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The Raid: Redemption
WHY'D I WATCH IT?
Final Verdict: [Meh...]
The Raid: Redemption
Martial Arts Action / Indonesian / 2011
WHY'D I WATCH IT?
For the Action Movie Countdown.
My first Indonesian movie and easily the most hyped movie on my radar.
Okay, maybe THE SEQUEL is the most hyped movie on my radar, consensus seems to be that that one's better, but people still like the first one so I'm really looking forward to this.
What I have in mind is that one scene of Tony Jaa storming Tom-Yum Goong stretched to movie length. I'd watch that.
WHAT'D I THINK? *SPOILERS*
My first Indonesian movie and easily the most hyped movie on my radar.
Okay, maybe THE SEQUEL is the most hyped movie on my radar, consensus seems to be that that one's better, but people still like the first one so I'm really looking forward to this.
What I have in mind is that one scene of Tony Jaa storming Tom-Yum Goong stretched to movie length. I'd watch that.
WHAT'D I THINK? *SPOILERS*
Crap. I'm not sure how to describe what I'm feeling.
...let me try drawing something.
There's NOTHING HERE, I mean where's the personality? Zotis was talkin' this one up as "over-the-top" and, you know, from a certain perspective I can see that, but meeeenneeeehhhh I'M THINKIN' ARMY OF DARKNESS OVER-THE-TOP, right? Not... THIS.
I mean it's just this wildly undercooked dirty cop plot that sets up the story mixed in with a barely-there-brothers-on-opposite-sides-of-the-tracks subplot and zrzgrzrgzrgr I don't give a ****. I don't like ANYBODY, I'm never given a reason to like anybody except-what our main character? Why? Because he's Muslim?
Am I supposed to champion this surrogate entity of violence against totally random goons? That's not a point in the movie's FAVOR.
And you know I really wouldn't mind a straightforward nearly plotless action movie with a nameless protagonist just kicking ass, but AGAIN some personality! I feel like we just stuffed a B-list stuntman into Silent Hill and sent all of the most boring goons in the Big Bad's arsenal to **** him up. It's visceral, but viscerality (visceralness? visceration?) is unpleasant in large doses and this is nothing but GREYS, bullets stacking up bodies, and people getting knifed up and down their thighs.
A close-up of some guy whose name I don't know or care about crawling on the ground and repeatedly stabbing another guy who name I don't know or care about does NOTHING FOR ME EXCEPT TELL ME THAT THE CREATORS LIKE SEEING BLADES SLIDE IN AND OUT OF FLESH.
And REALLY, that's not me. I'm not in this for the CG blood splatter, the body count, or the ugly visuals besides. I'm just here to see a likable character kick some ass and look cool doing it.
Wanna raise the stakes? Awesome.
Wanna put him on the defense? Awesome.
Wanna make me FEAR for his life? Awesome, yes, do it.
Wanna make the soundtrack 90% the characters moaning "AEAEAEAEAEAEAEGGHGHHHGGHH"?
No. I'm good. And when it comes to one-vs-all scenarios, either the character should destroy the opposition CLEANLY (as in: no one can kill him, which makes him badass), or every enemy should pose a legitimate obstacle and threat to his life (as in: anyone could kill him, which makes him badass).
THAT'S how you do it. You either go Die Hard or you go Hard Boiled, none of this sitting-on-the-fence ****. It's boring.
Also, anyone else notice the corrupt cop dude trying to kill himself by sticking the gun under his chin and angling it at his teeth? You're not gonna kill yourself doing that dude, you're gonna blow your teeth out, **** up your jaw, mess up your nose, and IF YOU'RE LUCKY, you might tear out the artery beneath your tongue so you can bleed out slowly.
If you WANNA DIE, barrel to the temple.
...let me try drawing something.
It's... it's ACTION. I can't blame you for nominating it...
It's just not very interesting action. I mean there are some fun parts...
I liked the sequence where the Main Character has to flee and is trapped at the end of a hall.
I liked a couple of the unexpected finishers like when Main Character grabs Henchman #639's head and dives backwards to drop him neckfirst on a door frame.
