Russian Raid Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Russian Raid Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 23, 2021

Denis Kryuchkov's "Russian Raid" (2020) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. There are no special features on the release. In Russian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

It is too bad that this new release of Denis Kryuchkov’s Russian Raid does not have any bonus features with footage from the production process where its action sequences were staged and shot. Some use digital trickery, but plenty do not and the fighting is as good as the one that you would see in Jean-Claude Van Damme’s early films. It is incredible to watch because you can instantly tell that many of the actors have been training a lot.

In the short prologue two snipers hiding in the jungle are seen getting ready to take out multiple targets. When the man they are working for arrives and begins closing a deal with some shady characters, Nikita (Ivan Kotik), who seems to be the older and more experienced sniper, realizes that he is the killer of his father. He fires a bullet that nearly kills the man, but seconds later a voice over the radio reveals their coordinates and orders that they are eliminated. Nikita barely gets away, but the other sniper is torn apart.

A long time after the incident. Nikita has recovered and regained his ability to kill on demand. While living under an alias in some remote mountain town, he is hired by a crooked businessman to lead a team of fighters who must enter a heavily-guarded factory where multiple ‘shareholders’ are about to sign an important contract. Nikita and the fighters must neutralize the factory’s bodyguards and then help the businessman convince the main guy there and the ‘shareholders’ sign a different contract that would officially make him the new owner. The team is told that the bodyguards will not carry firearms. A few hours later, they enter the factory.

During the next ninety minutes the film basically switches to ‘unhinged mode’ and unloads some of the greatest action footage that I have seen in probably a decade. Now, I want to carefully explain why.

The intensity of the visuals is quite simply astonishing. I am not exaggerating. When compared to Russian Raid nutty action films like Fire of Conscience and The Stool Pigeon actually look slow and civilized. But there is something else that puts Russian Raid in a category of its own -- the choreography of the fights. This isn’t the type of fighting that you would see in Gareth Evans’ Raid films, which apparently inspired Russian Raid. No, not even remotely close. The guys that follow Nikita inside the factory become involved in what are essentially super-dangerous group melees of the type that Russian ‘soccer fans’ have become famous for. (If you don’t know what I am referring to, do a bit of research about organized clashes between rivaling ‘soccer fans’ in Russia. They are basically illegal urban gladiator games where two groups of warriors clash in a neutral location and fight until their opponents can no longer stand up. The fighting is very ugly, but it is as real as it can get). In the film, the camera positioning and movement are such that it routinely feels like you are right in the middle of the melee where most everyone looks unhinged. Yes, from time to time the action becomes a bit too flashy, but the sense of realism is still there, and it is breathtaking to watch.

The nature of the fighting changes rather dramatically when Nikita’s target from the prologue reappears with a team of armed assassins that are ordered to wipe out everyone inside the factory, including the ‘shareholders’ and their assassins. Nikita emerges as the most rational fighter, but at least initially it seems like rationality won’t be enough to help him get what he is after -- brutal revenge.

Russian Raid Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.38:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Russian Raid arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

This film looks sensational in high-definition. Even the tiniest details are incredibly easy to recognize and depth is simply superb. There is plenty of darker footage with terrific layers of nuanced shadows as well. Clarity is excellent from start to finish. In fact, a couple of the close-ups from the prologue look like digital photographs (see screencaptures #1 and 6). Colors are lush, very nicely balanced, and stable. Image stability is terrific. I can't say that I was shocked to see how good the technical presentation is because this is a contemporary film after all, but the more I saw of it, the more impressed I became. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Russian Raid Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Russian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The film has a fully digital soundtrack, so the 5.1 track is essentially a replica of the original studio mix. It is outstanding. Clarity, sharpness, and depth are outstanding, and during the more elaborate action footage they are very much in 'reference quality' territory. The dialog is clean and very easy to follow. The English translation is excellent.

Russian Raid Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Most unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this release.

Russian Raid Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Russian Raid exceeded all of my expectations. It is like a very violent, crazy Russian remake of Gareth Evans' The Raid: Redemption envisioned by a director who has probably seen a ton of classic Hong Kong action films. It is over the top, for sure, but at the same time it feels very, very real. I enjoyed every single minute of it. Eureka Entertainment's technical presentation of Russian Raid is outstanding, but there are no special features on the Blu-ray. Regardless, if you enjoy modern action films, do not miss Russian Raid because it definitely delivers the goods. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.