Holy. Sh!t.

When The Raid: Redemption burst into movie theaters I’m not sure anyone was prepared for the hand-to-hand combat glory that awaited their eyes. Filmmaker Gareth Evans had crafted a movie like no other, and it did not take long for word of mouth to spread. The film played to excited audiences on the festival circuit, then eventually found its way to limited release in the states. Now the sequel is being prepped for release in 2014, and the first trailer found its way online earlier today.

Picking up two hours after the end of its predecessor, The Raid 2: Berandal follows Rama (Iko Uwais) as he goes undercover and infiltrates the ranks of a ruthless Jakarta crime syndicate in order to protect his family and uncover the corruption in his own police force. The first trailer only hints at this plot, and instead opens with a man sitting alone in his prison cell. There is a chalk outline of a person on the concrete wall nearby, and as scenes from the movie play in brief montages he begins to punch the hard wall. His intensity grows as the violence in the clips spins out of control, and when the clip comes to a close (all too soon) the wall is left bloody from his efforts. You can view the clip below (possibly NSFW).

I find it hard to imagine that any fan of the first Raid could watch the following trailer and remain seated throughout. The editing is so tight that you never get a full idea of what is happening in any sequence, but the images you do see offer up a plethora of exciting possibilities. Want to see a guy trapped in a car while bad guys break through every single window with knives in hand? It’s here. Want to see a girl covered in blood from what appears to be a subway car battle? Got that too. How about a random act of violence on an escalator? Check.

The Raid 2: Berandal stars Iko Uwais, Arifin Putra, Alex Abad, Oka Antara, Tio Pakusadewo, Julie Estelle, Cecep Arif Rahman, Cok Simbara, Yayan Ruhian, Matsuda Ryuhei, Endo Kenichi, and Kitamura Kazuki. The film does not have a specific US release date just yet, but The Hollywood Reporter has learned the film will receive a nationwide theatrical push. We’ll bring you more information as it becomes available.

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Tyler Osborne

Live in DC, grew up in PA. I specialize in writing, filming and taking pictures about punk, pop-punk, and hardcore music, and I also have a huge background in film as well. When not on the site, i'm running my own internet radio show, ToZ's Edge Radio (www.facebook.com/tozedgeradio). I also love stage diving and goldfish.

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