Delayed Reaction: The Raid 2

The Pitch: Now that people like The Raid, it's time to do all the stuff that the budget wouldn't allow the first time.

How I Came Into It: After seeing the first movie, it was only a matter of time before I got to this one. Even if it followed the Matrix Reloaded formula (more of the same, but bigger), it would be worth watching.

Why I Saw It: And bigger it was. Gareth Evans really is special when it comes to staging an action sequence. Where the first movie is all about the close range combat, the sequel expands out a lot more. This moves out of the single building and into the streets, slums, and board rooms. I don't watch a lot of martial arts movies, but when they're done this well, they're very thrilling to watch. Iwo Uwais is a total badass.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: It does cross a violence threshold that I had trouble with. Not morally, just, in my stomach. And, the downside to leaving the single building confines of the first is that there's more story to this that I simply didn't care about. Then again, it allowed for madness like the muddy prison brawl or Hammer girl's train throwdown. That's more than a fair trade-off.

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend