An elite SWAT Team, a ruthless crime lord, and some kickass fighting skills in 30 floors of battle adorn this much praised action film from Indonesia. I haven't watched this movie, but the trailer itself just kept me looking for more information about this movie. "The Raid: Redemption" is a low budget, simple plot, but action-packed film that movie critics say as the best action movie seen in years.

It is rare for a movie from the Southeast Asian region to break into major theatres outside of their countries, but this movie has got everyone talking, and Sony Pictures and other major film distributors lined-up for the distribution rights of this movie.

Directed by Indonesia-based Welsh director, Gareth Evans, "The Raid: Redemption" features a SWAT Team tasked to taking down a ruthless crime lord in a run-down apartment block in Jakarta which serves as the bad guys' safehouse. Unknown to them, they were spotted early on, and when they reached the 6th floor of the building, lights were turned off, and exits blocked. From there, they have to battle in all floors some of the most hardened criminals armed with guns, knives, and almost the kitchen sink. And when their guns became useless, with all the martial arts skills they can summon.

What is very much showcased here is the Pencak Silat, the indigenous martial arts common in most countries in Southeast Asia, and practiced mainly in Indonesia and Malaysia, and it combines the use of weapons and other forms of hand to hand combat. It is said to be one of the most effective ways of street fighting nowadays, with a lot of emphasis on really close up fighting aiming to immediately immobilise any attacker. And oh boy! The fighting scenes in the movie are really badass.

The movie is garnering awards and recently it has received the Midnight Madness Award at TIFF 2011, and the Dublin Film Critics Circle Best Film and Audience Award at Jameson Dublin International Film Festival (JDIFF) this year.

From the just a single movie, "The Raid" will be turned into a trilogy, which means that we'll have more of this kickass fight scenes and will come with an even bigger budget, which means an even better production.

It's a "must watch" movie for me. Better schedule to watch this movie when it hits the big screens near you.

The making of the movie shows airsoft guns used as props in the movie. Ain't that great?