THE RAID MAESTRO J. Ricardo Félix

THE RAID

Maestro Jesús Ricardo Félix

It is said that the cinema is the factory of dreams, but when it comes to a martial arts film, some are or are criticizing the level of realism or fiction of the combat scenes. If Bruce Lee really knew how to fight off the set, if Jackie Chan is more of a dancer than a fighter, if Jean Claude Van Damme's kicks can be used in a real fight. For those of us who are lovers of the genre, realism does not matter so much, if it were Karate kid it would not have become the success it represented for the eighties. Among the list of the best martial arts movies in history are films featuring actors who had barely thrown a punch in their lives. That does not mean that there are no great martial arts fighters within the genre such as the aforementioned Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, but also Chuck Norris, Donnie Yen, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, etc. I think that the audience, rather than looking for great fights, gets hooked on a good script within the genre, so it is understood that films from other countries are relegated to cult films, as is the case with The Raid. The Raid is a 2011 Indonesian film directed by Gareth Evans. The martial art that stands out or is used here is Silat, they are martial arts of indigenous origin from the region of Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia. The Silat menu is so varied and exotic for us due to the fact that they are techniques that are passed from family to family, but it could be said that it is similar to Muay Thai in Thailand. Iko Uwais is the most recognized actor in the film along with Joe Taslim, who we will talk about later, Iko plays Rama, a rookie of an elite police force who is sent to attack a building in Jakarta controlled by gangsters. Tama Riyadi is the leader of the mafia who has turned the place into a fortress by renting the rooms to different criminals who work for his organization. Riyadi has eyes and ears all over the place like the big brother, plus he is protected by two trusted men: Andi and Mad Dog. This last character played by the martial artist and choreographer Yayan Ruhian, watch out for this character whose skills stand out from the rest of the cast. The elite group's mission is to catch Riyadi in order to end his reign of terror, at least that's what Lieutenant Wahyu claims. The truth is that nobody knows exactly why they are there or who gave the order to attack without a strategy in mind. Joe Taslim plays Sergeant Jaka who discovers the lieutenant's deception, he took them there apparently as bait to fulfill a personal revenge. Joe Taslim also appeared in the renowned Fast and Furious franchise. Definitely recommended, the film does not give time to breathe, constant fights, extreme violence, choreography rehearsed for months to fill just one minute of action. Sometimes the fights seem a bit fake and others quite realistic, although almost always in martial arts movies they have to rely on fantasy to give them an extra thrill.

For example, in the scenes where Rama fights against men armed with machetes and throws roundhouse kicks that land on the knees, do you think that you should turn your back on an armed subject in the middle of a fight? The answer is obvious but in the film it looks good and there is no time to wonder. Sometimes the hero turns into Jackie Chan in the middle of a choreography, other times the villains get up like zombies to fight after hitting their heads against the wall. However, The Raid is a better option than Hollywood-style martial arts offerings. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=m6Q7KnXpNOg