Headshot (II) (2016) User Reviews (78)

Surprisingly tight action outing

[A_Different_Drummer · 7/10 · 7 March 2017]

Short review: Nicely plotted, acted, little action thriller. The two hours go by fairly quickly.

Longer review: Some have suggested that this is Bourne with "more violence." And especially after the sorry mess that was the last Bourne film (see my IMDb review) such a feat would have been welcome. But no it is not. The Bourne story -- the top professional with a slight memory problem -- was much more subtle, This is more like Tony Jaa from Ong Bak (who actually looks like the star here!) waking up with a migraine and then everyone on the planet tries to kill him.

The action scenes are wonderful, except for the very first scene in the prison, which features too many automatic weapons going off at once. Some are especially memorable. For example -- just a tease -- this film will teach you how the very same bullet can kill a man twice. Once when you fire it. And again when you get your hands on the spent cartridge.

Recommended.

A Delicious Top Nocht Action Served in Thrilling Trays.

[herman-787-132796 · 7/10 · 13 December 2016]

Iko Uwais ("Merantau" "The Raid" and "The Raid 2") – again – presents us a high thrill action saga. a young man (Iko Uwais) found drifted on the beach of a small city somewhere in Java island Indonesia – coma. And for about 2 months a young sweet doctor Ailin (Chelsea Islan) has ben taking care of him, even named him Ishmael (a character name from Mobydick novel) since he got no identity. Then one day he wake up and don't know who is he, how he got bullet wounded in the head (and still some pieces of bullet projectiles inside his head that sometimes gives him a headache). Ailin then ask him to go with her to Jakarta, where there is some hospital have the new technology equipment to get these projectiles inside his head.

In the same time, the rumour of his existence has spread and heard by a ruthless kingpin (drugs and gun dealers) – Lee then realize that one of his assassin named Abdi that he ordered to executed by Rica (Julie Estelle) is still alive. Soon, Lee send 2 of his young assassins along with some thughs to follow Ishmael and Ailin but only to find out that Ishmael/Abdi is still not on the bus.So they kidnapped Ailin and a 10 years old girl along after off course killed all the other passengers in cold blood. Ailin still managed to call Ishmael/Abdi.

Then Ishmael/Abdi took an oath that he must find and rescue Ailin, then he got his chance after he got busted by police patrols that arrived after Ishmael/Abdi killed 4 thughs that send back to burn the bus. Lee send Tejo (Indonesia wu shu national champion) and Tano (Zack Lee) to a district police office to kill Ishmael/Abdi, and so the journey of hunting begins where all the hunters become the hunted and all the mystery of who is Ishmael/Abdi and his connections with the kingpin Lee and all other young assassins revealed.

Actually, there is nothing special about the plot line, it's not complicated, not rushing, but the directors (Mo Brothers – who wellknown for directing gore thriller movies like "Killers" and off course the winner of LA Screamfest Horror Film Festival and International Horror and Sci Fi Film Festival of Phoenix, Arizona "Rumah Dara" or a.k.a "Macabre") really manage to keep it what I say "somehow low profile". Even though there is a love chemical between Ishmael/Abdi and Ailin, this movie doesn't fall into some cheap romantic moments, but also doesn't show stronger love emotions between them. Except – on my humble opinion – the plot line gives more space to explore the emotional connection between Ishmael/Abdi and his 2 former best companion : Besi- in English " Iron" – (Very Tri Yulisman – Indonesia Pencak Silat athlete) and Rica (Julie Estele – Indonesia senior actress). And the interesting is they emotional connection shown among the one on one battle, there is compassion, emphaty mixed into one that then separated by different way of life that each of them choose.

The acting seems average..every single actor try to blend in their character and just fit in. Most of them didn't show any emotional fellings like Iko Uwais, Julie Estelle and Very because they raised in brutal way since they about 10 - 12 years old.

And even though the final battle between Ishmael/Abdi versus Lee (Danny Pang) is the most brutal, but what I saw that the battle between Ishmael/Abdi versus Besi/Iron (expert with iron stick weapon) and marathon with the battle between Ishmael/Abdi versus Rica that really sparks some emphaty in my head. And another positive points is that the way this movie took angle shot from top from the fight between Ishmael/Abdi vs Besi and Ishmael/Abdi vs Lee. Even though the fight is fast but still we can still catch the art of every deadly movement. Brutal and beautiful.

