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The Raid
[Blu-ray 4K]
Blu-ray ALL - Australia - Umbrella Entertainment Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (16th August 2024). |
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The Film
 "The Raid" ("Serbuan maut") (2011) A police tactical squad of twenty officers are dispatched to a massive thirty-story high rise where the notorious drug lord Tama Riyadi (played by Ray Sahetapy) lives and operates. Sergeant Jaka (played by Joe Taslim) is the leader of the elite team, and it seems to start as an easy operation to infiltrate the building, but Tama has many people living and working in the building that are under his control, leading the tactical squad outnumbered and trapped. Without any backup available, they are on their own, and not all will make it out alive... Welsh filmmaker Gareth Evans moved to Indonesia and directed a documentary on the Indonesian martial art pencak silat, which then led to him directing the Indonesian action film "Merantau" in 2009 which received quite a number of positive notices internationally. Evans looked to creating a larger scale action crime drama for his next production, though it proved difficult to secure financial backing, even with the success of "Merantau". Evans decided to scale down the story and have it focus on action and have it take place in a single setting, leading to the minimal yet intense action feature "The Raid". Iko Uwais, who was discovered by Evans when he was making his documentary on pencak silat plays the lead role of Rama, the rookie police officer who gets caught in the extremely messy situation. Uwais made his acting debut in "Merantau" in the lead and was able to showcase his incredible skills in the film, and "The Raid" would step things up even higher. While there is a heavy amount of gunplay with the semi-automatic rifles and handguns used by his character, the hand to hand combat is a sight to behold with Rama being taking out dozens of thugs while also taking many punches, kicks, and slices along the way. The only scene that is shown that is not at the high rise or the police on the way to the building is the opening sequence with Rama at home. He has a pregnant wife, is focused on training, and shows devotion to his Muslim faith. While it is minor, he is the character that the most focus is placed on, as none of the other officers are given a major backstory to be shown, though there are some hints through dialogue. Rama's situation is also unique as he has a personal connection in the building, as his estranged brother Andi (played by Donny Alamsyah) lives there and has been on the wrong side of the law for some time. The exchanges made with the two characters open up a few wounds and for a dramatic point it may not be the most emotional of performances, it gives some additional soul to the characters and their relationship. Joe Taslim was a decorated member of the Indonesian judo team, and while he had a few acting credits to his name, "The Raid" would be his first in the action genre. His portrayal of Sergeant Jaka is more on power and taking control of situations, and he does a fine job as the leader of the crew, as well as being able to use his judo skills for some incredible action sequences. There is also the character of Lieutenant Wahyu (played by Pierre Gruno) who organized the raid, who is much older and not adept in martial arts to say the least, yet there is a bit more to the character's intentions as it becomes clear that he has his own motivations for the operation. With the bad guys, Sahetapy's performance as Tama is one that is as laid back as it is menacing, as he has no issue with blowing the brains out of a few of his own thugs while being nonchalant and carefree in his white T-shirt and sandals. But the most intense of the thugs under his control is Mad Dog (played by Yayan Ruhian), the long haired and short man who is not satisfied with taking out the police with a simple gun. His moves are incredibly quick and controlled, and Ruhian is able to showcase his insane martial arts skills not just on camera but as the stunt choreographer for the production, just as he did on "Merantau" a few years prior. In "The Raid" it is not just the actors being the stunt performers, but also the camera operators. Cinematographers Matt Flannery and Dimas Imam Subhono shot the production using a fairly small and lightweight Panasonic AG-AF100 HD camera, so movement was a key issue with the fight sequences. Rather than relying on cuts and edits, the fights were done with long takes and the cinematographers were also choreographing their movements to adjust to the fights. There are numerous instances of unconventional pans and seemingly impossible shots performed by having the operators on wired rigs, especially the impressive shot of the camera following the police through a hole in the floor, which was done practically. The kinetic energy of the production is enhanced heavily by the cinematography, and they do justice to the action work as well as for the set that was constructed. Although the feature takes place in a high rise apartment building, it was shot on a soundstage with only a few floors constructed, with floors and hallways being reused by simple set redressing and rewriting the apartment