A rite of passage that goes violently wrong . . . .
A nice young man leaves his home for the busy city of Jakarta, where he hopes to prove himself before returning to his village. But it’s not long before he sees a damsel in distress and intervenes, bringing a whole heap of trouble upon his head. Luckily, his knowledge of Silat Harimau should help him defeat the many enemies after him.
Writer-director Gareth Evans gives audiences something they have been crying out for since Ong-bak. Namely, another Ong-bak. Iko Uwais, the main man, is likable enough in the main role but it’s when the action starts that he makes a real impression, cutting through swathes of baddies like a knife through butter. And it looks painful.
Mads Koudal gets the praise for the acting thanks to his hilariously deranged bad guy, whether he’s quietly threatening some nervous pimp or shouting orders at people with glass stuck in his face – he’s brilliant for every moment he’s on screen. Everyone else either just moves the story along or gets beaten up, essentially.
The film takes a little while to get into the action but when it does, boy oh boy, it doesn’t let up. There is nothing really new here, besides the actual style of martial arts on show, but it’s all well-shot and gets the adrenaline pumping. A hell of a lot of fun for action movie fans.
Rating: 
