During its world premiere at Sundance , '' The Raid 2 '' received an overwhelming reaction . Mark Olsen of the '' Los Angeles Times '' reported that " The screening caused an explosion of excitement and enthusiasm for the film on social media . " In a 3-out-of-5 mixed review , Joey Magidson of the website '' Awards Circuit '' wrote that he " appreciate ( s ) the directing skills on display in '' The Raid 2 '' , but at a certain point , all of the fighting and killing nearly got to be too much for me . I ’m recommending the film , but not in the same way as the last one . " He added that while it is " creative enough to be worth a recommendation , it lacks the originality of the first flick " and concluded that " '' The Raid 2 '' will delight genre fans , but might not impress to many others . " Chris Nashawaty of '' Entertainment Weekly '' said , " '' The Raid 2 '' will make you feel like Christmas came nine months early . Some action sequels do n't know when to say when . But here 's one where too much is just the right amount . " Simon Abrams of ''RogerEbert.com '' praised the film for its " involving plot " ; calling the cast , especially Uwais , " charming " and dialogue " winningly precise " while noting that the sequel is " a great step up after the already-impressive '' The Raid '' . " David Rooney of '' The Hollywood Reporter '' gave the film a positive review , remarking , " Evans gives the audience a knowing wink by having Rama endure repeated batterings that would leave mere mortals in traction , not to mention some nasty blade wounds . Yet he keeps coming back , finding the stamina to snap more limbs and crush more skulls . Taking place inside moving vehicles , a subway car , a noodle bar , warehouses , a porn factory , tight corridors and in the most electrifying mano-a-mano clash , a gleaming nightclub kitchen and wine cellar , the fights are dynamite . " '' Rolling Stone '' chief critic Peter Travers wrote , " '' The Raid 2 '' lets its warriors rip for two and a half thrilling hours . With the precision of dance and the punch of a K.O. champion , Evans keeps the action coming like nobody 's business . " Many have praised the film for matching the action sequences that made the first film so great , as well as improving upon the plot and the dialogue , which its predecessor was criticized for
Sundance
2014 Sundance Film Festival
The Raid 2