It was the announcement that fandom had been collectively
dreading for well over two years. One
could liken it to an inmate on death row, anxiously awaiting his execution
date. Sooner or later, after all the
appeals have been filed and ultimately denied, the sentence will be carried
out. In this particular case, the switch
was finally pulled (or the guillotine dropped) on Thursday, February 20th. Screen Gems and XYZ films officially
announced that the American remake of The
Raid: Redemption would be going into production this fall. Patrick Hughes, who is currently in
post-production on The Expendables 3,
is slated to direct. A cast has yet to
be announced, though some have mentioned the Hemsworth brothers as possible
candidates. So began a worldwide outcry
of fans everywhere.
Fandom’s apprehension (If not outright revulsion) to the
very idea of this remake is certainly understandable. Two years ago, The Raid: Redemption took the festival circuit by storm. Critics and fans alike were wowed by its
unflagging energy, relentless intensity, and ground breaking action
set-pieces. Though it had its fair share
of detractors (The late, great Roger Ebert being among the most vocal of that
minority), its overall reception was undoubtedly warm. So warm, in fact, that the impending
stateside release of The Raid 2: Berandal
has reached event level proportions. In
the minds of fans, that kind of reverence should automatically disqualify The Raid: Redemption as a viable candidate
for a remake.
![]() |
Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian in a scene from The Raid 2: Berandal. |
Unfortunately, a wide chasm exists between the sensibilities
of fandom and the realities of the movie business. Contrary to popular belief, remakes are
nothing new. They’ve long been part of Tinsletown’s
standard operating procedure. By their
estimation, any story worth telling once is worth telling infinitely more times
over, should that initial telling be successful. Case in point: A Star is Born, originally released in 1937, was remade twice. The first was released 1954, the second in
1976. The 1976 version, though derided
by critics, remains the highest grossing of the three. That little fact goes a long way in bearing
out Hollywood’s wisdom.
Past successes notwithstanding, shouldn’t the ethics of that
wisdom be questioned in cases like this?
By any reasonable standard, an American remake of The Raid: Redemption is neither necessary nor advisable. To say that the original stands on its own as
an example of cutting edge action cinema is a gross understatement. Though it
operates under the guise of a high-concept martial arts film, it’s also a definitive
work of post-modern art, culling together different elements from a variety of mediums
and genres. The considerable debt it
owes to the Hong Kong New Wave is obvious.
It also references contemporary zombie films, war movies, and the
“survival horror” brand of video games.
Keeping the above mentioned points in mind, The Raid: Redemption invites comparison
to other, admittedly far more transcendent postmodern works such as Star Wars and The Matrix. If those films,
which both drew heavily from what was largely considered to be geek culture up
until that point, could find a large audience in America, why not the original
version of The Raid? Surely, American audiences wouldn’t have any
trouble tapping into its flow of kinetic energy, cultural boundaries
notwithstanding.
Alas, cultural boundaries can often be insurmountable, even
in the age of the internet. This is
especially true of the movie business.
Hollywood action films remain one of America’s biggest cultural
exports. They are as heavily marketed
abroad as they are at home, and heartily consumed by audiences all over the
world. Unfortunately, the same rarely
works in reverse. Foreign made action
films have a tough time in the American marketplace. Even the most exceptional never achieve
anything beyond a sizeable, if rabid, cult following. The Raid: Redemption happens to be a perfect
example of this. It made a meager $4,105,187
during a very limited theatrical run in the U.S. Not bad considering it was made for only
1.1 million, but it was hardly a runaway success. Subtitles and faces of color have proven to
be huge obstacles for North American audiences.
That xenophobia is both enabled and encouraged by Hollywood’s current
business model. Only in special cases,
such as the critical darling Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has this wisdom
been proven false. In such a hostile
environment, perhaps the ONLY version of The
Raid: Redemption that will be widely seen in North America is a Hollywood
remake.
