When you’re talking films and The Raid comes up, you’re probably thinking of the critically acclaimed Indonesian martial arts flick from 2011. Well, twenty years prior to that, The Raid was released in Hong Kong and was based on a popular Manga. Set in the 1930s, Dean Shek Tin plays the roll of Dr. Choy, or Uncle Choy. He’s an older, skilled doctor but is also still very athletic and capable with his trusty sword. He returns to his military roots when the dethroned Emperor Pu-Yi conspires with the Japanese to test poisonous gas for very nefarious purposes. Lt. Mong (Paul Chu) and his squad are officially tasked with a covert mission to destroy Pu-Yi’s poison gas factory and the railway leading to the factory. The task is formidable, but With help from Choy and his niece, and a couple of other characters they encounter along the way, there might just be a way.
The Raid is not going to win you over with its awesome cinematography or Oscar caliber acting, but it has a lot of charm that emanates from its characters and the interactions between them. Comedic scenes are partly visual and also partly from characters taking things out of context or not being fully aware of the entire situation. One scene in particular that lasts several minutes involves a love letter that was intended from one character to another, specifically. But, the letter contains no names and none of the characters know each other’s hand-writing, either. The letter is read by multiple people and their interactions with one another will get at least a smirk out of you if not a chuckle because of how rampantly awkward the conversations go. Another relatively lengthy comedic scene involves characters hiding in a bedroom, having to silently and quickly hide under the bed and inside a wardrobe, with again not all characters understanding the full context of the scene. It makes for some clever light-hearted humor.
While the comedy is a positive, so is the action. Action has a healthy blend of both rifle and pistol gunplay alongside nice sword and spear choreography. Running out of ammo and unrealistically avoiding bullets with acrobatics are on the menu as well, for better or worse. Transitions between key parts in the movie are not handled smoothly, instead relying on some brief comicbook-esque art and page turns, which kind of work.
You know, ultimately The Raid is in the class of movie that doesn’t to anything particularly great, but the sum of its parts make it worthwhile to watch, even if only once. For many folks, a rental might suffice, but what is the draw for the DVD? Well, the $10 MSRP is a plus, and the artwork is nice, too. Moreover, finding a place to rent it might prove difficult. There is nothing in the way of extra features except a trailer for the film and a few trailers of other Well Go releases. Audio options include 5.1 and Stereo Cantonese, with English subs. Chapter select rounds out all of your options, making this a barebones release, but, one that HK cinema fans have probably been longing for.
With that, let’s get to the summary…