numbers to reflect the floors with simple chalk for time and budgetary reasons. This also goes for the hundreds of thugs that are on every floor ready to take down the police with bats, machetes, knives, and whatever they can get their hands on. Careful rewatching will show that many of the stuntmen are just redressed and reused in different scenes on different floors. "The Raid" is fairly basic in plot and doesn't do too much to flesh out the characters further. Most of the police officers are unnamed and are killed off before the majority of the story, and some of the main characters are not given enough backstory. There is an interesting point with the character of Gofar (played by Iyang Darmawan), a seemingly "normal" tenant in the building who is tending to his bedridden wife and helps the injured police officers at his own risk. There was originally more backstory written as to why he lives there, but it was the issue of slowing down the pace which can create awkwardness for a tense action film where the officers have no time to sit and chat about their backgrounds. "The Raid" is not a heavy character drama and it doesn't try to be. Instead, it does its best with the action sequences which are packed with incredible choreography, with painful looking punches and kicks plus a good amount of blood and gore. "The Raid" had its theatrical premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8th, 2011, followed by festival appearances in Stockholm, Jakarta, and Torino that year, receiving incredible buzz worldwide. It received theatrical and home video releases around the world all throughout 2012, receiving high praise, numerous awards, and a respectable $9.3 million box office gross against the small $1.1 million budget for the production. Evans would expand the story with the original theme of the organized crime drama with the direct sequel "The Raid 2" which was bigger in scale, lengthier, and even more ambitious with the action sequences in 2014. While it left things open to a possible third film, this has yet to come to fruition. "The Raid" has become the biggest and most recognizable Indonesian film ever, and has influenced a large number of action films in its wake. From indies like the Cambodian prison film "Jailbreak", a straight uninspired remake with "Russian Raid" (2020), to larger scale Hollywood productions in the Marvel series and the "John Wick" series. It was also coincidental that the comic book adaptation and film reboot "Dredd" was released in 2012, featuring a largely similar premise of elite cops scaling a high rise controlled by a drug lord. While "Dredd" was excellent in its own right, it was not enough of a box office success to launch a film series. In 2024 "The Raid" was given a new restoration supervised by Evans, featuring a new color timing, remixed audio, and an upgrade to 4K resolution. Umbrella Entertainment's 4K release of the film is an incredible package and should please fans and newcomers alike. Note this is a region ALL 4K UltraHD Blu-ray + Blu-ray set
Video
Umbrella Entertainment presents the film in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio in 2160p HEVC with HDR10/Dolby Vision on the 4K disc and in 1080p AVC MPEG-4 on the standard Blu-ray disc. The production was shot using a Panasonic AG-AF100 HD camera in 1080p. The production was shot, edited, and completed in the digital realm, with DCPs for theatrical screenings and masters for Blu-ray and streaming being in 1080p. It might seem strange that a production shot in HD would be beneficial in 4K UHD as it would be an upscaled transfer, and in most cases that is a fair assessment as standard upscaling of images only adds in between lines of definition for a smoother appearance for each frame. For the 4K transfer of "The Raid" there is a little more to the story. Director Gareth Evans originally wanted to have a gritty 70's era look to the film and a lot of emphasis was put on having a very grey and desaturated palate applied in post production. Over the years he lamented the fact that the production design with the details and colors were essentially unseeable in the released film. When watching the behind the scenes featurettes, the colors and depth looked better than the finished feature. For the 4K transfer, the original digital files without the grey color grading were upscaled using AI to 4K resolution. The words "AI" and "4K" may sound controversial to some, especially with the recent debacle of the "Jaws 3" and "Jaws 4" 4Ks from Universal having bizarre AI enhancements. For "The Raid" it is safe to say a much more natural transition, filling in the extra lines of resolution to much better and more natural looking effect without any odd anomalies to be found. Some visual effects had to be re-rendered in 4K resolution with the help of the original visual effects artist, and the opening and end credits were recreated entirely, which has a some minor adjustments to appearance and layout, as well as including credits for both versions of the score together for the first time. But the biggest change of all is the colors and the depth. Gone are the flat greys and murky backgrounds. Instead there are distinct hues in skin tones, deep dark hues of the interiors, bold reds, greens, blues, and yellows in appropriate sequences, and better clarity