5. Re:Born (Yuji Shimomura, 2016, Japan)
Although a bit more on the action side than actual martial arts, “Re:Born” is another great sample of the genre
The film opens with a crack team of soldiers performing a military exercise in a large abandoned building. The group is tasked with taking down the “Ghost”, another soldier who is evading them. A problem soon becomes apparent when a third party appears in the building and begins brutally executing the soldiers one-by-one before disappearing into the shadows. We then meet a young girl, Sachi (Yura Kondo), living with her uncle Toshiro (Tak Sakaguchi), who manages a convenience store. It is clear that Toshiro has a dark and violent past. He explains to his psychologist he has several recurring dreams of killing people without compunction in the belief that he has some mission to accomplish. A short time later, we are introduced to a group of international super-soldiers, including the mysterious individual we saw in the first scene, each code-named and extremely dangerous, who are out to get Toshiro. This team of assassins are acting on the orders of their superior, a mysterious figure called Phantom (Akio Otsuka). It then becomes a deadly game of cat and mouse, as Toshiro tries to get to Phantom before they can harm him or Sachi.
There is some great world building here as we learn about this group of highly-skilled soldiers, and the few details that we are given about Toshiro’s history are all interesting. It is fair to say that the film relies most heavily on its action sequences, with the plot taking a back-seat at the half-way point in favour of extended exhibitions of martial-arts, gun play and knife fights. While earlier on in the film, through the character of Sachi, it seems as though there may be an attempt at delving a little deeper into the psychology of warfare, or the effect it has on men, this is quickly forgotten. However, I cannot mark the film down for this. It knows exactly what it wants to do and it goes for it full-throttle.
The choreography is really well done, showing the director’s vast experience in many types of stunt work and the fight scenes are clearly shot and easy to follow. Many of the fights are also kept small scale, which helps create a sense of tension and lets you enjoy the action without being overwhelmed by it. Kenji Kawai, best known for scoring “Ghost in the Shell” (1995), provides a great action soundtrack that also hits the emotional notes when required. Cinematographer Tetsuya Kudo does an admirable job of lighting and shooting in the several environments, from abandoned buildings to forests and cities. One especial scene that stands out is the scene shot in pitch darkness, with the action only illuminated by periodic flashes of light.
6. The Raid 2: Berandal (Gareth Evans, 2014, Indonesia)
The plot is simple: we have our main guy Rama (Iko Uwais) from the previous movie, who has to infiltrate this powerful gang in Jakarta in order to catch all the corrupt police officers and police bosses, especially Reza, who is the main goal. To do this, he must enter in prison to gain the friendship of Uco (Aricin Putra), the son of this powerful gang boss Bangun (Tio Pakusadewo), in order to enter the gang as a new member.
Aricin Putra does an incredible job playing this ambitious kid, who feels that his father does not give him enough recognition inside the gang organization. Iko Uwais also gives one hell of a performance, not only in the fighting skills, but also as a dramatic actor. You can see he has evolved as an actor since the first “Raid” film. Yayan Ruhian also returns after playing Mad Dog in the first film, but here he plays a different character, for obvious reasons. You might get a little confused, in spite of playing a different character and having a different look, you can clearly see that he is the same actor. His fighting skills are really breathtaking, as he is also the action choreographer. There is also a nerdy/comic book feel in the film, with some of the characters such as the baseball bat guy (Very Tri Yulisman ) and the hammer girl (Julie Estelle)
Furthermore, we have more characters, more locations, more diverse action and an improved direction by Gareth Evans. The way he films the action is truly outstanding, using a handheld camera in a way it feels as we are watching the action in brief long takes. We, as the audience, don’t miss anything, and that is saying much nowadays in action cinema. The pacing is also remarkable, taking into account the long duration of the film (2 hours and 30 minutes). The director also looks for more detail when framing his shots, creating a gorgeous cinematography with his main DP Matt Flanery, frequently looking for some symmetrical shots and also for some contrast with the scenery: The red blood mixed with the white snow or the white kitchen’s surroundings. Gareth Evans proves himself here that he truly is a filmmaker to be looking forward to. His evolution since his first film, not only as a filmmaker, but as a screenwriter, is really recognisable.
It is true that you may miss some action comparing it to the first film, but this is because the film takes his time in character and story. The action is more fragmented in the 2 hour and a half minutes of the film. To highlight a couple of sequences, I would like to pick the car chase and the final fight sequence in the kitchen. Both the planning and choreography of these sequences are beyond spectacular.
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7. SPL 2: A Time of Consequences (Cheang Pou Soi, 2015, Hong Kong)
Kit is a Hong Kong undercover cop who became a drug addict in order to infiltrate a crime syndicate that deals with human organ trafficking in Thailand. His contact and supervisor is veteran cop Wah, who is also his uncle. Meanwhile, the leader of the syndicate, Mr. Hung, is searching for a heart transplant due to a rare condition of his own, and the only suitable donor is his brother.
Through a series of unfortunate events, Kit ends up in a prison in Thailand, whose warden is an associate of the syndicate. While there, he meets Chatchai, a guard whose daughter has leukemia and is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant.
As usual in this kind of films, both the script and the acting exist solely to provide a base for the action and “SPL 2” is no exception. However, the script is actually more complex than necessary, with a number of axes unreeling at the same time, a tactic that makes the movie tedious at times.
Nevertheless, the action scenes are magnificent, with Tony Jaa as Chatchai and Wu Jing as Kit giving their best selves. Furthermore, the film excels in the technical department, both in cinematography and special effects, and the action choreography is quite impressive, in a film that shouts “blockbuster” from its first shot.
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