If you're in any way inclined toward action movies—even in the slightest—and you haven't seen The Raid, fix that. Here's the short version of what I wrote last year:

The Raid: Redemption has a character or two, I'm sure; it has some plot, I think. But none of that matters, because in The Raid: Redemption, those things are mere interludes in a nearly nonstop parade of stunning action sequences. The Raid: Redemption is an action movie; it is about nothing more than action. And good action. The sort that used to be dealt by John Woo, before America ruined him. Or Tony Jaa, when he teased us with Ong Bak before going insane. Or Jackie Chan, by which I mean Drunken Master II Jackie Chan. That sort of action.

Here's the trailer for The Raid 2. I am very excited, as is just about everyone who saw The Raid.

I've heard it said that boxing is the purest sport, simply because to its pared-down brutality—it's the very essence of competition, stripped of as many rules and as as much pretense as possible. If we take that as being true, The Raid felt like, I don't know, the boxing match version of cinema: brutal and mean and simple and remarkably, exhilaratingly effective at what it tried to do. Seeing if director Gareth Evans and star Iko Uwais can replicate such a feat is something I more or less can't wait to see.

(Thanks to Grant for the heads up.)