect. However, the real aesthetic here is the martial arts. The Raid works largely as a showcase for Pencak Silat- a fast and fierce Indonesian martial art, almost like a bastard hybrid of Wushu and cage-fighting. There’s no denying that Pencak Silat is impressive, and up on the screen it makes for some breathtakingly athletic scenes- any fan of martial arts or action cinema is going to enjoy seeing this previously under-exploited form , and I’d put money on us seeing it a lot more from now on.

I guess my only complaint with the style, if any (or perhaps this is a failing of the film / director rather than the style), is that I felt like I was continually seeing the same few moves over and over again. It took me a while to notice this, but I found myself by the start of act 3 thinking “seen that, seen that, seen that”- like watching a computer game. I realise that criticism sounds a little harsh, but it’s probably a result of the individual action sequences being over-played. I feel that shorter (and as a result more intense) fights would have gone a long way to preventing this strong sense of Déjà vu. It's as though director Gareth Evans was so excited to 'strut his stuff' that he didn't hold anything back for later encounters.

Regarding a more personal and petty gripe- if I'm watching an 18-rated film with a fight including machetes, I WANT to see someone HIT with a machete! Still, kudos for the inventive door-frame related death, that was suitably grim.

Originality & Intention; 2/2

Well, like what was said during my review of Dredd, it hardly matters that the plot has been done before- is the same story that both Howard Hawks and John Carpenter used to tell so well.  In an odd twist of fate The Raid and Dredd (both of which shared a wincingly similar idea) were released almost simultaneously. It was easy to see why many people suspected subterfuge or breach of intellectual property, but I think in all honesty it was just an instance of cosmic-chance- and one that was disastrous for Dredd which most people compared unfavorably to The Raid. The Raid did good business and was quickly picked up for a sequel (coming soon) while the planned Dredd trilogy was shelved (although it found a new lease of life on DVD).

Admirably, The Raid set out and achieved exactly what it meant to do, and waved an unforgiving anarchic middle finger to everyone else in the process.

Final Score; 6/10 

OK, let’s not kid ourselves here; The Raid is all about the action, and on that score alone The Raid is most certainly a success and it’s easy to see why action-junkies lapped this up. The Raid was never meant to be anything else other than 100 minutes of bone-crunching action scenes. Anyone looking for anything other than this is going to leave disappointment.

“So, why the low score?” you may well ask. Is it possible that my rating system does The Raid a disservice? Well, no, for the simple reason it’s more than possible to have this level of action with a better plot, better acting, and a better pace, etc. Providing the fun stuff doesn’t have to be at the expense of rich storytelling. But I digress, and the entire reason for breaking the review down into separate scores is purely so people can read about the aspects that interest them the most and disregard the rest. I'll be honest, I got bored, but I do appreciate that as a bloodthirsty teenager this would have been right-up-my-street...

Interesting little fact; Yayan Ruhian, who played Mad Dog (the crime lord's diminutive but deadly bodyguard and only memorable bad guy), was once responsible for training Pencak Silat to the Indonesian Presidential Security Forces and the Indonesian Military Police... True.

KICK-ASS 2; Carlisle's Final Word

"If I was even thinking about a Kick-Ass sequel, I had to get serious." 

Dave Lizewski.

Will they kiss-and-makeup?

Synopsis;

Bumbling but well-meaning superhero Kick-Ass joins forces with like minded have-a-go-superheros to make the streets a a safer place. However, Hit-Girl (Kick-Ass' infinitely more capable crime-fighting partner) succumbs to the pressure of her new guardian to hang up the cape and lead the life of a normal fifteen year old girl. But trouble is looming on the horizon in the form of super-villain The Motherfucker- an enemy from Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl's shared past, and one who is intent on a very violent revenge...

