Via Starwars.com:

SEE HOW THE MARTIAL ARTS FILM INFLUENCED J.J. ABRAMS’ FIERCE GANG OF RUFFIANS. TELL THAT TO KANJIKLUB!

The Raid: Redemption is a 2011 martial arts film set in Indonesia and directed by the Welsh-born director Gareth Evans. It’s a movie whose story is based in simplicity in order to best show off the stunning fight choreography by Yayan Ruhian. A SWAT team is tasked with clearing out a building full of gangsters, which seems to be an impossible task since virtually every tenant stands with the evil mob boss.

The film was a hit with critics (save Roger Ebert) who praised it for elevating the martial arts genre into something much more cinematic while still keeping all of the breathless action and fun. Yes, it’s brutal, but there’s a heart to it.

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