Bullet Points: Russian Raid
When Well Go USA releases a new Blu-ray, I’m usually right there ready to scoop it up. I know with Well Go there’s a great chance the film will kick ass. I also like that most of their films are international releases. They do a great job of bringing to attention movies I more than likely would have overlooked, because I did not know they existed.
This is the case with Russian Raid. An action movie from Russia filmed in the spirt of Gareth Evans’ The Raid: Redemption. I’m not going to lie, I was super excited to watch Russian Raid based on its bonkers trailer. It looked fun and that’s usually the reason I watch action movies: To have a helluva good time. I was fortunate to attend a virtual screening of Russian Raid before it hits Blu-ray on March 9th. Let’s see if it is worth your hard earned money….
- The Plot: Badass to the bone, Nikita (Ivan Kotik) leads a team on a heist to takeover a facility owned by Russian gangsters. During the heist, things go bananas, and Nikita is forced to deal with a demon from his past. Russian Raid is written and directed by Denis Kryuchkov.
- The Action: Russian Raid is an action-over-plot movie. I am not too familiar with a lot of actors from Russia, but based on my research, it appears Kryuchkov used some of the best MMA fighters in all of Russia. The star, Ivan Kotik is an established stuntman in Russia. Joining Kotik are Alexander Krasovsky (a hand-to-hand combat expert), Vladimir Mineev (world heavyweight kickboxing champion) and Kirill Sarychev (world record holder in the raw bench press). These fighters are brawlers. The action you see at the beginning reminds me of a back-alley street fight or a Toughman contest. There’s not a lot of finesse, but there’s a lot of brute force.
- More Action: As you’re watching, you might wonder why Nikita is involved in the raid to begin with. He is a former sniper in the army. He seems like he is of good character, yet he is helping out a bunch of goons. As the movie progresses, you will have your answers. As the movie continues, the action heats up. The hand-to-hand combat is replaced with big gunfights and a knife fight ripped straight from The Raid 2. The gunplay is good and the knife work is very good. I could tell a lot of effort was put into the fight choreography.
- Knowing Your Audience: Russian Raid doesn’t hide the fact it pays tribute to The Raid movies. It also throws in scenes that remind me a lot of Die Hard. I believe action fans will embrace Russian Raid with open arms. Could the plot be more detailed? Sure, but it does enough to keep you engaged throughout. It also does not wear out its welcome. It runs around 100 minutes, and it does not have a lot of downtime.
- Final Thoughts: I had a blast watching Russian Raid. I believe my action fanatics will enjoy it too. Do not hesitate to buy the Blu-ray. I see myself revisiting it a lot. Russian Raid is pure action.
- Grade: B+