Uuuuuhhhhhmmmm... I liked... MOMENTS of the music which is usually this really generic grindy thriller noise.
Honestly it took me nearly 30 minutes to actually see something I thought was kinda creative, namely when they're forced to barricade themselves into a room and transition between floors by means other than the stairs while dealing with enemies from every which way, that was cool, and I won't say the fight choreography was bad, it was decent and there are a couple... almost noteworthy highlights that made me go "OOOHHHhow 'bout that", but for seriously...
The movie just kinda... *SIGH*
It's just not very interesting action. I mean there are some fun parts...
I liked the sequence where the Main Character has to flee and is trapped at the end of a hall.
I liked a couple of the unexpected finishers like when Main Character grabs Henchman #639's head and dives backwards to drop him neckfirst on a door frame.
Uuuuuhhhhhmmmm... I liked... MOMENTS of the music which is usually this really generic grindy thriller noise.
Honestly it took me nearly 30 minutes to actually see something I thought was kinda creative, namely when they're forced to barricade themselves into a room and transition between floors by means other than the stairs while dealing with enemies from every which way, that was cool, and I won't say the fight choreography was bad, it was decent and there are a couple... almost noteworthy highlights that made me go "OOOHHHhow 'bout that", but for seriously...
The movie just kinda... *SIGH*
There's NOTHING HERE, I mean where's the personality? Zotis was talkin' this one up as "over-the-top" and, you know, from a certain perspective I can see that, but meeeenneeeehhhh I'M THINKIN' ARMY OF DARKNESS OVER-THE-TOP, right? Not... THIS.
I mean it's just this wildly undercooked dirty cop plot that sets up the story mixed in with a barely-there-brothers-on-opposite-sides-of-the-tracks subplot and zrzgrzrgzrgr I don't give a ****. I don't like ANYBODY, I'm never given a reason to like anybody except-what our main character? Why? Because he's Muslim?
Am I supposed to champion this surrogate entity of violence against totally random goons? That's not a point in the movie's FAVOR.
And you know I really wouldn't mind a straightforward nearly plotless action movie with a nameless protagonist just kicking ass, but AGAIN some personality! I feel like we just stuffed a B-list stuntman into Silent Hill and sent all of the most boring goons in the Big Bad's arsenal to **** him up. It's visceral, but viscerality (visceralness? visceration?) is unpleasant in large doses and this is nothing but GREYS, bullets stacking up bodies, and people getting knifed up and down their thighs.
A close-up of some guy whose name I don't know or care about crawling on the ground and repeatedly stabbing another guy who name I don't know or care about does NOTHING FOR ME EXCEPT TELL ME THAT THE CREATORS LIKE SEEING BLADES SLIDE IN AND OUT OF FLESH.
And REALLY, that's not me. I'm not in this for the CG blood splatter, the body count, or the ugly visuals besides. I'm just here to see a likable character kick some ass and look cool doing it.
Wanna raise the stakes? Awesome.
Wanna put him on the defense? Awesome.
Wanna make me FEAR for his life? Awesome, yes, do it.
Wanna make the soundtrack 90% the characters moaning "AEAEAEAEAEAEAEGGHGHHHGGHH"?
No. I'm good. And when it comes to one-vs-all scenarios, either the character should destroy the opposition CLEANLY (as in: no one can kill him, which makes him badass), or every enemy should pose a legitimate obstacle and threat to his life (as in: anyone could kill him, which makes him badass).
THAT'S how you do it. You either go Die Hard or you go Hard Boiled, none of this sitting-on-the-fence ****. It's boring.
Also, anyone else notice the corrupt cop dude trying to kill himself by sticking the gun under his chin and angling it at his teeth? You're not gonna kill yourself doing that dude, you're gonna blow your teeth out, **** up your jaw, mess up your nose, and IF YOU'RE LUCKY, you might tear out the artery beneath your tongue so you can bleed out slowly.
If you WANNA DIE, barrel to the temple.
This has been sage advice from your
health and wellness expert, Omnizoa.
health and wellness expert, Omnizoa.