Finally, "Headshot" from Mo Brother is A Delicious Top Nocht Action Served in Thrilling Trays (B)

The most violent martial arts flick ever?

[Groverdox · 7/10 · 2 December 2017]

It's not every day you see a martial arts movie which may be as violent as any horror flick released the same year. "Headshot" is one such movie. It might be second only to "The Story of Ricky" in terms of violence, but whereas that one was a cartoonish gore flick, this one is disturbingly realistic, at least in its handling of injury. Off the top of my head we have people getting stabbed through the head sideways, a loose bullet being jammed into someone's eyeball, and someone being impaled on a broken tree branch and then trying to pull someone else onto the spike. Also, countless people are shot to death. You've heard of the Hongkongese genre "heroic bloodshed"? You don't have to be a hero to shed blood in this one.

The "story" is the usual "violent man with no past saves people while other people come to get them". I think they tacked on some kind of non-explanation for how the violent characters got that way; something about a covert operation training child soldiers. From what you see of this shady business, it is impossible to believe that anyone could come from it and be proficient at fighting; it's one of the dumbest contrivances I have seen in a recent movie. These scenes don't depict a hardcore training program for brats: they're more like an extremely inefficient method to kill children en masse.

But you don't (and won't) care about that stuff. You care about the fight scenes, and yes, they are impressive. I didn't think they were as impressive as "The Raid 2"'s, but it's hard to imagine too many fans of those kinds of movies will leave this one disappointed.

A lot of Action, using martial arts !

[ckoffi · 4 June 2017]

It is a very good movie !! Action ++ It shows nice martial arts moves, without having people that fly Actors all are good. Lee is the best in this movie.....better than a lot of movies , there is always something going on...and you feel attracted to keep following , there is no much talking going on and little of action, and the action scenes are nice to watch. I recommend this movie specially to people that likes martial arts.

Solid Action Movie - Fans of The Raid Will Be Pleased

[ActionFan-Reviews · 7/10 · 12 March 2017]

Being a big fan of The Raid I & II, I was looking forward to watching this movie once I had seen the trailer. Headshot proves to be one hell of a brutal action film that really earns its R rating. The action is pretty relentless and doesn't let up with with the movie racking up a solid body count within the first 20 minutes. Iko Uwais is a great up and coming action star and choreographs and pulls off some amazing fight sequences like he's done in other films (Man of Tai Chi, Merantau). Although the movie probably could of been more focused and efficient in terms of the story and the characters motivations, it is still well paced for a two hour film and action packed throughout. Overall, a solid early contender for one of the best action films of 2017.

7/10

All the more reasons to watch this movie.

[reinaldowilliam818 · 7/10 · 18 December 2016]

As an Indonesian that anticipated this movie for a very long time since the first information released, I must say I'm quite pleased with the final results. As expected from a movie starred by Iko Uwais, blood and fast paced action scene are the main elements in this movie.

Talking about strong opening, the movie went for a solid middle part and striving for a pretty great ending. Though I must say that the plot looked a little bit similar like Kill Bill with a better way to conclude the story I must say. Still, with a great execution there's some plot hole and questionable actions that the characters made, I mean what's with the Rika character shooting randomly while she can leave unscathed? All in all though, still the good parts made up for the silly scene.

The acting itself is pretty good, although I would like to know more about the "evil" characters like Tejo and Rika. As for Iko's character, like always he played it pretty good, albeit the cringey dizzy scene. And well I must say, Chelsea is shining pretty good in here with her charm that she brought to this action-gore movie. The main antagonist himself portrayed the character pretty good and speaks English very well with no weird accent whatsoever.

All in all I give this movie a 7/10, good overall with some parts that actually can be potential but were neglected.

You get exactly what you expect! [+68%]

[arungeorge13 · 7/10 · 6 July 2017]

There is a certain suspension of disbelief when the viewer signs up to watch an actioner like 'Headshot'. Kimo Stamboel & Timo Tjahjanto (dubbed the Mo brothers) tread high-octane action territory (a.la Gareth Evans' The Raid) after their impressive outings in horror (Macabre) and crime-thriller (Killers). The viewer pretty much knows what to expect: a wafer-thin storyline, bucketfuls of gore, horrendous fatalities & well-choreographed stunt sequences.

