The Raid: Redemption

     This Indonesian action movie is sick (in a good way). I have never before seen a movie with such a huge number of exceptional fight scenes. The film starts with about 5 minutes of non-action but don't worry because the following hour and a half is a non-stop orgy of fists, feet, guns, knives and anything else the cast can get their hands on (watch for the fluorescent lightbulb). The story features a SWAT team that becomes trapped in a 15 story apartment building that is run by a mobster and his army of thugs, murderers, drug dealers and gangs. You don't really need to know any more than that as there isn't much more than that to be had. The fight scenes are all stylishly choreographed and gloriously brutal. One scene has the protagonist fighting his way through a gang in a tight hallway armed only with a night stick and a knife. The movie premiered during TIFF''s Midnight Madness program in 2011 and became an instant fan favorite. The success of the festival showing allowed director Gareth Evans to secure a distribution deal for the film, a future American remake, and a future Indonesian sequel. The movie is currently only playing in one theater in Toronto (not sure about in other cities). See it while you can in a big theater because I don't think there will be anything this cool on the big screen for a while.

Here's the trailer...Go see the movie!