The Raid 2 - BLU-RAY [Standard]

I saw "The Raid 2", starring Iko Uwais-The Raid: Redemption, Merantau; Arifin Putra-Macabre, Lost in Love; Tio Pakusodewo-Java Heat, The Forbidden Door and Julie Estelle-Brokenhearts, Macabre. This is a sequel, in case you were curious about the 2 in the title and there is a third Raid in the works. This is a martial arts extravaganza that, just like the first one, spotlights the Indonesian martial art of Silat. It starts off about 2 hours after the first one ended. Iko, the surviving cop, is recruited to go undercover and bust up a crime ring. Tio is one of the gang bosses Iko is after. Arifin is Tio's son and Julie is a hired muscle that goes by the name of Hammer Girl-in case you were wondering, she does not do carpenter work. She has a brother that is called Baseball Bat Man, and I'm sure that you can guess what his favorite weapon might be. There are lots of fight scenes; one in a bathroom stall involving about 50 guys-I'm not kidding, one on a subway train with Julie and her twin hammers, one that takes place inside one of the cars involved in a high speed car chase and one in a kitchen that is almost like a ballet. Oh yeah, Iko is the fight choreographer and some of the fights are unbelievable-I don't see how some of the actors/stunt men were not really hurt during some of the fights. It is brutally violent. The only complaint I could think of is that it is sub-titled-you have to read it-but that is a minor quibble. If you liked the first one, this one is better. It's rated "R" for the bloody, brutal violence, sexuality-including nudity-and language and has a running time of 2 hours & 30 minutes. I loved this movie and would buy it on Blu-Ray.

First of all, if you didn't see the prequel to this film, 'The Raid: Redemption" then seeing this film will totally confuse you. Good thing is that you can watch them back to back and have one LONG movie, and the events of this movie take place right after the events in "Redemption". This movie combines stunning fight scenes with brutal violence. If you have a weak stomach or a faint heart, then this movie isn't for you. This movie could have had 20 minutes or so trimmed from it, as it clocks in at 150 minutes. It lags a bit here and there as a result. The picture quality on this blu-ray is outstanding..especially considering the fact that a lot of the film is shot with hand-held cameras to allow good quality action scenes. The DTS-MA 5.1 soundtrack is immersive and forceful. You can feel every bone crack and fist blow, and gunshots ring out with commanding presence. There are several language options with subtitles available, as well. I personally preferred the Indonesian track with English subs, but that's just my personal preference. There is an English Dubbed track also, for those that don't care for subtitles. The subtitled tracks seemed to have richer sound than the English dubbed track, and, as always, the dubbing doesn't match the mouth movements. Also, the English track seemed to sound a bit "hollow" or "canned" in the dialog. Nevertheless, if you're not super critical about such things, you'll probably enjoy the English track just fine. Regardless of which track you listen to, stay FAR away from the DVD version of this movie. The DVD is a lousy 480p pressing with a VERY puny sounding soundtrack. if you're a fan of this genre, this film is a good choice to add to your collection...and it also has some very cool home theater demo moments.

This fantastic sequel picks up almost right where the first left off. Rama is drawn in to another plot after Bejo, a gang lord, emerges and starts taking control of Jakarta. Rama is recruited by a special police force focused on anti-corruption. They aim to bring down the crooked cops working with Bejo. Rama goes undercover in prison where he meets Uco, the son of Bangun, another gang lord. When he gets out, Uco gets him a job with his father. Rama is now undercover trying to oust corrupt cops from within a very strong gang. I'm trying not to spoil anything so that's about all I can tell you. You know you should just buy this movie. You've seen the first one (and if you haven't, you should) and you're looking for more. This has more. More fights, more blood, more brutality, more everything. There are some new characters which I love, Hammer Girl, Baseball Bat Boy, The Assassin, and Mad Dog returns but as Prakoso. He is a new character played by the same actor so don't be confused. It's another awesome film filled with the bloody fights we've come to love from the first one as well as a great story. Just buy it already.

This was a great movie ...A instant classic! ..Must own the Blu-Ray!

After watching this movie, you will find that every other action movie you watch will be extremely boring in comparison. If you liked The Raid 1, then this one is basically 5x more intense! It features one of the greatest fight scenes I've ever seen in my life (I was literally shaking and on the edge of my seat while watching it), the greatest car chase scene I've ever witnessed, and probably some of the most violent and cringe-worthy moments all nicely packaged within this one great movie. If you are a fan of Tarantino films, this film has many aspects that are very Tarantino-esque, especially when all heck breaks loose midway through the movie. I just hope the Blu-Ray has many extras as this is one of my most favorite films of all time. NOTE: You DO NOT "need" to watch The Raid 1, to follow the story line. This movie holds up perfectly well by itself.