The inconvenient truths of the movie business have always
proven a bitter pill for fans to swallow, which brings us to the dilemma at
hand. The makers of The Raid, its
sequel, and the impending remake are all too aware of the aforementioned
truths. However, instead of lamenting
them, they continue to push ahead with their current agenda. I speak mainly of Gareth Evans
(Writer/Director of The Raid: Redemption
and The Raid 2: Berandal) and Todd
Brown (Partner in XYZ films, producer of The Raid: Redemption and The Raid 2:
Berandal, Founder/Editor of Twitch Film).
Both Evans and Brown are executive producing the remake. One might think that their direct involvement
would offer fans a bit of relief. To the
contrary, the moaning of the peanut gallery continues unabated.
While they are clearly aware of the discontent that abounds,
both men continue on undeterred. While at the 2014 SXSW to attend a screening of The Raid 2: Berandal, Evans spoke to Crave Online. He came out in full
support of the remake and its director, roundly dismissing all criticisms and
offering Hughes his full blessing:
“I think what worked
for me was the fact that nobody questioned what I wanted to do on that (The
Raid: Redemption), the same way I don’t think anyone should question what
Patrick wants to do on that (the remake).” For me, in order for that film to
work really well, they’ve got to let him go off into his sandbox, play around
and see what he comes up with. When they suggested Patrick, I had no problem at
all because he’s a super talented director. Red Hill, fucking great film. Such
a great movie.”
![]() |
A haunting image from Patrick Hugh's Red Hill. |
Todd Brown has been equally firm in his stance on the
matter, offering his critics no quarter.
In a recent Twitch Film piece titled “On Remakes And Profiteering,” he
educated fans as to the realities of the movie business. He soundly debunks the collective notion that
remakes function as merely as convenient cash grabs that rely solely on brand
recognition. It’s hard to argue with his
logic, as he offers both facts and insight to back up his claims. He also reminds fans that were it not for the
prospect of an eventual American remake, The
Raid: Redemption might never have seen the light of day.
The stance and wisdom of Gareth Evans and Todd Brown
notwithstanding, I’d be remiss not to make a case for the concerns of
fandom. I am neither an industry insider
nor a professional journalist. I am
merely a concerned admirer who respects and cherishes the work of both
men. I absolutely adore The Raid, and
only hope to see its legacy honored by the impending remake. Though I am not arrogant enough to proclaim
myself as the sole gatekeeper of that legacy, I’d like to offer my thoughts on
a possible direction for this remake, one that I think would birth an
exceptional film.
“I don’t think the
action discipline is going to veer too far away from what we did. What I hope
they do is take the basic premise and then use that as a springboard for him
(Patrick Hughes) to go off and create his own action style completely. You
could still do that deconstruction of weaponry down to hand to hand combat. You
could still do that, but they don’t have to follow scene by scene the same as
we did. That’s what, for me, what is most refreshing about a remake of this as
opposed to a remake of something where it’s all about following the characters
and the plot exactly the same to the tee. This is an opportunity to take the
bare bones of it, the crux of it and do something completely fresh. It’s like a
second pass of doing different action sequences.”
It’s encouraging to know that the basic template of the
original will survive a Hollywood translation.
I agree with Mr. Evans in that the remake should very much be its own
entity, while cultivating its own unique aesthetic. Not only should it stand apart from the
original, but it should also distinguish itself in a crowded American
marketplace. That being said, it can do
so without completely excising all that made the original unique. Aside from the basic blueprint of the
original, there’s another crucial element that I’d like see survive an American
overhaul: The Southeast Asian martial art known as silat.
The inclusion of silat in the American version of The Raid could be beneficial to the
project in a number of ways. In the
original film, it functioned as the primary weapon in Officer Rama’s arsenal,
proving far more valuable to him than any number of guns or knives. It could almost be seen as an
unbilled/unnamed character in the film.
Aikido performed a similar function in Steven Seagal’s inaugural film, Above The Law. As is well known by now, Seagal has always
lacked any true charisma or acting chops, but Aikido allowed him to stand out
from his peers. It also allowed the film
itself to stand out, as its hero was using a style that jaded American
audiences had not yet been exposed to.
Silat could be the exact same thing for the American version of The Raid
and its as-yet-undetermined star, without necessarily being the sole focus of
its fight scenes.
