The Bushido Spirit Reigns Supreme In The New Martial Arts Drama, SANG PEMBERANI (THE BRAVE)
Check out both trailers at the bottom of the page.
As the most honourable, powerful and respected institution, the Golden Cane School protects the kingdom from enemy attacks. Golden Cane’s relic weapon and tactics have become a symbol of the strength, leadership and wisdom of the Golden Cane School. The Golden Cane is a deadly, unbeatable weapon, which until now, has only been possessed by Grandfather Wirabumi. Wirabumi, leader of the school and holder of the Golden Cane, is very old. It is known that he will pass the Golden Cane down to one of his best students — Biru, Dara or Banyu.
While developments continue to linger for veteran Indonesian thesps Billy Chong and Barry Prima for the previously announced production of Garuda 7, the two prolific actors will be among a handful featured in Shaya Production’s latest documentary currently in post-production titled Garuda Power. The new documentary comes just off the heels of the spectacular success of director Gareth Evans’ latest thriller, The Raid 2, and aims to further explore the world of Indonesian action cinema, an industry that has produced hundreds of action movies dating back to the 1930’s.
Twitchfilm founder and editor and XYZ Films producer Todd Brown forwarded latest detailed press release for the new documentary which is now in post-production under director Bastian Meiresonne and producer Julien Thialo.
THE RAID 1 & 2’s success put worldwide spotlight on a largely unknown Asian Cinema country; few people know that there are currently 80 movies produced per year and that Gareth Evan’s instant action classics are the latest of a range of hundreds of totally crazy action titles produced in Indonesia since the early 1930s.
The docu-fiction GARUDA POWER is the final result of many years of research about Indonesian Action Movies – or what’s still left of it.
It focuses on Action Movies from the first Chinese-influenced martial arts movies of the 1930s, the James Bond copies of the swinging 1960s, the Bruce Lee-alikes and super hero comic book adaptations of the 1970s, the golden age of the 1980s up to recent worldwide success of the two RAID movies.
It will include never-before shown footage of old forgotten Action titles, many interviews of cult actors (Barry Prima, George Rudy, Billy Chong aka Willy Donzan; Advent Bangun…) and directors (Imam Tantowi, Ackyl Anwari…) of the 1980s and some unreleased behind-the-scenes footage of newer movies.
Head over to Twitchfilm to check out the latest stills for the film and much more!
I’m pretty sure that director Gareth Evans has earned the respect and admiration by now of every studio, critic and fan alive today who are witnessing the magic happening over in Indonesia with his star, actor Iko Uwais. Following the 2009 action adventure thriller Merantau came the production of their second stint together for Seruban Maut, a.k.a. The Raid. I saw the film on a whim back in 2012 at a last-minute discovery while sifting through movie listings, and lucky enough as I was to have caught it in my local theater, for this, I was also invariably overjoyed and overwhelmed.
Only a small handful of people were in the theater with me where I attended, but it was one of the most unforgettable big screen martial arts action spectacles I had ever witnessed. That same evening, I left the theater completely fulfilled with high hopes that a quality director like Evans was out there making great movies like this, and I didn’t have to wait for them to come on DVD to see it. And two years later on the heels of seeing the already highly heralded sequel, that sentiment remains to this day more than ever.
The Raid: Redemption starred Uwais as Rama, one of a team of unsuspecting rookie tactical officers assigned under their commanding officer, Jaka (Joe Taslim) to take down a Tama (Ray Sahetapy), a ruthless criminal landlord in charge of a 30-floor tenement building. For a few minutes, everything goes as planned until their cover is blown and Tama calls for open season on the entire team, with his men nearly killing all but a surviving handful. As the mission continues to unravel, Rama’s secondary agenda to reunite with his brother, Andi (Donny Alamsyah), is mired by Andi’s employ as one of Tama’s two main enforcers, in addition to his own refusals to come home. Meanwhile, the truth of the mission unravels into a dauting discovery of potential police corruption with their lieutenant now under scruitiny. But time is running out, and the ultimate battle has just begun with Rama and his brother in a final battle with Tama’s remaining forces in a brutal, bloody fight to the finish.
