One thing that anyone should think to expect from Michael “Boom-Boom” Bay is that there are going to be a few explosions in anything he creates. Thankfully people happen to like explosions even if we don’t always think of their implications and what might happen, likely because in a Michael Bay movie the action is moving so fast that no one has a chance to think about what might be happening as they dash past. But those that have seen the original Raid movies that took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, are probably going to be expecting the same hard-hitting, gritty action that Bay is so well-known, along with the explosions of course, and possibly the return of the martial arts display that the Raid is so famous for as well. It’s unknown who’s going to be starring in this Netflix production, but there are a few impressive names on the roster of hopefuls at least. The chances are good that Iko Uwais, who was the rookie in the first movie that ended up making it to the sequel, will be there since it sounds as though he has a fairly busy schedule.
But with the story taking place in Philadelphia and kind of following along the same lines, it’s fair to think that whoever gets picked is going to need to be a rather physical actor that has no problem with extended action scenes and extended fighting scenes that a lot of fans happen to love. Whether martial arts will factor into it as much or if this will be a straight-up brawl is hard to say since the overall feel of switching gears and shooting in America does make it feel as though the culture is going to be a little more diverse and that people are going to expect to see a wild mix of anything goes when it comes to fighting scenes. It’s very stereotypical to think that martial arts are bound by country and culture, but the fact of the matter is that the Raid movies were quite heavy with well-choreographed fight scenes and the transition from Indonesia to America is going to be one that should see a difference in action.
This also feels highly dependent on whoever Bay manages to get as his star, and who will be supporting the star as well. Fighting styles do range from person to person and watching Uwais in both movies was a lot of fun since his style of fighting is hard-hitting but it’s also quite different from many other action stars. The choreography in the Raid movies was fun to watch, but it also created a sense that it was practical and rough while still being a bit flashy and daring. In other words, it was great for an action movie since each big fight scene managed to capture the attention of those watching and keep it for a while. The only downside of Michael Bay loving his explosions is that in a movie like this it does feel as though too many would take away from the overall story. Perhaps Bay will be a little restrained this time, but that’s something that remains to be seen.
In the meantime, trying to wonder how Bay will be shooting this movie is interesting since the original Raid went from feeling open with a hint of danger to being closed and quite claustrophobic once the actors were in the building, and there was a true sense of danger around each corner and behind every door since there was no idea where the next attack was coming from until it was sprung. Replicating this effect in America shouldn’t be too difficult, but like always, we’ll have to wait and see what Bay intends to do and what the budget will allow. For a movie such as this and for a director that has been able to create several big hits over the years it does feel as though Bay might be given more than enough to work with to come up with something that will get people talking before and after the movie has made its way to Netflix. What they’ll be talking about is up for grabs at this point since taking another idea that’s already been loosed on the audience and trying it out in a different country isn’t always as successful. There’s nothing to say that Bay’s attempt at creating this movie won’t go over big with audiences, but at the same time, it’s fair to state that recreating an idea that came from another country isn’t always the best way to go. It could be that this will please a lot of people and become another big hit for Netflix. But until that happens it’s best to just see what will happen before making any judgments.
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