![]() |
Iko Uwais (left) and Yayan Ruhian (Right) |
In order to ensure that silat is properly incorporated into
the remake, the production team would need to achieve the proper synergy
between east and west. It should be a
melding of styles and sensibilities that gives rise to something wholly
unique. That kind of marriage requires
the absolute best of both worlds to be successful. On the Indonesian side of the equation, silat
would need true ambassadors of the form to ensure its safe journey. Who could possibly be better suited for that
task than Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian?
Not only did they star in the original (as Officer Rama and Mad Dog,
respectively), but they also handled the fight choreography. Allowing them to have a direct hand in
developing the remake only seems right.
Of course, since neither man can speak English, there’s a severe
language barrier to consider. Perhaps
that hurdle can be overcome with a good onset interpreter.
The North American half of this endeavor needs an artist of
equal stature to Uwais and Ruhian. At
first glance, it would seem that such a man does not exist. Big-budget Hollywood Blockbusters long ago
abandoned the fundamentals of stunt work and fight choreography for computer
assisted short-cuts. That being said, I
think Larnell Stovall is up to the task (Click here to read my interview with him).
To support my claims, I will not offer a show reel of his
achievements. I will simply point all
parties involved toward the film Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning. Regardless of what one might think of the
film itself (which is actually pretty damn good), Mr. Stovall’s talents cannot
be denied. The fights are eclectic and
organic. They don’t rely too heavily on
unnecessary acrobatics. Mr. Stovall
could successfully weave silat into a much larger martial tapestry, while still
maintaining its integrity.
However, even if silat were to be prominently featured in
the remake, what star (or supporting player) could effectively wield it? This leads to yet another nagging
uncertainty: casting. Even the most able
bodied action stars in the U.S. likely only have a passing familiarity with
silat, if any at all. Even then, those
who might prove to be relatively quick studies in the art might not make for
the best casting choices. For instance,
casting someone like Jason Statham could prove disastrous. His presence can hopelessly stigmatize a
project, making it feel like yet another generic entry into his personal
filmography. The Hemsworth brothers could
prove an even worse choice, as their action chops have yet to be proven.
![]() |
Bone (Michael Jai White) standing triumphantly over a conquered opponent in Ben Ramsey's Blood and Bone. |
Gareth Evans himself suggested either Scott Adkins or
Michael Jai White for the lead. While
both are certainly excellent choices, they could also stigmatize the
project. Stateside, both men have become
welcome fixtures of the B-level action circuit.
Casting Scott Adkins in the lead may be a bit too predictable; it would
be exactly what fans might expect. He’s
the most recognizable (IE:white) face in the aforementioned minor leagues of
action cinema, as well as the most able bodied.
If I had to choose between the two of them, I’d place my vote with
Michael Jai White (Click here to read my interview with him). He’s a deceptively
multi-faceted performer. That much
should be clear after the one-two punch of Blood
and Bone and Black Dynamite back
in 2009. His presence in the film could
help it secure a demographic that is perhaps already guaranteed, but no less
essential: African Americans. Though
“karate flicks” may considered a niche market in the west, Black folks have
happily and heartily consumed them for over forty years. After all, from an artistic standpoint,
there’s no real reason why the hero of this film has to be white. Scott Adkins can still have a place in the
production, perhaps as the remake’s version of Mad Dog. A potential face-off between White and Adkins
could be the centerpiece of the film, as it offers number of tantalizing
possibilities.
Contrary to popular belief, a remake of The Raid: Redemption doesn’t necessarily have to be bad. By all indications, it has a real chance of
being quite good. Maybe it won’t be the
instant classic that the original was, but it doesn’t have to be. Gareth Evans and Todd Brown seem to have a
vision for it, they haven’t steered the boat wrong yet. Still, I implore the both of them to keep the
fans in mind. Of course, our love for the original in no way entitles us to any
preferential treatment. We are but a
small part of the remake’s intended audience.
That being said, we most certainly matter. Please don’t forget us.
What an excellent piece of writing. Few notes, though. Iko actually can speak English although not fluent nor confident enough. And Larnel Stovall is the additional fight choreographer for Berandal (although the main choreography has been finish by Iko and Yayan long before The Raid existed)
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