EDGE Miami

Hyper-violent with kick-ass hand-to-hand combat, "The Raid: Redemption" is a critically acclaimed action film made by a Scot named Gareth Evans, starring an international cast of actors, and with music by American Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park). If that’s not enough to intrigue you, it will only take about ten minutes for you to get sucked in to kinetic action and crazy viciousness that you’ll soon witness.

The plot is straightforward. A group of rookie SWAT team members infiltrate an apartment building that acts as a safe house for a murderous crime lord and a bunch of vicious criminals. When the SWAT team enters the building, they find themselves trapped on the sixth floor when their presence is made known and the criminals come after them.

There isn’t much depth to the proceedings and aside from a few character twists, back-story and character arc are only hinted at. This is an action movie through and through and that’s where the thrill lays. While it is incredibly violent - so much so you tend to need to look away from the screen - the action scenes are not over-edited so the stunts on display are easy to see and therefore, easy to appreciate.

Starring a handful of unknowns, the fights are impressive, fun, gross, and jaw dropping. It’s a mix of cartoonish violence and realism, which can be unnerving for some. But if that’s what you’re in the mood for, you won’t find an action film better than this. It’s pretty damn entertaining. But if seeing bodies flying through the air, heads smashed against splintered doors, and stabbings galore, this might not be for you.

Special Features on the crisp Blu-ray transfer are plentiful: