Before John Wick, there was The Raid: Redemption. A film that put Gareth Evans and Iko Uwais on the map. Many tout how revolutionary the John Wick franchise has been for the action genre as a whole. However, those flowers should really go to The Raid: Redemption. The Indonesian film showcased what action fights should be and was the beginning of the end for the shaky cam and obsessive edits that dominated the genre for so long. The premise for Redemption is rather simple:
A rookie member of an elite team of commandos is instructed to hang back while his comrades-in-arms go ahead with their mission to take down a brutal crime lord. However, the team’s cover is blown, and Tama offers sanctuary to every criminal in his high-rise apartment block in exchange for the cops’ heads.
Gareth Evans likely didn’t expect The Raid: Redemption to blow up the way it did. There’s a reason that Chad Stahelski has that film listed as one of his top five movies of all time. The Raid: Redemption began the mark of a new era, that’s made the genre in North American better as a whole. John Wick may get credit for bringing that style to the North American market, but The Raid is a film that truly redefined what actions should be.
The Story Isn’t So Revolutionary
Let’s get the negatives out of the way. The Raid: Redemption doesn’t have an original story. You’ve seen it plenty of times before and it doesn’t deviate from it’s predictable path. There’s a reason that Iko Uwais has been able to successfully transfer over to Hollywood as his act is pretty good. He makes for a convincing protagonist, even if the story is paper thin and the characterization is even thinner. The thing about The Raid is that none of this matters.
Action isn’t particularly a genre known for it’s masterful storytelling. Even the first John Wick isn’t anything to write home about when it comes to the story. Heck, one of the big reasons that The Raid 2 isn’t as fondly remember as the first movie because it has too much story! The foundation of the story is what allows The Raid to showcase it’s unique fighting sequences that are still remembered till this very day. The story isn’t bad by any means, but it’s not something that will have you questioning why it never received an Oscar nomination.
The Fight Sequences Are What Redefines The Genre
The fight sequences for action scenes were quite simple; a huge amount of shaky camera that suggest chaos and excitement, but it more so came across as a confusing and nauseating experience. Then goes the quick cuts. Not everyone is Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Keanu Reeves, or Iko Uwais, so editing tends to cover up multiple problems such as the stunt double and the lack of fluid movement. There’s no doubt that some of the greatest action movies of all time have shaky cam, but the biggest detriment to this method was we didn’t really get to see the fight itself.
That’s where The Raid comes in. Like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, Iko Uwais is a natural fighter. In fact, that’s how Gareth Evans discovered the young talent as he was doing a documentary series in Uwais’s training hall. The newfound actor didn’t need stuntmen. So what Evans did was simply follow the action from beginning to end. There’s no shaky cam or quick edits to hide the stunt double. The Raid’s fight sequences were so well done because it featured a cast that was well verse in martial arts training.
The fights were an exciting back-and-forth contest that elevated the danger and tension as Uwais and his team fought through each flood. He wasn’t treated as an invincible badass; Rama was just a skilled combat fighter who wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable during those moments. Even ten years later, these fight sequences hold up so well because they’re incredible. They feel real and gritty, as if I’m watching two pros out on the street. It brought a level of realism that had been missing from the genre for quite some time now.
The Modern Day Action Films
We still get a few films here and there that featured the old style of fight sequences, but it only highlights why The Raid is such a great action film even further. John Wick definitely put the spotlight on this style and became a cult classic. Now, there’s plenty of action franchise that uses the same techniques that The Raid pulled off first.
Even going The Raid 2 has a memorable set of fight sequences despite the narrative dragging down the film a bit. The story isn’t bad, and in some respects, the fight scenes top what the original did before it. The clever use of camera works that emphasizes every punch or kick, to the physical performance that shows off Iko Uwais’s skill as both an actor and martial arts master. The Raid is unforgettable film that helped redefined the action modern action films for the better.
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