all the way through with the director approved new color space. It now stands closer to the vividness of "The Raid 2" and is an entirely different looking film in comparison to the initial theatrical release. The HDR/Dolby Vision grading brings out the colors beautifully, while also making sure the darkness and shaded areas looking gritty yet vivid. This new 4K restoration is similar in how the original "The Matrix" film was readjusted in later DVD and Blu-ray releases to match the more bluish hues of the sequels, and may prove controversial to purists who like the original grey washed out colors rather than this new version. Regardless of personal opinions, this is an excellent way to showcase how 4K upgrades of HD transfers can be done well. Note there are multiple versions of the film. The original Indonesian release from 2011 had the title card of "The Raid" with music credited to Aria Prayogi and Fajar Yuskemal, the composers for the Indonesian version. The international R-rated version from 2011 had the title card of "The Raid: Redemption" with music credited to Joe Trapanese and Mike Shinoda, the composers for the international version. (More on the two differing scores in the Audio section below.) The R-rated version trims two scenes of violence - once with a gunshot to the head by Tama and once with a knife to the throat by Andi. The 4K restored version is identical in content to the original Indonesian uncut version, with a new color grading as well as recreated and updated end credits. Rather than upscaling the original text which was rendered in HD, they were recreated in photoshop in 4K resolution. The font is basically the same, though there are updates such as soundtrack credits for both Indonesian and international versions being displayed at the same time, as well as some minor adjustments to the layout and additional credits for the 4K restoration. The 4K restored uncut film's runtime is 100:48.
Audio
4K Uncut Version: Indonesian Dolby Atmos (original score) Indonesian Dolby Digital 5.1 (original score) Indonesian Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo (original score) Indonesian Dolby Atmos (international score) Indonesian Dolby Digital 5.1 (international score) Indonesian Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo (international score) English Dolby Digital 5.1 (international score) English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo (international score) Blu-ray Uncut Version: Indonesian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (original score) Indonesian Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo (original score) Indonesian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (international score) Indonesian Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo (international score) English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (international score) English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo (international score) There are a lot of choices for audio, with both discs having some differences. The international distribution rights were picked up by Sony Pictures while they were still in post production without a completed score, which was being worked on by Indonesian musicians Aria Prayogi and Fajar Yuskemal who worked on the score for "Merantau". Sony Pictures put an effort to creating a score of their own, which would still have input by Evans. Chosen were producer and composer Joe Trapanese and musician and member of Linkin Park Mike Shinoda. Two scores were made for the film, with the original Indonesian theatrical version having the original Prayogi and Yuskemal score while the international release would feature Trapanese and Shinoda's music. For the new 4K restoration, both scores which were mixed in 5.1 were given new mixes in Dolby Atmos, supervised by Evans with the original Indonesian dialogue. The Dolby Atmos mixes are only available on the 4K disc, and uses the additional channels to separate some of the music cues further, as well as for the sound effects in the action heavy feature. In addition, the original 5.1 version as well as downmixed 2.0 stereo versions featuring both scores and the Indonesian dialogue is available. Note that on the 4K disc the 5.1 and 2.0 tracks are in lossy Dolby Digital, while on the standard Blu-ray the 5.1 is in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio and the 2.0 stereo track is lossy Dolby Digital. Also note that the American English dub track is available on both discs, both featuring the Trapanese/Shinoda score only, with the 4K disc having lossy 5.1 and 2.0 options while the standard Blu-ray features lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and lossy Dolby Digital 2.0. Both scores are very effective and it's a difficult choice to name which is better, as they both feature dark and brooding portions, bombastic electronics and guitars, and very tense cues when appropriate. The tracks sound excellent with the dialogue, music, and effects being well balanced throughout for all of the audio tracks. A solid job on the new mixes as well as the existing ones. There are optional English subtitles in a white font for the feature. They are well timed, easy to read, and without errors. These are translations of the Indonesian audio and do not match the English dubbed audio.