From there, we go into the sequel the mission ends with Rama walking away as one of the only few surviving members of his slain team. Unfortunately, the mission is far from over, as the reality of his actions finally sets in and his family is thrust into potential danger, forcing him to go undercover as a means to isolate the source of the very corruption plaguing the police force while protecting his wife and son. Locked away in prison for longer than he was prepared for, his new mission sees him befriending the son of a crimeboss who takes Rama under his wing upon being released from prison. But with criminal politics and personal ambitions taking over, and the looming threat of gang warfare spilling onto the streets, it’s up to Rama to stay alive long enough to see this dangerous mission through to the end.
Evans places a lot of focus on character development, enhancing the dramatic as much as needed, and there is never an embalance of any kind during this process while delivering the appropriately-timed action. On top of Uwais, The Raid: Redemption introduced a slate of really talented physical actors, including Joe Taslim who has since made a gradual transition to Hollywood co-starring in Fast And Furious 6 last year, with another lead role on the way very soon. For many, watching Taslim act and perform on the set of such a spectacular film was a first, featuring in one of the most brutal cinematic fights in movie history with Merantau Films regular, Yayan Ruhian, whose own acting, choreography and screenfighting capabilities continue to be pivotal in designing the very brand of action Evans presents in his films.
Sahetapy and fellow actor Pierre Gruno do an amazing job as the antagonistic backbone of the first film setting up the very narrative of the franchise as a whole for Uwais, whose transition as an actor since Merantau has granted him a continually evolving skillset as a premier action star who knows how to design fight sequences as well as act. And it certainly shows in both movies, especially in some of the more poignant split-scene moments with actress Fikha Efendi who plays his wife, as well as scenes with Alamsyah who plays Rama’s estranged brother, Andi.
That chemistry continues further in the sequel with actor Arifin Putra, whose character, Uco, knows no limits with how far he is willing to go to take the place of his crimeboss father, Bangun, played by Tio Pakusadewo. Here, compared to the first film, much of that drama is laid out for us in full epic crime-saga fashion, with Bangun joined by Goto (Kenichi Endo) as the respective leaders of two crime families at even ends of a longstanding truce, which ends up threatened by another power-hungry gangster named Bejo (Alex Abbad).
The story’s expansion in the sequel is layered with so many variables, with interpersonal relationships and friendships on display that invoke a lot of the intricacies that exist in the criminal underworld, particularly with the unique friendship shared by Bangun and Uco with loyal family friend, Prakoso (Ruhian), whose scruffy appearance may lead you to believe him of a lesser civil, more brutish killer than that of his previous achievement as Tama’s insane right hand man, Mad Dog in the first film. Instead, we are offered an extremely flawed-yet-sociable character whose toxic, conditional interpersonal relationships and struggles are the only real thing he has going for himself; It is just this kind of poignancy that helps further drive the root of the film, drama, and not necessarily added as a mere attempt to bring empty drama into an action film. And adding to this is actor Oka Antara‘s portrayal of Eka, whose supporting role as one of Bangun’s men proves influential in its own way toward the sequel’s climax, as well as that of co-star Ryuhei Matsuda who plays Keiichi, one of two of Goto’s lieutenants next to Ryuichi (Kazuki Kitamura).
Through all of the story build-up and the intense moments of hearty drama,are the action sequences–all of which are nothing short of exhilarating, from the contained fiery gun battles in cramped rooms and edge-of-your-seat close quarters fight scenes to some of the most exciting car chase sequences ever shot on film. Evans has a true eye for shooting and directing action, especially when it comes to his hands-on approach while working with Uwais and Ruhian, the two men responsible for the cheerful howls heard all day everyday in a theater playing one of their movies.
While Merantau introduced the world to a pure, solid action drama to fans with a martial arts style in a way that was largely never before seen, it would eventually be the follow-up, The Raid: Redemption that would set a new standard for how to deliver a film of this kind. Evans has a specific formula that allows him ways and means to work around specific challenges on set, while adding a his own brand of glorious, self-sustaining, brutal, bloody and pulsating action magic in the process, and on budgets smaller than most Hollywood blockbusters. It’s what sells movie tickets and DVDs to action fans, puts butts in seats and keeps the fans wanting more, and most action film fans, purveyors and professionals alike wouldn’t disagree. Inarguably it’s quite the opposite, and it was enough to land Hollywood its own American version of the film.
