This is the second Indonesian action film (and third feature overall) written, directed and edited by Gareth Huw Evans — unquestionably the greatest director of such movies ever to have emerged from Wales. (That claim I'm willing to stand by.) Star Uwais — along with Evans and Yayan Ruhian — are credited with the action choreography, which, as in many martial arts and action films, is at least as important as the rest of the direction. In this regard, they really deliver.
The fights are essentially nonstop; the only breaks we get are suspense scenes where cops are hiding from the killers or bracing themselves for battle. Everything builds toward the amazing final sequence, pitting Rama and his brother against Mad Dog (Ruhian).
As exciting as the whole package is, I would be remiss not to give a warning to those who are at all squeamish: This may be the most violent movie I've ever seen. Sometimes the IMDB's “plot keywords” feature tells the whole story. Here is a solid block of 10, chosen randomly from the middle of 106 such descriptors: Shot Through A Door, Assault Rifle, Martial Arts, Police Officer Shot, Beaten To Death, Explosion, Brawl, Thrown Through A Window, Hand To Hand Combat, Broken Back.... You get the idea.
