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The Raid 2 backdrop

The Raid 2

30 May 2014English2h 30mPart 2 of The Raid series
out of 10
Mixedlukewarm or divided
Monk Score · 10 scored reviews · 2 not rated

Brutal action spectacle that thrills genre fans but tests everyone else's patience.

Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.

  • Praised: Intense, technically impressive action sequences
  • Criticised: Excessive violence lacking narrative purpose

Audience

User score 10.0 out of 10 from 1 rating, not enough ratings for a verdict yet

Not streaming in India

Critic consensus

What 12 critics are saying

Critical reception for The Raid 2 is sharply divided, with most reviewers acknowledging its visceral, large-scale action sequences while disagreeing on whether that alone constitutes merit. Enthusiastic critics praised director Gareth Evans for delivering relentless, technically impressive combat and for surpassing the original, with some calling it the best action film in years. Detractors, however, found the film's extended runtime and convoluted crime narrative burdensome, and several reviewers objected to what they characterized as violence without purpose or narrative justification. The film is broadly recommended only to genre enthusiasts, with multiple reviewers explicitly cautioning general audiences.

How the 10 scores spread

2 not-rated reviews aren't plotted

Positive / mixed / negative reviews

Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10

AI-generated summary of 12 critic reviews · may contain errors

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From the papers

Critic reviews (12)

Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated

  1. Top critic

    Mid-Day

    Film review ·

    The Raid 2 was not a movie. It was a fine dining restaurant tended by a single waiter-cum-cook named Gareth Evans.
  2. The Navhind Times

    Film review ·

    Very few sequels come close to the original but suffice to say that director Gareth Evans has pulled it off, again. Raid 2 is the best action flick to hit the screens in ages and it is only fair to say that this Indonesian product beats all contemporary Hollywood action films hollow.
  3. TimeOut

    Film review ·

    Only viewers with zero appreciation for the genre will leave unimpressed; devotees should add approximately six stars to the rating above.
  4. Times Of India

    Film review ·

    If you enjoy savage, on-screen action that is unabashedly over-the-top and even sometimes borders on pastiche with all the gangster film tropes, don't hesitate to go watch this.
  5. BookMyShow

    Film review ·

    The Raid 2 is a film for hardcore action-film buffs. It is unapologetic in its display of gore, brutality and battles. It also has a better plot than most films of the genre, making it a refreshing change from the usual norm. If you liked the prequel, this isn't a film you can afford to miss!
  6. Wogma

    Film review ·

    Personally speaking, I'd have been more than happy to see even more action in the film, because that's what made The Raid so much fun. Yet, The Raid 2offers enough adrenaline-pumping stuff to keep you hooked, and if you set your expectations right, the plot works as well. Evans has firmly established himself as a genre specialist, and The Raid 3 has already been announced, and will certainly be a film to watch out for.
  7. NowRunning

    Film review ·

    Presented through an undercover policeman's point of view, it is a convoluted crime saga designed in a Godfather-style father-son crime drama with a whole sub-set of assassin characters who have their own storylines and sequences.
  8. Rediff

    Film review ·

    There are films built around the theme of violence and then there is violence for the sake of making a film -- The Raid 2 happens to fall into the latter category.
  9. LiveMint

    Film review ·

    More comfortable with action than words (the dubbed English version, done in India, is another source of unintentional mirth), he focuses his energies on delivering the daddy of all action spectacles. Would anybody else dare to come close to his achievements—or would anybody else bother? Once is quite enough.
  10. The Free Press Journal

    Film review ·

    Like the 2011 sleeper hit, the sequel is combat-centric and overwhelms viewers with an unending series of mostly one-on-one bouts starting with the claustrophobic confines of a prison loo and corridor which reminded your reviewer of Spartan v/s Greek army fights. Later, there is slaughter in the snow and the mud-slime of the prison compound as hard rain falls followed by butchery in a bar where an aged hit man battles an entire cohort.

Credits

Cast & crew

Cast

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