For the uninitiated: The Raid follows a 20-man elite SWAT team deployed into a derelict high-rise in the slums of Jakarta. The building is a no-man’s-land ruled by a ruthless drug lord, Tama (Ray Sahetapy). When the team’s cover is blown and their extraction is cut off, rookie officer Rama must fight his way up floor-by-floor to survive. There is no subplot about a family dinner; there is no romantic distraction. There is only the climb.
If you already own the original 2011 BluRay, the upgrade is noticeable but not night-and-day. However, if you are buying this film for the first time, avoid the standard edition. Look specifically for the cover art that highlights "REMASTERED" or the "Sony Pictures Classics" 4K-sourced re-issue.
Note: There is currently no native 4K UHD BluRay release of The Raid (though fans have been begging for one for years). Until that day arrives, the 2011 REMASTERED BluRay remains the definitive way to experience the film in your home. The Raid - Redemption -2011- REMASTERED BluRay ...
The original 2011 BluRay release of The Raid: Redemption was adequate for its time. Shot digitally on the Canon 5D Mark II (a DSLR camera, not a traditional cinema camera), the original film had a distinct look—high contrast, shallow depth of field, and sometimes, heavy digital noise in the dark corridors.
The REMASTERED BluRay utilizes a new 4K scan of the original digital files, combined with intelligent noise reduction and HDR color grading (where applicable). The result is staggering: For the uninitiated: The Raid follows a 20-man
Standard BluRay releases of The Raid used an older MPEG-4 AVC codec. The REMASTERED version (typically released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment around 2018-2019) features:
One of the most compelling reasons to purchase the The Raid – Redemption -2011- REMASTERED BluRay is the supplemental material. While previous editions had sparse special features, this remaster includes: not a traditional cinema camera)
Crucially, the remaster subtly color-corrects the final shot, seamlessly tightening the visual bridge to The Raid 2: Berandal. If you own the sequel on 4K, the remastered original now looks like it was shot back-to-back.