‘The Raid 2: Berendal’ combines thoughtful direction and exciting action

Iko Uwais (“Man of Tai Chi”) reprises his role from “The Raid: Redemption” as Rama, a rookie cop who goes undercover to gather intelligence on corruption amongst the city’s high-ranking police officers. Reeling from the death of his brother, Rama is convinced by the chief of Jakarta’s anti-corruption task force to infiltrate one of the city’s two powerful crime families as an enforcer. He leaves his family to serve in the line of duty and gets sucked into the Indonesian mob world — a place where even old, homeless people are professional assassins and know how to kick some serious ass.

What’s intriguing, about the film is that, though it is centered on Rama’s efforts to successfully remain undercover and extract as much information as possible, it finds enough time to focus on other characters and their personal desires and ambitions.

Excess in this film is reserved exclusively for the action sequences, and let’s face it, when it leads to this much awesomeness, it’s hard not to enjoy. The sheer brutality and uninhibited gusto that is thrown in with each bone-shattering kick is weirdly enjoyable and keeps the adrenaline flowing. Viewers are guaranteed to cringe and jump in their seats throughout the movie, as it (literally) holds no punches. The action sequences are more than a mere show of brute force — they are expertly choreographed and executed, and the camerawork places the audience right in the thick of the action, whether they’re in a mud hole in prison or in the kitchen of an upscale restaurant.

What differentiates this movie from similar action features is the emphasis on things other than the breaking of bones; such as plot, dialogue and character development. There is a distinct interchange between these elements and action set pieces — each is given its due importance. Sure, the characters might seem superhuman and capable of withstanding extraordinary amounts of pain (you could substitute Rama for Captain America and the Avengers wouldn’t skip a beat), but that’s part and parcel of an out-and-out action flick. What mitigates that is the attention given to the other aspects of story and filmmaking.

A special mention must be reserved for the climax of the movie. Deciding that he’s had enough of it all, Rama marches into the jaws of death — and absolutely shatters them. Simultaneously battling dozens upon dozens of armed adversaries, he makes his way past progressively tougher opponents all the way to the end, setting up an electrifying last few minutes. The set pieces toward the end are so brilliantly done and unusually long that they leave the viewer speechless. It’s an endless barrage of kicks and punches that culminates in an explosive ending that perfectly sums it all up perfectly — a prolonged adrenaline rush that leaves you gasping for breath.