The action in the first film pushes boundaries and techniques to places that have not been exhibited on the big screen in a really, really long time, most notably in age where watered-down PG-13 action seems to dominate the executive decisions of most film studios. As for the sequel, Evans and his team took what they did in the first movie, and they let out all the stops, with more set pieces and bigger locations to suit a much larger scope for the action and story alike, with a level of choreography, violence and action performance that, in my filmgoing history, has not generated such a level of noise within the crowd since Jet Li intimidated an entire police station in the 2001 thriller, Kiss Of The Dragon; While watching The Raid 2, there were even points in some action sequences of the new sequel where I was literally screaming “BUT THAT’S HIS FACE!!!” before I digressed and said to myself, “Well…at leaat that used to be his face! :-/”.
One thing I want to add before I continue is that the selling point for the action wasn’t just Evans, Uwais and Ruhian. Like with all action movies of this nature, you need fresh faces, and that’s where the deadly killers come in with actress Julie Estelle, and actors Very Tri Yulisman and Cecep Arif Rahman distinctively known as Hammer Girl, Baseball Bat Man, and The Assassin, respectively. And I certainly hope to see these three performers in other memorable and iconic roles in future, especally Rahman, who I really feel needs to get back on the big screen with Ruhian once again, and that is all I will say about that without spoiling anything.
Between The Raid: Redemption and The Raid 2, each dialogue scene is adequately written and paced with no fluff or spam, and each moment brings a sense of unique intensity with great music and every moment building to something bigger and larger. Moreover, our lead star, the ever humble Iko Uwais continues to expose himself as one of today’s foremost leading men in action cinema history. And with a movement that continues to grab just a little bit more of the world’s attention every year, Gareth Evans has earned his place as a key player in bringing a much-needed rebirth to a genre that was once thought to be dying, if not dead.
I will even go as far as to say this: If Picasso were a Southeast Asian gangland enforcer before he became an artist and decided to tell his life story on canvas, that is exactly what The Raid and The Raid 2 have accomplished, and that is no exaggeration either. When you read reviews about The Raid and its new follow-up calling it a “masterpiece”, you are talking about a film from a director that has taken the genre world by storm and redefined what it means to direct an action movie. And the results have proven to be more than prudential.
Additionally, despite all of their successes, it is clear that the people at Merantau Films and XYZ Films continue to remain grounded in their efforts. Sure, we can only imagine what goes on once everything is taken behind closed doors to the cutting room floor, and for some films, studios have given action fans their fair share of reasons to worry. But not this crew. They understand their audience and what sells and works for them, and for the most part, you’ll be hard pressed to hear any voices of dissent, if not a mere whisper of a dimly-audible few.
Not to undercut what some PG-13 flicks have been able to achieve in terms of action; sometimes for certain films, after all, what works works. But in other cases, what doesn’t work won’t. And fortunately, Merantau Films and XYZ Films figured this out early on. Hardcore genre fans want gritty, unabashed R-rated action in a film that simply hits all the right notes in all the right places (some harder than others). The ever-increasingly uplifting and positive responses to Evans‘s work in the last five years should serve as a mighty example of that. And to the aspiring director/action aficionado out there who feels she or he can own up to the task of creating something equal in force and delivery, if not better: consider yourself challenged!
The Raid: Redemption is one of the best films I have ever experienced in my life, from the drama and the music to the signature fight choreography and intensity leading into its franchise. On that note, it is still surprising that there are people who have not yet seen this film. In which case, if you fit that category and you are reading this dual review, I certainly hope you will take my advice and go see The Raid: Redemption, because you are definitely going to want to see The Raid 2. It really is everything it has been hyped up to be. And considering that we are expecting a third film in the next three years, you will be thankful you caught up.
The Raid: Redemption is out now on DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD. The Raid 2 is now playing in select theaters in New York and L.A.. Head on over to Sony Classics to learn when and where to catch your showing this month!