Thankfully, the duo keep their promise. The cast comprising Iko Uwais, Sunny Pang, Julie Estelle and Very Tri Yulisman deliver the goods in stunning fashion. An amnesiac is helped by a young doctor in recalling his past which comes back to haunt him in startling ways. The film however starts off detailing the manipulative skills of the antagonist when he escapes prison. Once the film embraces 'action- mode', there's no looking back. There are some slickly shot fights - one that takes place within/around the confines of a bus and another at a police-station (my favorite of the lot!). The camera-work is quite fluid and the fists-to-the-jaws look undeniably excruciating.

The climax sequence although well thought-out and judiciously shot, pales in comparison to the earlier ones. This isn't a film where you sit and analyze the acting talent of the ensemble but Chelsea Islan's presence does uplift certain scenes. Iko Uwais has yet again proved his mettle as a reliable lead faring spectacularly in the action department and reasonably fine in the acting.

That said, 'Headshot' is strictly for action aficionados. If you're the kind who gets turned on watching splendidly assembled action set- pieces that involve the usage of fists, swords, canes, guns, fire-extinguishers, typewriters and telephones (accompanied by some bone-breaking), this film will dazzle you, although not on the levels of 'The Raid'. Highly looking forward to Timo's solo directorial 'The Night Comes Before Us' featuring some of the actors from this film and 'The Raid'.

More enjoyable than The Night Comes For Us

[stevenrotherforth · 7/10 · 31 October 2018]

Headshot

After being rather impressed by the fight choreography and direction of Timo Tjahanto's movie The Night Comes For Us, I decided to check out an earlier collaboration with this director and martial arts star Iko Uwais. Headshot is a film that tries to raise the bar set by films such as The Raid and The Raid 2.

Headshot is a movie about a man (Iko Uwais) who washes up on a beach with a bullet hole in his head. Nursed back to health by a Doctor named Ailin played by Chelsea Islan, the man has no recollection of who he is or how he ended up on that beach. This film takes its time in telling its story. When the action does ignite it is handled masterfully. Uwais's character who is named Ismael by the Doctor learns through the course of the movie that he is part of a gang led by the viscous Lee played with delight by Sunny Pang. A man responsible for taking young children and cruelly nurturing them into killers. When Ishmael learns this he decides that this isn't the life for him now and he must now fight to be free.

Unlike The Night Comes For Us, the gore in this movie isn't as over the top. It is utilised effectively. Fight scenes are let play out through long wide shots so we the audience can relish every single moment. Perhaps not as inventive or as intense as the choreography in The Night Comes For Us, Headshot is less fatiguing to watch. I actually found the plot to be a little more fluid and as a movie from a storytelling aspect superior to director and actors latter collaboration. Performances are much better too. Uwais and Islan have a believable chemistry and Sunny Pang plays a great villain.

Headshot is actually co-directed by Kimo Stamboel. Not always the case then that two heads are better than one! This because in terms of the action many will probably be in favour of The Night Comes For Us. Not me, I'm with Headshot but only by a whisker. Both movies are superior action movies and put he work being produced by Hollywood to shame. I think Headshot is the more favourable movie because it isn't as frenetic as The Night Comes For Us. In terms of raising that bar up from The Raid movies it doesn't accomplish this but it's still a fine action movie.

The R-Rated, Indonesian, Jason Bourne

[horitaj · 8/10 · 24 October 2016]

"Headshot" stars Iko Uwais as Ishmael, a man who's found washed up on a beach and put in a coma for two months due to him being shot in the head. He wakes up and doesn't remember a thing about himself. He discovers from flashbacks, gang members sent to kill him, and an incredible set of skills, that he is a former assassin/hit-man for the crime boss, Lee. When Ailin (the nurse who looked after Ishmael for two months and has liking to) is kidnapped by Lee, Ishmael sets on a mission to save Ailin, and to confront Lee once and for all. "Headshot" was the last film I saw at the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival this year and it was a very action packed way to leave the festival till next year.

"Headshot" is directed by Timo Tjahjanto, and Kimo Stamboel who also directed the very successful "Killers" (2014). The two directors have an excellent direction when it comes down to choreographing the stunts and fights and always do it with such flare. The cinematography is very well done, not to compare to "The Raid" films but the camera is much more shakier in "Headshot" and not as smooth and fluid as "The Raid" films, but nevertheless I can see what's going on and it overall captures the action very well.

The acting is overall very well. For an action film of this caliber you don't really need stellar performances but rather great action and stunt work which Iko Uwais is very good at due to him being the star for both "The Raid" films. I had a blast with this film, it was just exactly what I expected it to be, amazing action, average plot, and bad-ass characters. The audience that I saw the film with were super into it, there was always an "oh s***." or "whooo!" whenever a fight scene was happening or when it ended. It was awesome.

