Special ID (Flash Point/SPL) (2014)

Fight Scene: 3.75/5


Much better than their Raid tribute, I dug this fight. My main qualm was that the choreography felt a bit repetitive towards the end. But overall lots of great stuff. Good exchanges, a nice sequence leading into a triangle choke, and some flashy kicks. Better than any of the solo fights in Special ID.

The Raid 2: Berandal Tribute (by EMC Monkeys, 2014)

Fight Scene: 3/5


Good effort by EMC, but I've seen them do much better. Of course it's difficult to try to pull off an homage to another style. But I was expecting a bit more. Not a bad fight by any means, just nothing special.

Mario Warfare Part 7 (2014)

Peach vs Wario: 3.25/5

Mario vs Waluigi: 4/5


Getting Eric Jacobus to play Waluigi was a terrific idea. It produces the best fight of the series so far and maybe my favorite video game character live action fight ever. Waluigi looks like an absolute beast the whole fight. Utilizing Wing Chun punches and stellar kicks, Waluigi makes Mario look outclassed for the first time in the series.

I also want to note that the fight between Peach and Wario is surprisingly good. If it weren't for Eric's performance in this episode I'd still have a new favorite fight of the series in Peach vs Wario. A lot of emotion, drama and some of the exchanges caught me off guard with how good they were. In terms of storytelling it might be the best of the series so far.

So in all, yeah this is my favorite episode of the series to date. Two major fights that deliver exactly as they should, or even better. And looking forward to the next.

Mario Warfare Part 6 (2013)

Smash Club vs Shy Guys: 3.5/5


The whole episode is a war! And it's great.

Mario Warfare Part 5 (2013)

Mario vs Peach: 2.25/5


Good episode! The fight is more about story than anything else. Makes you excited as hell for part 6.

Mario Warfare Part 4 (2013)

Mario vs Link: 3/5

Smash Club Battle Montage: 2.75/5


Enjoyable episode. Lots of solid fighting. And we get to see a lot of the characters. First fight with Link is solid, good kicking in there. The fight montage is fun, all the characters fighting with their unique style. That montage also shows Link pulling off an impressive acrobatic double kick on Ness. Fun episode all around.

Mario Warfare Part 3 (2013)

DK vs Peach: 2.75/5


Liked this episode, more about backstory than anything. Brian Lee's a talented guy. He uses some cool, lucha libre style moves even while in that costume.

I was confused by the tone of the fight scene though.  I spent the whole fight worried about Princess Peach's safety but meanwhile the fight almost looked comical. So that dissonance took away from it, for me. Good storytelling episode, though.

Mario Warfare Part 2 (2013)

Mario vs Shy Guys: 2.5/5

Mario vs Hammer Bros.: 3/5


Good action in this. Establishes Mario's character nicely, even though we all know he's the hero anyway. Plus Mario uses a cool hammer combo on one of the brothers at the end. Solid stuff all around.

Mario Warfare Part 1 (2012)

Toad vs Bill: 3.5/5


My first gun-kata review! Yay. Good chorerography and fluid performance. Main gripe is it didn't feel varied enough. Enjoyed the humor element they mixed in as well, though. Also, Mario Warfare as a series is terrific. There's tons of action besides just the fights I'll be reviewing. Check it out.

The Raid 2: Berandal (2014)

Prison Bathroom Fight: 4/5

Prison Yard Fight: 3.75/5

Prakoso vs Thugs: 2.75/5

Prakoso vs Thugs in Nightclub: 3.75/5

Hammer Girl Train Fight: 3.75/5

Baseball Bat Man Fight: 4/5

Rama vs Cops: 2.25/5

Rama vs The Assassin: 3.25/5

Car Fight: 3.75/5

Rama vs Thugs in Warehouse: 4/5 

Rama vs Hammer Girl & Baseball Bat Man: 4.5/5

Rama vs The Assassin: 4.5/5


If you liked the first Raid, you'e gonna love this too.

As far as comparing the 2, I will say the first Raid was much more straight forward. And also what I liked about the first Raid was that many of the nameless thugs wouldn't just be cannon fodder. They would fight back and be tough opponents. That isn't quite the case here. But instead, what we get is a wider array of credible, interesting villains. Hammer Girl and Baseball Bat Guy are terrific. And the main assassin is highly skilled at Silat. A great match for Iko Uwais' character, Rama.

Also, the fights take place in many different locations, as opposed to the first film. There's also a lot more weapon work in this film. More variety, in every aspect. That's what we get with a larger budget.

I loved this. It's brutally violent. The choreography is on point. There's a lot more use of space in this. The opening bathroom fight shows Rama using the small location to his advantage. There's a very impressive fight inside a car during a chase sequence. They somehow make a fight scene happening inside of a car between 3 guys in a back seat dynamic. Impressive stuff.

Iko has even improved as a screen fighter, I would say. And he was good before. But now, he carries himself like a true star. He has the screen presence of Tony Jaa. And he's fast. His hand speed reminds me of a young Donnie Yen at times.

The villains are built up well to look like real threats to Rama. And the earlier brawls lead up to the great fights towards the end. Some brutal, creative exchanges throughout the film.

The sequel lives up to the considerable hype. Highly recommended.