A rookie cop prolongs a failed mission to take down Jakarta's most feared crime lord and his haven of murderous thugs. Gareth Evans' critically-acclaimed foreign action film takes place deep in the Jakarta slums which houses an impenetrable apartment building that acts as a safe house for the most dangerous criminals in Southeast Asia. Overseen by crime lord Tama Riyadi (Ray Sahetapy), the murderer's haven is considered untouchable by other gangsters and outlaws as the complex is operated by Tama's henchmen: the business smart Andi and the loyal yet violent "Mad Dog". The bravest cops have never dared to breach its walls but that's until a 20-man SWAT team is assigned to finally capture Tama himself.
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The heavily-armed elite police squad, led by Sergeant Jaka (Joe Taslim) and under the supervision of Lieutenant Wahyu (Pierre Gruno), take the building by nightfall hoping to use stealth to their advantage. Their primary goal is to use tactic measures to clear every floor of the apartment and remain undetected. But without notice, their cover is blown as they make their way up the compound and in quick fashion, the SWAT team is dismembered bit by bit as their surveillance is disabled and reinforcements are called off. With the mission in jeopardy, rookie cop Rama (Iko Uwais) vows to complete the task by any means necessary. A joint mission now becomes one soon-to-be-father's fight for survival - saving comrades and innocents while using the various weapons at his disposal to discard Tama's henchmen and eliminate the corrupt kingpin once and for all.
Best part of story, including ending:
"The Raid: Redemption" is one of the few foreign action films that excels at using a simple story. It's straightforward in terms of the crime genre and illuminates the intensity with extensive fight choreography. It's a tactic that leans more towards skilled martial arts scenes rather than special effects and it's hard to disapprove of that every time around.
Best scene in story:
The most gripping scene in the film is the lengthy brawl with Tama's henchman "Mad Dog". Rama finds himself next to an unlikely adversary and the long-awaited fight scene becomes a two-against-one battle and pushes the limits of martial arts in a "movie", making it extremely difficult to pinpoint when it comes to a close.
Opinion about the main character:
Rama represents the average "brave soldier" character as his loyalty is questioned and always intact but his biggest flaw is the way his personality mimics popular stereotypes. For one, he's a family man - an expecting father if you will - and he runs into issues with unprecedented storylines that involve siblings and the twists and turns blemish his character.