Deep in the heart of Jakarta’s slums lies an impenetrable safe house for the world’s most dangerous killers and gangsters. Until now, the rundown apartment block has been considered untouchable. Cloaked under the cover of pre-dawn darkness and silence, an elite SWAT team is tasked with raiding the safe house in order to take down the notorious drug lord that runs it. But when a chance encounter with a spotter blows their cover and news of their assault reaches the drug lord, they find themselves stranded on the 6th floor with no way out. The unit must fight their way through the city’s worst to survive their mission.

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[youtube https://youtu.be/EebQYEN6tQ8?si=Inz5TYVy5bZdf71L&t=66]

Video Quality

The new 4K UHD Blu-Ray of The Raid: Redemption offers a significant jump in quality over the accompanying Blu-Ray that was a bit underwhelming when it was first released in 2012. The film arrives with the unrated version in 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR from a new 4K master with a new color grade supervised by director Gareth Evans. The new 4K UHD allows the film to look the best it ever has on home entertainment by a substantial margin.

This new release preserves the digital origins of the feature while still unleashing a cavalcade of pleasing texture and detail. You can more clearly distinguish specific details within the bloody makeup, backgrounds, and production design that were at times murkily defined before. The interior of the building is also given more depth which makes for a more visceral exploration. The improvements in contrast and overall clarity are a standout aspect of the disc, especially when wading through such shadowy environments that have previously swallowed up so much detail.

The new color grade gives the movie a darker aesthetic that complements the narrative very well. The UHD comes alive with spurts of warm colors that allow for a more vibrant image. The Dolby Vision presentation allows the film to appear more complex than ever, as you have memorable lighting choices presenting with a formidable saturation. Highlights offer greater stability without veering into blooming. Black levels are much deeper which helps some fine detail in darker environments. Skin tones are warm and the clarity of the transfer gives you a tremendous amount of facial detail. Sony has delivered a dynamite release for fans of the film.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray gets an audio upgrade in the form of a ferocious Dolby Atmos track in its original Indonesian that gives the film a multifaceted soundscape with a pugnacious and immersive quality. For purists, the new disc also offers up the original soundtrack in lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio in Indonesian, English, and Spanish. The disc offers up the option of either listening to the score created by Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda or the “Original Music” only available with the Indonesian tracks. All of these tracks are stellar in their own ways, and having so many options is a wise decision on behalf of Sony. No matter which avenue you choose, you will get a perfectly hard-hitting track without any age-related flaws.

With the Atmos track, environmental activity spreads throughout the surround sound, rear, and overhead channels with the minimal amount of dialogue situated more in the front center channel. The dialogue that is present is impeccably clear without ever getting engulfed by the music or sound effects. This new track has fun with discrete sounds that open up the world in a three-dimensional manner. The height channels are a significant addition as the space feels as if the antagonists are coming from every direction. Every sonic element appears to be rendered with precise directionality so that every gunshot or body blow makes an impact. The subwoofer gives many moments that palpable texture to enhance the experience. The two soundtracks are effective as they come through with good fidelity. Sony has pulled out all of the stops for fans. There are English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles provided.

Special Features

Sony has provided The Raid: Redemption with a sleek new SteelBook featuring artwork that is striking in person. The front artwork is a depiction of an officer in front of the building under siege, and the rear features a character cut up and screaming in pain. The interior sports a still photo of two characters in combat. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review.

Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Gareth Evans provides an informative commentary track in which he discusses how he came to start his filmmaking endeavor in Indonesia, working with professional and non-professional performers, memories of the production, scenes that they had to cut for pacing, the shooting locations, and more.

Behind The Scenes Video Blogs: A six-part 40-minute vlog is provided in which you witness the performers preparing for their roles, the execution of certain complicated scenes, the production design, and more.

An Evening with Gareth Evans, Mike Shinoda & Joe Trapanese: A 41-minute conversation with the director and the two composers in which they discuss their philosophy behind what makes a good action scene, trying to film scenes as safely as possible, developing the sound of the feature, and much more.

Behind The Music with Mike Shinoda and Joe Trapanese: An 11-minute featurette in which the two composers discuss coming on board to the project, how the two complement one another, conjuring the sound of the feature, and more.

Anatomy of a Scene with Gareth Evans: A two-minute scene breakdown of the “dropdown” scene.

In Conversation with Gareth Evans and Mike Shinoda: A four-part piece totaling 12 minutes in which the director and composer discuss the creation of the film.

Inside The Score: A minute-and-a-half sample of the soundtrack over footage from the film.

Claycat’s The Raid: A three-minute version of the film is provided with claymation cats.

The Raid TV Show Ad (circa 1994): A nearly minute-long animated ad for the film is provided.

Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided.

Previews

Final Thoughts

The Raid: Redemption is a testament to the artistry and brutal beauty that can emerge from action filmmaking when it is executed with care and vision. Gareth Evans is a master at this style of filmmaking, and he really broke through in grand fashion with this fan favorite. The story is compelling enough to get you invested, but a greater focus is put on the stunningly choreographed action set pieces that keep you fist-pumping and cheering in your seat. Sony Pictures has released a new Limited Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook featuring a fantastic A/V presentation and a welcome sprinkling of special features. If you only own this one on Blu-Ray or not at all, this package is a must-own for anyone looking to add the best version to their collection. Recommended

The Raid: Redemption is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.