This is one of a few deleted scenes taken from the film. Reasons to cut were entirely down to pacing issues. This was probably the hardest for me to cut due to the fact that the production on this scene lasted around 6 days of shooting, it cost us a fuck load to make and it served to escalate the gang war out onto the streets involving people outside of the closed off inter-gang politics.
The Action/Martial Arts bar has been raised and bolted shut! #TheRaid2 is in a class by itself: Beautality 101! pic.twitter.com/27mbZSNZLK
— Michael Jai White (@MichaelJaiWhite) March 13, 2014
Writer and director Gareth Evans has taken the world by storm with his latest critical beloved favorite, The Raid 2. The film, starring actor and action star Iko Uwais, is being accomodated with boundless praise and appreciation from critics and lucky viewers fortunate to attend early screenings since the film’s initial debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January. And just recently, the film also earned its latest entry of fan film approval by way of independent filmmaker and action choreographer Vlad Rimburg with his latest hit, HammerGirl with CZ12 co-star, actress Caitlin Dechelle.
Big things are happening this year for Evans and Uwais as developments continue for their third entry into their successful franchise by as early as 2017, with an American remake that could possibly see actors Michael Jai White (above) and Scott Adkins cast in the film if Evans gets his way. Until then, the film will finally reward the world’s patience when it debuts worldwide beginning March 28. And that includes eager onlookers in Russia, for which we also have another new international TV spot now viewable at the bottom of the page where you can also catch the first behind-the-scenes footage, courtesy of Yahoo!.
Stay tuned to Film Combat Syndicate for more info.
SYNOPSIS:
He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen – a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls – rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn’t have been more wrong.
Formidable though they may have been, Rama’s opponents in that fateful building were nothing more than small fish swimming in a pond much larger than he ever dreamed possible. And his triumph over the small fry has attracted the attention of the predators farther up the food chain. His family at risk, Rama has only one choice to protect his infant son and wife: He must go undercover to enter the criminal underworld himself and climb through the hierarchy of competing forces until it leads him to the corrupt politicians and police pulling the strings at the top of the heap.
And so Rama begins a new odyssey of violence, a journey that will force him to set aside his own life and history and take on a new identity as the violent offender “Yuda.” In prison he must gain the confidence of Uco – the son of a prominent gang kingpin – to join the gang himself, laying his own life on the line in a desperate all-or-nothing gambit to bring the whole rotten enterprise to an end.
With director Helfi Kardit currently in the middle of promoting his next action thriller, Guardian, we now have four new posters for the international picture which is currently slated for domestic release on April 30, 2014. The new artwork is the latest in a series of poster and and banner content pushed to the public since Skylar Pictures first launched the official teaser, in addition to several character banners last year.
The studio also released a fresh new trailer for the film in recent weeks, which you can still view HERE or at the top of the page. The following poster art below features lead actresses Sarah Carter and Dominique Diyose, and actors Nino Fernandez and The Raid 2 co-star Tio Pakusadewo. Check it out below and stay tuned for more info.
Guardian is executive produced by Sarjono Sutrisno with Belinda Camesi, Kimmy Jayanti, Ganindra Bimo, Claudia Soraya, Naomi Zaskia and Alina Malina rounding out the cast.
SYNOPSIS:
After her husband Wisnu was murdered, Sarah, tried so hard to teach her daughter, Marsya, martial arts. Until one day, they are hunted by Paquita and a group of men lead by Oscar.
Writer and director Gareth Evans‘ new epic action thriller, The Raid 2, has already become a hit among critics since its debut at the Sundace Film Festival two months ago. And with screenings between last month and other early March events preceding the film’s wide release beginning March 28, the film has already garnered its fair share of poster art, including a New Zealand/Australian and an Indonesian print. Alas, with the film’s push in other markets, there are more to come, and thus Entertainment Weekly forwarded an exclusive look at the latest poster for the film being heralded as one of the greatest action movies ever made.
