The Raid 2: Berandal Review
Apparently director Gareth Evans hasn’t heard that sequels are meant to be a massive disappointment for fans of beloved films, because The Raid 2: Berandal kicks the living bejeezus out of that concept. 2011’s The Raid set a benchmark for bat-shit-crazy martial arts set pieces, the likes of which induced guttural reactions from audiences, mostly due to the high impact, savage fighting style on display. Whilst the action got the blood pumping, it was wrapped in a grounded, well crafted and character-based story which really resonated with me. The Raid 2 deftly expands upon the world created in the first film, showing us the true breadth and depth of the corruption and violence which plagues the city. The beauty of this series is the simplistic storytelling. The first film revolves around a SWAT team storming a baddie-infested apartment building in order to take down a criminal kingpin; that is until all hell breaks loose. This film is set two hours after the events of the first f...