By: Gareth Jones

For fans of Tom Hardy, Gareth Evans, violent action films

I have been a fan of Gareth Evans for quite a while, and not just because of his name and nationality, although that is a very valid reason.  I remember watching The Raid when it first came out and being absolutely shaken by the extreme violence, but even more so by the game-changing choreography and editing. I was not alone. The Raid and The Raid II have gone on to be some of the most influential action films of all time.  The incorporation of the Indonesian martial art known as pencak silat and the charismatic actors Iko Uwais and Yahan Ruhian (both of which appeared in Star Wars:The Force Awakens and who were sadly under-utilized) pushed cinematic violence in new and invigorating directions. Following the success of these two films, Evans signed a deal with Netflix and delivered an excellent folk horror film Apostle in 2018, but fans of The Raid have been waiting for quite a while for an action film follow up.  Finally, Havoc has arrived after a long gestation period.

It tells the story of a corrupt cop, Walker, who must investigate a mass murder in the gang underworld, whilst trying to protect the son of the corrupt mayor.  Honestly, the plot is rather undercooked, but for an Evans action film, the plot is in many ways superfluous. This audience is here to see bone-shattering action with set pieces that break new ground. For the most part, he delivers. Of course, it is incredibly difficult to bring new wrinkles to a genre that has taken your approach and used it to the point of cliche. The same thing happened with Oldboy.  Evans is competing with himself and ten years worth of action sequences that have mimicked his style. However, he does create a few new sequences that add to his reputation.  The opening car chase is quite impressive and harrowing and left me wondering how they did it multiple times.

Walker is played the one and only Tom Hardy, which is a dream matchup for fans of Evans’ previous work.  His physicality seems a natural fit for the set pieces designed by Evans. Hardy brings his usual brooding, violent malevolence to the role, whilst also exhibiting some emotions of caring and goodness. He also brings his usual levity that is needed to offset the extensive brutality on display.  Sadly, none of his old Indonesian crew is here, but that is also understandable as Evans is trying to break some new ground.  Another welcome addition is Forest Whitaker as the corrupt mayor. He is excellent in his few scenes. Timothy Olyphant is also fun as another corrupt cop but he does not get enough screen time to really feel like a major presence.  This is unfortunate as he is a phenomenal actor who brings humor and strength to his roles.  He gets to chew a few scenes here, but it left me wanting more.  The same goes for Luis Guzman.

Matt Flannery returns as Evan’s cinematographer.  They have worked together since the beginning and have created a symbiotic relationship with capturing the action sequences.  In fact, Flannery has gone on to be the cinematographer for the new film Fight or Flight and just the preview alone shows the continuing impact of Evan’s and Flannery’s approach to redesigning the action sequence.

Havoc may not be as good as his previous work, but it still is better than the majority of action films that have come out of Hollywood in the past 30 years.  There are rumors of a third Raid film, but I am also hoping to see Evans spread his wings a bit and work in another genre again.

Finally, I really wish that I had been able to watch this in a theatre with an audience.  I felt the same way for Apostle. I am happy that Netflix is helping fund these projects but it is a shame to only be able to see them at home alone on the small screen.  I don’t care how good a home theatre you have, it can’t match a giant screen with a room full of people gasping at an arm being broken in half.