Other than the film being action packed and violently entertaining there's nothing else to it. This film is 100% pure entertainment, that's what it set out to be and that's what it will always be. I will admit the violence in the film was very overwhelming, every 5 or so minutes you had someone get shot in the ear, have their arm snapped in half, or burning alive. And much like "The Raid" films the absurdity and unbelievability of the violence is UNBELIEVABLE, and I love it. I mean where else will you see a guy who has his arm and leg broken with nails embedded in his fist and half beaten to a pulp still able to keep on fighting. I was laughing out loud to this stuff because it's so damn silly but so damn entertaining.

"Headshot" is nothing but a pure energetic and adrenaline filled film full of violence to satisfy any die hard action cinephile out there. Thumbs up!!!

Brutal stuff

[jordondave-28085 · 7/10 · 14 March 2023]

(2016)Headshot (In Indonesian with English subtitles) ACTION

Written and directed by Timo Tjahjanto the opening has ruthless arms dealer Lee (Sunny Pang) escaping state prison with several prisoners and guards dead. Meanwhile, an unidentified man, (Iko Uwais) is found unconscious by an isolated fisherman who lives in a hut along a beach he is then cared for by that friend who happens to be a nurse, Ailin (Chelsea Islan). By the time the character Iko Uwais is woken up from his coma, it is soon discovered he had lost his memory for the only thing he remembers is the girl who shot right at his head. Because he has no memory of who he is Ailin the nurse then calls him Ishmael until then his past catches up to him, which regards him along with some missing children.

Let's try to kill a guy during two hours

[deloudelouvain · 3/10 · 21 April 2017]

I'm still waiting to watch my first good Indonesian movie because Headshot isn't the one. I read somewhere that it is a good movie for people who like a lot of action. Well I do like a lot of action every now and then but certainly not this kind of action. It's all so fake it becomes an embarrassment. There is a lot of action, no doubt about that, but the action scenes are most of the time painful to watch. Our local hero, who everybody wants dead, can easily fight twenty though guys. Nothing wrong with that if he's that good and/or strong. But the problem that I have is why those twenty guys are just waiting their turn to try to kill him. Just attack him with twenty at once and job's done. The entire movie it is like that. And our local hero of course gets injured a lot but by miracle every next fight he has he's completely cured. From limping one second before, to beast mode in the next combat. And when there is machine gun shooting with a target at about two meters from you it's impossible to miss, just saying... The actors are also not that great. Everybody speaks Indonesian, what is absolutely logic since it is over there, except one that talks in English. Why he speaks in English is a mystery to everybody. There are loads of things that just don't make sense in this movie and that's why it's just not good. The filming is professional, that's for sure, the story is also okay, but the execution is just lame.

One of the Bloodiest Brutal Fighting Movie After The Raid

[MichaelNontonMulu · 8/10 · 10 December 2016]

As an action movie, this one was quite over the top. The action coreographies were done superbly by Iko Uwais (who had a real pencak silat ability) and his team. I love the fighting scenes and there were so many of them that you would be left breathless watching them. They were all brutal and the length of each fight scenes were mostly just perfect. Except for the fight scene with Tejo and Tano which I personally felt was too long. Ooh I also felt that the opening shooting scenes were too exaggerated and did not make sense. However, the rest of the fight scenes were cool! Even the one involving Julie Estelle (I think her fighting scenes here are much better than the ones in The Raid 2). If I had to single out though, my most favorite one would definitely be the "first part" of the final fight of Ishmael with Lee.

In addition to the cool fighting scenes, the movie was also filled with good sound effect & the music was surprisingly good. I personally love the end credit song which felt very peaceful. The make up effects were also pretty good, with the bruises, scars and everything really seemed believable. Another plus point was also the beautiful scenery as the movie were shot in Riau province instead of the congested Jakarta.

There were also some interesting smaller supporting roles in the movie, but the one that I believe really stood out was Romli (played by Epy Kusnandar who was famous for playing in the popular comedy TV series Suami Suami Takut Istri) which I really thought brought some needed lightening mood to an otherwise very serious tone of the movie. Please be reminded also that this is an action movie where the main attraction is the great fight choreography by Iko Uwais. Hence we should not expect a great story line or logic in this movie. It is just pure entertainment. One thing that I originally felt was a plot hole, appeared to be resolved in the ending part of the movie. So kudos on the writing part.