Script Logic; 1/2

Well, the script sort of makes sense- given the context of superheros and the constraints of comedy. While the film does well to avoid the original comic's more-offensive moments (such as a gang-rape, child executions and a tortured dog) in many ways it does take a swipe at plot threads so well established in the original film- in particular the main character's relationship with Katie Deauxma. Here, Katie has been rewritten as something of a bitch, possibly to better fit with the continuity of the comic sequel (the first comic and first film had wildly different endings). That's is a real shame, seeing as that same relationship was so well-established and affectionately played-out- while Kick Ass' new 'fling' with fellow vigilante Night-Bitch is a hollow one-note affair by comparison. All that work and chemistry completely gone to waste...

Despite this, perhaps the script's worst failing is the lack of any wit. The one-liners are dead-on-arrival and the comedy in-general is far more juvenile; nowhere near as smart, sassy or subversive (or deliberate) as it's predecessor. Without that particular ace-in-the-hole, all we're left with is a sub-par action movie, and a reliance on cranking-up the grossness and violence...

Pace; 1/2

It has to be said that at least the pace is never slow- if anything, it's too rushed! The film's tendency is to wedge too much into the running time, which means that whole sub-plots, character arcs and set pieces struggle to make any impact; individually these are all sound 'ideas' that simply fail to take flight because of a lack of substantial screen-time allowing an audience to properly invest in these characters and their individual struggles. Instead the film relies on a certain amount of good-will generated by the previous film rather than working out it's own failings. One or two stories well told is better than a dozen botched attempts.

Acting; 2/2

Nobody really drops the ball here; Aaron Taylor-Johnson does what he can with his scenes and a scatty story arc, Christopher Mintz-Plasse makes an amusingly volatile villain (and epitomizes everything wrong with the worst kind of teenage fan-boy), and Chloe Grace Moretz makes a very welcome return as Hit-Girl (who is clearly the script's most favored character). However, the real stand-out performances in this film belong to the criminally underrated John Leguizamo and (dare I admit this) Jim Carrey. The first plays a pivotal role as the villain's first body guard, a sympathetic crook whose murder acts as that character's tipping point from 'pathetic snot-nosed nerd' into a very warped antagonist, and the second puts in  a scene-stealing and unrecognisable turn as psychopath-turned-born-again-christian superhero Colonel Stars & Stripes (shame he ruined any kudos by bad-mouthing the movie in relation to the Sandy Hook tragedy- see my note on the subject for more details).

Aesthetic; 1/2

While the costumes and sets all remain fittingly-glossy, the fight scenes- such a highlight of inventive insanity the first time around, here are all flat and lifeless. I watched this film only the other day and I struggle to remember any of them- nothing as outlandish or stand-out as 'that' corridor scene, or Kick-Ass' first failed outing and subsequent beating at the hands of two car-jackers. Even the film's climax, a mass-battle between hundreds of masked heroes and villains, fails to make an impact.

A clash of titans, something that the film intentionally build towards, Hit-Girl vs. the bulging and brutal Mother Russia (Motherfuckers most dangerous ally) is also depressingly mundane and unimaginative. I'll admit, seeing a teenager slicing up a bunch of criminals is never going to be as eye-popping as seeing a child do the very same thing, but even overlooking this fact there's no excusing just how uninspiring the fight sequences are. Only one moment featuring a lawn mower even comes close to anything in the first Kick Ass...

On a similar note, in this film the violence is far more leery and mean-spirited, which I appreciate may be more in keeping with the source material (myself, I'm not really a fan of the comic), but it's strikingly at odds with the overall warmth of the original... This is especially true in relation to the 'prison murder scene'...

Originality & Intention; 0/2

The original Kick-Ass film, despite the language and violence, was a charming film with a big heart and a mischievous sense of humor. By comparison, this is a leery, immature and spiteful film which feels more like the bad fan fiction of a teenager with a few 'issues'. This film is the product of a creative team who just aren't as driven, talented or witty as those responsible for the first Kick-Ass; failing to build on the foundations of the first film, they have instead turned-in a lack-luster sequel that fails to properly appreciate (or understand) what a gift the first film actually was.

Final Score; 5/10 

It's not that Kick-Ass 2 simply fails to live up to the first film, it's that Kick-Ass 2 is just a shoddy film, full-stop.