Check it out:
The Raid 2 follows up the events of the first film with a largely new cast of killers, gangsters to comprise Jakarta’s seedy underworld of criminal activity with Indonesian action sensation Iko Uwais as the rookie cop forced to walk the fine line between the law and the lawless in order to protect his family and root out the corruption in his police force. The film will also serve as an interquel for the next film as per Evans‘ original plan for a trilogy, so keep your eyes peeled everyone. The story is far from over!
Uwais stars with Tio Pakusadewo, Arifin Putra, Kenichi Endo, Oka Antara and Alex Abbad with Julie Estelle, Cecep Arif Rahman and returning actors Donny Alamsyah and Yayan Ruhian.
SYNOPSIS:
He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen – a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls – rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn’t have been more wrong.
Formidable though they may have been, Rama’s opponents in that fateful building were nothing more than small fish swimming in a pond much larger than he ever dreamed possible. And his triumph over the small fry has attracted the attention of the predators farther up the food chain. His family at risk, Rama has only one choice to protect his infant son and wife: He must go undercover to enter the criminal underworld himself and climb through the hierarchy of competing forces until it leads him to the corrupt politicians and police pulling the strings at the top of the heap.
And so Rama begins a new odyssey of violence, a journey that will force him to set aside his own life and history and take on a new identity as the violent offender “Yuda.” In prison he must gain the confidence of Uco – the son of a prominent gang kingpin – to join the gang himself, laying his own life on the line in a desperate all-or-nothing gambit to bring the whole rotten enterprise to an end.
H/T: EW
After months of post-production accompanied by promotional photos, interviews and trailers unveiled throughout last year, the final trailer has arrived for director Helfi Kardit‘s latest epic production from Skylar Pictures, Guardian. The film features Dominique Diyose and Belinda Camesi as a mother/daughter duo reluctantly forced to face their past when a notorious criminal shows up at their doorstep with a small army.
Guardian also stars D.O.A.: Dead Or Alive actress Sarah Carter, joined by The Raid 2 actor Tio Pakusadewo and a largely female cast list for the film’s April 30, 2014 domestic release.
SYNOPSIS:
After her husband Wisnu was murdered, Sarah, tried so hard to teach her daughter, Marsya, martial arts. Until one day, they are hunted by Paquita and a group of men lead by Oscar.
H/T: Twitchfilm
Source: Timo Tjahjanto
Since making huge waves at this year’s film festival circuit with rip-roaring fans of martial arts action star Iko Uwais are on high alert for the next five weeks until the theatrical release of writer and director Gareth Evans‘s new film, The Raid 2, with the latest unveiling of the official mosaic poster for the film’s Indonesian premiere titled The Raid 2: Berandal.
This week however, reports indicate that The Hollywood Theater in Pennsylvania is hosting its own early screening of the upcoming action epic on Wednesday for March 19 at 7:30pm PST, nine days before the film’s wide premiere the following week on Friday, March 28. The Hollywood Theater is located in 1449 Potomac Avenue in the Dormont section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more info on the venue, you can visit their official website, and check out their reviews on Yelp.
In the meantime, check out some recently released stills of the film featuring Uwais with actress Julie Estelle, and actors Cecep Arif Rahman, Arifin Putra, Oka Antara and Yayan Ruhian, with plenty of more of which you may find more at Budomate.
H/T: PennsylvAsia
He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen – a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls – rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn’t have been more wrong.
The world of Indonesian film continues to flex its muscles with a cinematic vision that clearly shares a beat or two from that of films like 300 and its upcoming sequel next month. This particular film is called Barakati, and not much is known yet about the film’s plot, other than it centers as a period action adventure epic set somewhere possibly in the 14th century in the ancient kingdom of Majapahit on the southeast Asian island of Buton (history buffs may know better than I at this point about that period). One thing for certain is that fans of sword-and-sandal blood spillers could find Barakati interesting to check out upon its release this May and thereafter.
Directed by Monty Tiwa with a script by Eric Tiwa, singer and actress Acha takes the lead with actors Fedi Nuril, Dwi Sasono, Jonathan Armstrong, and actor Tio Pakusadewo of The Raid 2: Berandal and Guardian fame, and actresses Ninik L. Karim and Ratna Riantiarno rounding out the cast. Stay tuned for further info.
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