Imitating the basic storyline of "The Raid" does not give you a good movie and this is the best example of that.
First let's have a look at the good aspects of it:
1. Pictures, Scenes, Camera are well done. Especially the 3 min one-shot action scene almost at the end is a highlight.
2. Brandon Vera did a good job, not only in martial art (he has MMA background), but also the best acting in the cast.
3. Gore scenes are splendidly done
Bad (everything else):
1. The build-up of the movie takes far too long, 30 min+ for introduction, walking talking non-essential.
2. The whole movie feels like it wants to waste time in general where the director did not know how to squeeze more time out of it. Chase, wait, walking scenes take too long.
3. The main cast (Anne Curtis) has not prepared enough for this flick. Her character is a drug agent with gun skills, yet she chooses to use hand-combat (which looks staged) against muscled up men. Holds a gun in front of enemies so close you can already punch it away. She ties her hair only half into the movie, just to look cool in the first half. Her acting is wooden (expressionless face), has no charisma and general non-leading behavior. Is able to unrealistically beat a whole mob with hand to hand combat and escapes miraculously. She steps up when needed, but thats about it. I would have preferred Brandon Vera being the lead and she is the sidekick.
4. Story: look, when you make a movie, the story should not be explainable within 3 sentences. There happens to be a twist but its not really that hard of a shocker.
5. Civilians: Since when are civilians running towards gun and like to get slaugthered. Since when are civilians fighting the police? This is just nonsense and made up to have more gunfood. Mindless contribution.
The whole movie is essentially just a gore-heavy flick with a lot of waiting and chasing (especially in the beginning). Nobody has any special skills except Brandon Vera, so this movie has nothing how it can separate itself from other movies. I don't recommend watching this movie as it is like a senseless slaughter and little to no-fun lines. Non-memorable
