The Raid 2
He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen - a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls - rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn't have been more wrong. Formidable though they may have been, Rama's opponents in that fateful building were nothing more than small fish swimming in a pond much larger than he ever dreamed possible. And his triumph over the small fry has attracted the attention of the predators farther up the food chain. His family at risk, Rama has only one choice to protect his infant son and wife: He must go undercover to enter the criminal underworld himself and climb through the hierarchy of competing forces until it leads him to the corrupt politicians and police pulling the strings at the top of the heap. And so Rama begins a new odyssey of violence, a journey that will force him to set aside his own life and history and take on a new identity as the violent offender "Yuda." In prison he must gain the confidence of Uco - the son of a prominent gang kingpin - to join the gang himself, laying his own life on the line in a desperate all-or-nothing gambit to bring the whole rotten enterprise to an end.
Working with a limited budget of $4.5M, the film achieved a modest success with $6.6M in global revenue (+46% profit margin).
11 wins & 17 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Raid 2 (2014) exhibits deliberately positioned narrative architecture, characteristic of Gareth Evans's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 12-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 30 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Rama sits bloodied and exhausted in the aftermath of the first raid, being interrogated about what happened. His world is violence, corruption, and survival in a broken system.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 19 minutes when Rama accepts the undercover mission and watches his family from a distance before disappearing into his new identity as "Yuda," knowing he cannot return to them until the mission is complete.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
At 75 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Uco, manipulated by Bejo, orchestrates the assassination of Bangun's rival Goto against his father's wishes. This false victory actually triggers a war that will spiral out of Rama's control and compromise his mission., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Crisis moment at 113 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Rama grapples with the horror of what he's witnessed and been part of. He confronts the reality that his hands are now as dirty as those he sought to stop, and questions whether justice is even possible., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 120 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Rama fights his way through Bejo's forces in an extended battle. He confronts and kills the assassin who murdered his brother, faces Uco in a brutal fight, and eliminates the corrupt police officials. Justice through violence., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Raid 2's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 12 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping The Raid 2 against these established plot points, we can identify how Gareth Evans utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Raid 2 within the action genre.
Gareth Evans's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Gareth Evans films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Raid 2 takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Gareth Evans filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Gareth Evans analyses, see The Raid.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Rama sits bloodied and exhausted in the aftermath of the first raid, being interrogated about what happened. His world is violence, corruption, and survival in a broken system.
Theme
Bunawar tells Rama: "If you want to change things, you have to get your hands dirty." The theme of moral compromise and the cost of justice is established.
Worldbuilding
Rama learns about the deep corruption in the police force. Bunawar explains the undercover mission: infiltrate the Bangun crime family by getting close to his son Uco in prison. Rama must leave his wife and newborn son behind.
Disruption
Rama accepts the undercover mission and watches his family from a distance before disappearing into his new identity as "Yuda," knowing he cannot return to them until the mission is complete.
Resistance
Rama enters prison as Yuda and orchestrates a fight to gain Uco's attention and trust. He navigates the brutal prison hierarchy, proves his loyalty through violence, and begins building his cover identity.
Act II
ConfrontationMirror World
Rama is released from prison alongside Uco and enters the Bangun crime family world. He meets Bangun, the father figure crime boss who represents old-school honor, contrasting with the younger generation's ambition.
Premise
Rama operates as Uco's enforcer, gathering intelligence while navigating the criminal underworld. He witnesses the tension between Bangun's cautious leadership and Uco's reckless ambition. Bejo manipulates events to start a gang war.
Midpoint
Uco, manipulated by Bejo, orchestrates the assassination of Bangun's rival Goto against his father's wishes. This false victory actually triggers a war that will spiral out of Rama's control and compromise his mission.
Opposition
The gang war escalates. Uco's ambition grows as he works with Bejo to undermine his own father. Rama is forced deeper into violence to maintain his cover, even as his handler is murdered and his moral center erodes.
Crisis
Rama grapples with the horror of what he's witnessed and been part of. He confronts the reality that his hands are now as dirty as those he sought to stop, and questions whether justice is even possible.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Rama fights his way through Bejo's forces in an extended battle. He confronts and kills the assassin who murdered his brother, faces Uco in a brutal fight, and eliminates the corrupt police officials. Justice through violence.
Transformation
Rama walks away from the carnage, having exposed the corruption but forever changed by the violence he committed. He returns to his family, but the cost of justice is written on his face—he is no longer the man who left.