Extras
The 2 disc set has the restored version of the film on both the 4K disc and the standard Blu-ray, with the following extras on the discs: DISC ONE (Blu-ray 4K) (1) Audio Commentary by writer/director Gareth Evans (2012) This commentary has Evans on a solo run discussing about how he, a Welshman got himself into making feature films in Indonesia, the influence of martial arts films and Indonesian martial arts, getting to the action at a faster pace, information on the actors, having to build the sets in studio and the illusions it took to creating a high rise building, the notes on the two different scores, the influences, and much more. He packs in a great amount of information with no dead spaces in between and is an excellent listen. Note this was originally available on the 2012 US Sony Pictures Blu-ray release. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles (2) Audio Commentary with filmmakers Aaron McCann and Dominic Pearce (2024) McCann and Pearce chat about the film in this new and exclusive commentary, as they discuss the new 4K color grading, the influence the film had on other action films in the last decade, the use of small HD cameras for action and movement, the coincidental similarities to "Dredd", the John Carpenter influence, information on behind the scenes, their recollections on their first impressions, and much more. There are some jokey comments included, and they sometimes say "Mike Shidona" rather than "Mike Shinoda", though it is a fun commentary to listen to. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles DISC TWO (Blu-ray) (1) Audio Commentary by writer/director Gareth Evans (2012) (2) Audio Commentary with filmmakers Aaron McCann and Dominic Pearce (2024) The two commentaries found on the 4K disc are also available here on the standard Blu-ray. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles The Film (International Theatrical Version) with mandatory commentary by writer/director Gareth Evans and actor Joe Taslim) Technically the R-rated international theatrical version which had two minor scene changes toned down for violence as well as having Trapanese/Shinoda as the credited composers is available here, though it is only playable with a mandatory commentary track. Evans is joined by Taslim, as the two chat about the making of the film. Talsim is able to discuss about the fight sequences and injury details, as well as the boot camp experience for pre-production, while Evans talks about the behind the scenes. There is some overlap with the Evans solo commentary, but there is still a good amount of new information presented. Note that the transfer comes from a standard definition source so it does look a lot blurrier and less defined in comparison to the restored film. It is also a way to see the comparison between the old grey color timing and the 4K color timing. Note the commentary was originally available on the 2012 UK Momentum Blu-ray release. in 480i MPEG-2, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Reactions to the Fight Scenes with stuntman David Chea" 2024 featurette (11:01) This featurette has Chea commenting on two fight sequences of the film, the first featuring Jaka and Mad Dog, and the second featuring Rama and Andi against Mad Dog. He discusses the fighting techniques of the characters and how the sequences play out. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.85:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles 2011 Toronto International Film Festival Midnight Madness Q&A (25:53) Note the packaging and the menu mistakenly states this Q&A is the "Lincoln Film Society Q&A with director Gareth Evans", but it is actually the North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, featuring Gareth Evans, Joe Taslim, and Iko Uwais along with his interpreter. It begins with quick interviews outside prior to the screening and it is followed by an on-stage Q&A with the premiere crowd as they discuss the casting, the action, how a Welshman came to making a film in Indonesia, on set accidents and much more. Evans and Taslim answer in English while Uwais answers in Indonesian and has his answers immediately interpreted. The Q&A has the filmmakers discussing the making of the film, some accidents on set, and some favorite moments. A portion of the Q&A has been embedded below, courtesy of TIFF's YouTube channel. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English/Indonesian Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Behind the Music with Mike Shinoda and Joe Trapanese" 2012 featurette (11:05) This featurette features interviews with Shinoda and Trapanese about their roles in rescoring the film, with examples of how they came up with the sounds and melodies and their favorite sequences. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "In Conversation with Gareth Evans and Mike Shinoda" 2012 featurettes (12:45) - "Hard Shoot" - "Score" - "Stunts" - "Themes" This series of featurettes have Evans and Shinoda discussing various topics on the film. First is Evans talking about the most difficult shot to get in the film with the camera going through the floor. Next is about Shinoda being chosen for the international rescore. The third has Evans discussing an accident with the one backbreaking stunt with the wirework not going according to plan. In the last portion, Shinoda discusses his choices for the music cues for the characters and song choices. On the original Sony Blu-ray these featurettes were individually separated by title, but here they play in a single title without any chapter breaks authored. A clip from the conversation has been embedded below. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.85:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Anatomy of a Scene with Gareth Evans" 2012 featurette (2:15) In this featurette, Evans gives commentary specifically on the most difficult shot of the film, which had the camera going through the floor below. He discusses the influence of John Carpenter’s films for the action and how the task was accomplished by using two DoPs readied on each floor for the action which took 12 takes to accomplish. The visuals show the scene itself as well as some behind the scenes footage of the shoot edited together. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Claycat's The Raid" 2012 short (2:56) This stop motion animated short directed by Lee Hardcastle features a condensed version of the film with clay cat figures, except for Mad Dog which is a clay dog. It’s a fun and well made short and Hardcastle has done a few other similar works such as Claycat’s The Thing. The short has been embedded below. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "'The Raid' TV Show ad (circa 1994)" faux anime promo (0:44) What if “The Raid” was actually a Japanese animated show from the 1990s? This animated promo shows what it might have looked like. Not only is it featured in the 4:3 aspect ratio, but it also has a visual damage to make it look like it was taken from a vintage videotape source. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 with burned-in English subtitles "Inside The Raid" 2012 documentary (39:37) - "Bootcamp" - "Set Location, Camera & Lighting, Make Up & Visual Effects, Riot Van" - "Courtyard, Hole Drop" - "Drug Lab, Tama's Office" - "Machete Gang & Corridor, Jaka vs. Mad Dog" - "Post Production" This documentary, which is chaptered into six segments looks at the behind the scenes of the shoot, starting with the actors going to bootcamp, the creation of the sets, the post-production process, and much more, featuring behind the scenes plus interviews with the cast and crew. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English/Indonesian Dolby Digital 2.0 with burned-in English subtitles for the Indonesian portions The film was released earlier this year by Sony Pictures in the US on the 4K UltraHD Blu-ray format. The 4K disc had the uncut version remastered in 4K with the new color grading, with the choices of both the Indonesian score and the international score in Dolby Atmos. The included Blu-ray copy is the same disc that was released in 2012 by Sony, which has the original color grading. There are some extras here that are not available on the Umbrella release, notably a differing Q&A, a soundtrack promo, and the US theatrical trailer. Other notable clips: The original US trailer. The Lincoln Center Q&A with Evans, which is not on this disc as advertised. "RAZORS.OUT" the end theme from the international score, with vocals by Chino Moreno of Deftones The original US trailer for "The Raid 2"
Packaging
The discs are packaged in a standard black 4K UltraHD keep case with reversible artwork, with the only difference being the Australian MA 15+ rating logos are removed on the opposite side. It is also available with a limited edition slipcase with a new design by Shannon Trottman at the Umbrella Web Shop. There is also a Collector's Edition exclusively at the Umbrella Web Shop limited to 2500 copies, which also includes the original Titan graphic novel in hardback, a softback book with a new Q&A with director Gareth Evans, behind-the-scenes, experiences and art, a custom artwork outer rigid slipcase designed by Shannon Trottman, the slipcase designed by Shannon Trottman, 8 artcards, and an A3 reversible poster. The graphic novel of "The Raid" was an expansion of the story featured in the first and second films, and the hardback book in this set reprints "The Raid: Locked Up", which takes place during the events of the second film with Rama going undercover. The first four chapters are presented in full, and also includes additional conceptual art and a foreward by Evans. For the softcover book, it starts with "The Making of The Raid" by David Michael Brown on the film. This is followed by "Iko Uwais: Accidental Action Star" by Anthony O'Connor on the star's baground, his rise to fame from the film and beyond. Then there is a new Q&A with Evans on the new 4K restoration process and the impact the film has had since its release. There are also stills, storyboards, theatrical poster designs, and Trottman's sketches for the new artwork for this set. The eight artcards are on high quality cards featuring stills from the feature. The double sided poster which is housed in the keep case has original theatrical artwork on one side and the newly created Trottman artwork on the other side. The artcards, the two books, and the keep case fit perfectly in the hard slipcase. 
Note the packaging and the menu mistakenly states the Toronto International Film Festival Q&A is the "Lincoln Film Society Q&A with director Gareth Evans".
Overall
"The Raid" continues to be one of the most refreshing and impactful action films of recent times with the powerful action choreography and cinematography. People who saw the film in HD previously and are used to the greyish flat looking color palate will be in for a surprise with this new 4K restoration with the new color grade showing much better detail and depth. Umbrella Entertainment's transfer to 4K UltraHD and also standard Blu-ray are top notch, as are the Dolby Atmos tracks for an immersive experience. Stacked with fantastic extras, it's easily a solidly high recommendation.
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