Where blockbuster films will focus on sharp, high impact fight sequences, Asian martial art films generally have choreography that tells a story in itself, with a slow escalation that builds towards a brutal conclusion. A one-on-one combat towards the end of the film is extended beyond comfortable watching, but like the most intricate of dances it is choreographed well beyond what you’ll generally see in Hollywood. In The Raid 2, the martial arts sequences are breathtaking. There are many variations of martial arts that are now called Pencak Silat, but generally speaking the style is characterised with a focus on strikes, joint manipulation, and throws. The first was brilliant, and the sequel is brilliant.Īlthough both films are the work of a Welsh filmmaker, Gareth Evans, The Raid 2 like its predecessor is authentically Indonesian not only for its location and actors, but also for its use of Pencak Silat, Indonesia’s own contribution to the martial arts. The Raid 2 doesn’t break way from the path that the first film put down, but then it didn’t really need to. With The Raid finding international acclaim (and being remade by Hollywood because apparently every popular international film must be) it was inevitable that there would be a sequel. The films that often defined Hong Kong cinema have since branched into fledgling film industries in Thailand (for example: the Ong Bak series), and now Indonesia. Cinema from the South East of Asia has certainly turned ultraviolent films into an art form.
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