Way too often have I invested time in a martial arts film only to find the sequel is pretty much just a repeat of the same beats from the original. Thankfully “The Raid 2” is a wonderful and seamless extension of the original Gareth Evans’ crime thriller. Evans returns to deliver what is now a much more complex narrative based around deception, the mafia, and a very elaborate revenge ploy that promises to bring down even the most valiant heroes in the story. Evans manages a very fluid timeline that makes “The Raid 2” a very good chaser for the powerful first action entry. Immediately after the massive raid in the first film, we find out that things never quite worked out too well for hero Rama.
After his surviving partner is hauled off, Rama is saddened to learn his brother was murdered by aspiring gangster Bejo. To make things worse, his assumption that he’d destroyed his corrupt comrades from his police force was wrong, as they’re all still very safe and still evading the law. Angered and distraught by his struggles being in vain, the head of the police force enlists Rama for an underground enforcement group devoted to bringing down corrupt police officers. Rama is basically left with no choice, as the police chief insists that he and his family will be hunted down when the local syndicate learn that he was not only a part of the original raid, but also murdered a lot of their important men. Rama agrees to beat up a local politician’s son, which lands him in jail for two years, giving him the opportunity to gain the trust of a crime boss’s son Uco.
After a massive riot allows him to earn his allegiance, Rama begins working for Uco and his father Bangun. Rama then learns Uco is eager to gain a role as the head of Bangun’s empire, and begins devising a plan to start a war between his family, and the Japanese through a series of assassinations and incidents. At two and a half hours, “The Raid 2” definitely offers a unique and often compelling crime thriller along with a series of really fantastic plot twists. Though the centerpiece of “The Raid 2” is the flawless martial arts fights, director Evans doesn’t just stop there. He unfolds a very elaborate story, while also focusing heavily on character motives and the tragic sub-plot between son Uco’s efforts to be taken seriously by dad Bangun.
Director Evans could easily have just doled out a retread with Rama being forced in to another confined setting, but Rama’s mission is much more dire and bleak. Anyone that whined about the original just being a stream of fight scenes will be surprised to see that Evans follows up with a narrative heavy sequel. This lends much more importance and urgency to the fight scenes, as well as Rama’s journey to do whatever he can to ensure the safety of his wife and son. Evans places greater emphases on the fight scenes this time, delivering very clever battles, along with brilliant direction that sucks us in to every blow and stab wound. From the prison riot, to Rama’s rumble in a speeding car, Evans’ direction is brilliant. “The Raid 2” is a fantastic follow up that opens up the original film’s narrative while standing on its own as a unique and brilliant action entry.