Movie and a Poster: "The Raid: Redemption"

The basic premise for "Movie and a Poster" is that I'll briefly write about a recently released film (theater or home video) that I'm rather fond of and then jot down some of my thoughts about a cool poster for said film that you, yes you, may be able to purchase at some point in the near future. In a perfect world this would be a weekly column featuring a new release every seven days, sadly such a world does not exist, but you can bet I'll do my best to publish a "Movie and a Poster" every few weeks from here on out.

THE MOVIE: THE RAID: REDEMPTION

The Raid: Redemption [Blu-ray]

SYNOPSIS: A SWAT team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs.

WHY YOU NEED TO SEE / OWN THIS: Don't let the Blu-ray's crappy direct-to-video-looking artwork fool you! The Raid is a must see non-stop action-packed videogame / movie 101 minute lesson in how impressive Indonesian martial arts look on screen when used against hordes and hordes of knife and gun-wielding drug dealers. Now, if you're looking for a deep plot, stop, this film doesn't have any of that nonsense. But what it lacks in complexity, it more than makes up for in physics-defying stunts and relentless thrills. And really, we can't spend every day trying to piece out who Keyser Söze is or figure out exactly what the hell the island in Lost represents, can we? Sometimes you need to bask in beautifully choreographed carnage and enjoy it for what it is - beautifully choreographed carnage. Not a fan of subtitles and / or foreign languages? First off, shame on you, you're missing out on some of the best films that cinema has to offer, but fear not, because, again, the action here is so compelling and so central to the movie that you can get by just fine without the understanding what anyone is saying. If you haven't picked up what I'm putting down, here it is: I really liked this movie and can't wait to revisit this action masterpiece on Blu-ray. Now, do yourself a favor and buy The Raid: Redemption. A quick warning to those of you who decide to take the plunge and watch this film: seeing The Raid will make you want to be a badass and probably try something your body isn't capable of doing, similar to how people felt after watching District B13 with all of its parkour shenanigans. Please ignore those urges and continue to re-watch this film until you either pass out from exhaustion or your appetite for ass kicking has been sated, you'll be the happier (and much less sore) for it.

THE POSTER: Jock's THE RAID: REDEMPTION Poster for Mondo

The Raid Movie Poster
Jock
20" x 36" (Screen Print) - Numbered
$45 - Limited to 275

I love this print! In my opinion, it rights all the wrongs committed by the horrendous US Blu-ray and DVD cover. And it doesn't hurt that comic artist Jock is the absolute perfect guy for the job given the film's insane comic book-like action. The poster's gritty take on the tenement building does the film's dilapidated setting justice and captures the bleak situation that Rama finds himself in to a tee. This is a must buy for anyone who's a fan of the film.

Jock's The Raid: Redemption movie poster will be available on Thursday (8/16) at a random time through Mondo for $45. The print measures 20" x 36" and is limited to an edition of 275. Be sure to follow @mondonews for the exact drop time. To learn more about Jock, head over to 4twenty.co.uk and follow him on Twitter at @jock4twenty. And if you haven't already seen The Raid, what's wrong with you? Go watch The Raid!