The Raid - Region B Blu-ray

The simple idea behind the film is this. A 30-storey tower block houses some of the most dangerous, nastiest criminals in Jakarta. Unsurprisingly most give it a wide berth, until an elite SWAT team embarks on a deadly mission to effectively clear the building out, a floor at a time. It's spoiling nothing to reveal that this plan has its flaws.

What makes The Raid so much more than this basic premise, though, is the incredible, stunning execution of it. This is a pure, relentless, expert action film, boasting incredible camera work and equally strong fighting. In fact, feel free to throw a few more superlatives at the movie. It absolutely deserves it.

So does the Blu-ray package, too. It's not just the quality of the picture and audio transfer that deserves praise here, as someone's really put their back into providing an excellent collection of special features. This particular edition includes a director's commentary that's exclusive to the British release, and there's a lot of behind the scenes material and promotional work to enjoy, too.

The Raid is, then, that rarest of things: a modern action cinema classic. Really. That it comes on such a strong Blu-ray only makes things better. --Jon Foster