Gareth Evans' martial arts actioner bears all the hallmarks of an exploitation classic.
Release date: May 18.
The cast: Iko Uwais, Doni Alamsyah, Ananda George, Yayan Ruhian, Ray Sahetepy, Joe Taslim.
The pitch: An elite SWAT team storm an impenetrable tower block to take down a ruthless drug lord and his small army of murderous AK-47 wielding tenants. Kick-ass kung fu and heavy gunfire ensues.
The buzz: Glowing audience reactions at a few early festival screenings and news of a UK wide theatrical release has got everybody talking about this ultra-violent slice of Asian action.
Reasons this could be good: Remember that epic fight scene in Oldboy, when Oh Dae-Su unleashes his hammer skills onto a corridor full of goons? Well, The Raid is a basically a glorious 101-minute extension of that. And its star, Iko Uwais, just so happens to be a real-life martial arts champion. Move over, Tony Jaa.
Reasons this could be bad: Despite having a Welshman at the helm, there doesn't appear to be a single Jones in the entire film. Appalling stuff.
The verdict: The Raid has got instant cult hit written all over it. Welsh director Gareth Evans pulls no punches and his visceral delivery of violence will leave you awestruck.
Best bit: 1.04 onwards – Captain Jaka guns down one of the enemy point-blank in the face. It’s a small taster of the overall flavour of the film, with Evans showing no fear in getting up close and personal with each brutal encounter.
