The Raid: Redemption

The Raid is definitely jam-packed with non-stop and gory action. The fight choreography is incredible (if not, ridiculous at times). My biggest beef with this film was one elongated fight scene in the second half of the movie which was really bordering on elite ridiculousness, given the condition of the combatants after many violent bouts earlier in the film. Apart from that beef, good fun... you certainly won't come away bored!

The Raid: Redemption is a relentless, high-energy action spectacle that sets a new standard for martial arts films. Director Gareth Evans strips the genre down to its raw essentials, delivering a film that is pure, brutal, and utterly exhilarating. The story is simple—an elite SWAT team is trapped inside a high-rise controlled by a ruthless crime lord—but the execution is anything but. Every fight scene is a masterclass in choreography, pacing, and tension, showcasing Iko Uwais’ incredible physicality and skill. The bone-crunching action is beautifully shot and edited, avoiding the shaky-cam chaos that plagues lesser action films. Where most action movies rely on gunfire and CGI, The Raid thrives on close-quarters combat that feels immediate and visceral. It's an adrenaline rush from start to finish, proving that a great action film doesn’t need elaborate plot twists—just sheer intensity and expert craftsmanship.

Best pure action fight choreography I've ever seen. The intricate layers of fight is beyond any other action or martial art movies out there. Missed jabs turned into elbow strikes to jaw, knee to the chest turns into push kick to body. Slamming face into the wall and scraping it down. Gareth Evans isn't just a director, he's a fight designer.

It is ok if you just like mindless action. There is absolutely no plot or character development.

Still the greatest action movie of all time. A simple premise executed perfectly

This is not doubt one of the greatest movies I have ever seen, this is a violent movie with very little dialogue, so know that b4 going in. The hand to hand fighting in this film is the best to ever been put on the big screen.👍🤙🏿👌🏽

Fast paced combined with amazing direction and perfect effects + choreography essentially nullifies any possible con this movie may have.

"The Raid" high-octane, desperation & claustophobic fight for survival. One of the best action movies in recent years from Welsh director Gareth Evans, who makes sure you see & hear every impact of the action. The talent on screen with the likes of, Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim & Yayan Ruhian, all bring the mayhem & brutality on screen from anything they can get their hands on, guns, machetes & good old fashion one on one combat.

Who’d have thought that Indonisia would raise the bar when it came to action movies? ‘The Raid’ is hardly the most complicated film to review, but, if you’re into your gunplay and marshal-arts then you can’t go far wrong here. Oh, and you’ll need to be okay with subtitles. Basically, the film is about a police raid on a towerblock containing some of the toughest (and deadly) criminals around. And – guess what – things don’t go too well for our boys in blue. It isn’t long before their bodies start piling up, leaving only our plucky new recruit (who just so happens to be damn good at kicking people) to survive and untangle the mess that’s quickly building up. If you’re wondering what makes this so much better than all the other action movies out there – it’s the ‘look’ (well, for starters anyway). It has a very professional and gritty feel to it. The director (who, to my shame, I’ve never heard of) has obviously spent a lot of time framing each shot to give it quite a nice – almost ‘arty’ – feel. Then there are the fight scenes – they’re meticulously choreographed and, despite being technically as unrealistic as the next marshal arts film, they are really good fun to watch. The actors are basically cast according to their looks. Bad people are ugly and good people have nice hair. However, at least everyone plays their part well and, even though all the talking is subtitled, it seems that everyone can actually act as well as is required for beating people to a pulp. There are a few twists and turns in the plot – some you may see coming, others are less obvious. But I won’t go into them too much. All you need to know is that, if you’re okay with subtitles and love marshal arts or action films, then you’ll enjoy The Raid (and its sequel, if you’re curious about that!).

Brutal and relentless with just enough story to keep it interesting. In a class of it's own where the action almost becomes an art form.