There’s no room for sequel syndrome as caution is thrown forcefully to the wind for Gareth Evan’s anticipated follow up to his martial-arts picture The Raid: Redemption. The original saw him thrust his passion for Indonesian cinema to a worldwide audience with an action-packed romp where rookie cop Rama (Iko Uwais) took out hordes of criminals in a tower block to expose police force corruption in a wild flurry of kicks and punches. This demonstrated the director’s knack for exhilarating fight choreography and comic brutality. Berandal kicks off immediately where Redemption finished and this time, Rama, who yearns to reunite with his wife and child, is given a nigh on impossible undercover mission to infiltrate the Jakarta crime family through the boss’ son Uco (Arifin Putra). The ambitious second film has all the qualities of the first in its quick fire clashes and unflinching violence but is expanded in scale to boast cinematic landscapes and stunning set-pieces, all wrapped around an epic plot of greed and power.
Cinema Perspective 