13 ASSASSINS; Carlisle's Final Word

"No mercy! There's no samurai code or fair play in battle! No sword? Use a stick. No stick? Use a rock. No rock? Use your fists and feet! Lose your life, but make the enemy pay!"

Shinzaemon Shimada

A little bit off the top?

Synopsis;

Director Takashi Miike, famed for such hyper-violent and bizarre cult films as 'Ichi The Killer' and 'Audition', here retells an epic saga from Japanese history about thirteen Samurai who take a fierce last-stand against a sadistic warlord who plans to use his influence to bring about chaos and bloodshed. 

While the construction owes much to the classic Seven Samurai (as well as the less-known 1960s film of which this is a remake), the film thematically concerns itself with the tangled ideology of the period; the conflict of honor and duty.

Script Logic; 2/2

While audiences not so familiar with the Japanese feudal setting may struggle with the politics and social structure which so greatly influences the plot, there is no denying that it holds-up and proves a strong framework for what is essentially a standard men-on-a-mission movie. 

Characters are given clear motivations for their actions (with the exception perhaps of the antagonist, who we except as simply being a vile and corrupt bastard).

Pace; 1/2

While the film never outstays it's welcome, it does at times tend to meander leisurely towards it's climactic showpiece- a berserk 45 minute battle scene. Still, at least these quieter moments are well used and bring depth to some of the film's more prominent characters.

Acting; 2/2

Nobody here drops the ball, but the film does have some very stand-out performances. Gorô Inagaki, who features as the sadistic warlord, is truly a terrifying character and should rank high in any poll for psychotic evil (more than a little reminiscent of King Joffrey in 'Game of Thrones'), while Kôji Yakusho, as the reclusive older samurai, tasked with bringing about the former's assassination, is the stand-out heart-and-soul of the film; it's his magnetism and charisma that holds the film together.

Some of the minor characters remain incidental to the point that their inclusion feels unnecessary, and during the final battle the distinct lack of diversity in costume and hairstyle may make it difficult to distinguish exactly who is doing what, and to who, but the main cast (those of the assassins given the majority of the screen-time and the more intricate backstops) always stand out. 

Aesthetic; 2/2

The film creates a fully authentic feudal Japanese landscape for it's bloody subject; a hybrid of almost mythical beauty and gritty realism- complete with weather worn streets, trickling streams and dirt spattered robes. Clearly the budget has been well used and establishes a strong sense of period.

As for the style, everything here is played for realism. Although the odds are staggering (13 against 200), the carnage isn't your usual bullet-time wire-martial-arts affair; nobody here is superhuman, everybody is very (painfully) vulnerable. It's very refreshing to see an action scene play-out without slow-motion, jarring camera work and jump-cut editing.... Although some of the traps that the assassins set to ensnare their victim may rely on a slight suspension of disbelief they are never entirely implausible.

Originality & Intention; 1/2

A far more constrained movie than might be expected of it's director, both in terms of gore and the surreal (it is worth noting that not all Miike's work is of this nature), although with some trademark stylistic flourishes- this surprisingly mainstream effort is sure to surprise many Takashi Miike enthusiasts with it's straight-storytelling approach, but is also likely to win over some newcomers as well.

Comparisons with countless other films, such as the aforementioned Seven Samurai, are inevitable, and while the theme of "honor vs duty" is hardly a new one, the film still managers to feel relevant and vibrant- thanks in part to its visuals and strong cast.

It is worth mentioning here that the only exception to the film's strong line in realism, and perhaps the film's most obvious leaning to Takashi Miike's unique brand of surreal ambiguity, is the allusion of (possible spoiler) the "goblin" character. Goblins, in this sense, are a race of mischievous immortals from Japanese folklore. This odd tonal-shift comes in the film's final moments, and it's inclusion is, well, inexplicable, and may well irritate some viewers.

Final Score; 8/10 

All in all, a very impressive period adventure which boasts both a strong cast and a spectacular final. Sure to appeal to anyone who; is fascinated by the feudal setting, enjoys Takashi Miike, or appreciates well made and well acted films- or any connoisseur of bloody heroics and swordplay!