If there's one thing that Asian directors have been known to do exceptionally well, it's shoot an exciting action scene while doing as much of it as possible for real. And when it comes to hand to hand fight scenes, the fact that the majority of their leading stars were trained from an early age in martial arts means that, at the top of their game, they produce some of the most intense, powerful and impressive punch ups you're likely to see. The Raid 2: Berendal is no exception. Following on directly where The Raid: Redemption left off, it sees policeman Rama going deep undercover to take down a criminal syndicate. While writer-director Gareth Evans is clearly enjoying expanding on the criminal underworld setting, taking a leaf out of John Woo's Heroic Bloodshed movies, it also boasts some of the most brutal fight scenes since, well, The Raid. The fight choreography and staging is often balletic, while Evans's camera effortlessly weaves around the action. It holds its own against any action movie Hollywood can offer, and all for the meager budget of $4.5 million.
