The Raid 2: Berendal

[Jim H]

This has been in wide release for a week, and no topic yet!

Anyway, this is the sequel to the low budget ($400,000ish) Indonesian action crime flick, the Raid.  It picks up almost immediately after the end of that one, and is MUCH wider in scope, and almost twice as long to boot..  It also has some of the best action sequences ever committed to film.  It's a little too complicated, a little TOO long, and little too epic, as the film doesn't quite reach the Godfather or other crime epic levels of power needed to work for a nearly three hour run time...  But it's still extremely entertaining, and one hell of a ride.

All action fans must see it.  The final fight is one of the best ever created, up there with things like the end of Drunken Master 2. 

9/10 from me.

[Mike]

The theater workers 'warned' me there would be subtitles. I thanked them and said I'm glad there is because I do not speak Indonesian.    My sister an I had the whole theater to ourselves which is just weird! 

I agree with your thoughts. I found it much more engrossing than the first, plenty of amazing fights, great fight choreography, and gnarly characters. I agree that it didn't really pack enough in, but it didn't really feel as long as it was either. I think it would be pretty cool to see back-stories of where some of the other more stylistic characters came from - the hammer lady and the baseball savant most notably.

[Jim H]

I agree with your thoughts. I found it much more engrossing than the first, plenty of amazing fights, great fight choreography, and gnarly characters. I agree that it didn't really pack enough in, but it didn't really feel as long as it was either. I think it would be pretty cool to see back-stories of where some of the other more stylistic characters came from - the hammer lady and the baseball savant most notably.

Yeah, I think they could have their own short film.  Same with the hobo hitman character.  Lots of interesting characters. 

[JayJayM12]

I loved the first film, and I thought that this one improved on it in every single way.  Such a great flick!

[messedup]

The first part was amazing and I'm so looking forward to seeing the sequel.
Sadly I don't think there is a theatrical release planned here, so I might have to wait for the BD.