So if you are a fan of this kind of gore, bloody movie filled with various one on one fighting scenes plus some occasional group fight, then this one is definitely for you. However, this is not recommended for the weak heart audience or those who could not stand the sight of those brutal killing scenes.

for my complete review, pls have a look at michaelnontonmulu.blogspot.co.id

Not right in the head

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 24 March 2020]

I guess there is some social commentary here, but this is rather in the background and no serious conversation about it is necessary. What you can expect is a lot of action, a lot of shoutouts and a lot of stunts in general. Don't count on "reality" being a part of this. Which you should expect more or less but is quite annoying when it comes to powerful rifles and their lack of "impact" or rather lack of penetration power ... ah well, you have to suspend your disbelief, who'd have thunk it? Almost everyone watching I reckon.

Having said all that Iko does a really good job and the fight choreography is quite stunning. Do not expect much of a story, and there is a lack of "comedy" elements, but that probably would have been weird anyways ... if this sounds like your cup of tea - go ahead and watch, you know what to expect

Don't put too much expectation to this movie

[ali_arroughi · 4/10 · 11 December 2016]

I'm a big fan of Iki Uwais since his excellence performance in The Raid 1 and 2. So when I heard he's starring this movie, I couldn't think twice but just went to nearest cinema to watch. I thought this movie would be way better than The Raid 2 (because Uwais performances are always getting better at every new movies he starred).

But I was wrong. The plot was predictable : someone who leaves his gang and then came back for revenge. The acting was lame. There's no emotion between each characters. The fighting scene was kinda okay, but there's nothing new. I've seen the same fighting scene before, even the raid 1 was better than this movie.

This movie has all good potentials, yet all wasted because the bad plot, lame acting, and offer the same formula over and over again.

The Raid Meets The Bourne Identity In A Blood-Splattered Massacre

[CinemaClown · 5 March 2017]

Splattering gallons of blood & leaving an endless trail of bodies all over the screen, Headshot is a blood-spilling & bone-crunching mayhem from the directing duo of Killers that's jam-packed with unadulterated R-rated action and embraces its brutal violence with open arms but is heavily marred by its terrible attempts at drama & characterization.

Headshot tells the story of a young man who washes ashore with a serious head injury and remains in comatose state for a couple of months. He wakes up with no memory and is slowly nursed back to health by his doctor but things take a brutal turn when his past life returns to haunt him in ways he didn't anticipate, thus leading him on a violent journey to uncover his identity.

Directed by Kim Stamboel & Timo Tjahjanto (also known as Mo brothers), their latest endeavour is a gleefully violent ride that's steered by Iko Uwais' physically intense performance but everything other than that is a letdown. There's no proper build-up to its moments of action and the drama is a facepalm-inducing with many insipid stuff unnecessarily stacked into the final print.

It's always fun to watch Iko Uwais break bones on the screen and it's no different here but the film isn't as inherently focused as it should be and often indulges in petty, corny & overly melodramatic moments that spoil its fun vibe & narrative flow. The action choreography is undeniably impressive but nearly none of them are properly staged. Also, more interesting than the main villain are his henchmen.

On an overall scale, Headshot can be termed as 'The Bourne Identity meets The Raid' but it lacks the gripping narrative of the former and breathtaking effectiveness of the latter to finish as something that's steeped in blood-soaked carnage yet fails to leave a lasting impact. The film had the potential and the cast to make it happen but it unfortunately settles for far less than what was up for grabs. Still worth a shot for action fanatics out there.

GREAT BUT WITH RESERVATIONS

[Camroy_Peters · 6/10 · 20 March 2021]

Firstly, it's Iko Uwais, so you should know it's already an exciting film. The only problem was that the story had a big disconnect. One set of characters are out for blood while the others are being emotional and confused. Great key moments are misused and for action scenes it could have made it an even better film. All in all, 6 out of 10. In my opinion, a decent lazy afternoon watch.

What if I am Not a Good Person

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 3 July 2017]

The film opens with Indonesian Crime Lord Lee (Sunny Pang) escaping from prison. Two months later a man is washed up on shore with a head wound. He is attended by Dr.Ailin (Chelsea Islan) and assumes the name Ishmael (Iko Uwais). Lee discovers "Ismael" is still alive and sets his forces out to destroy him. The film is filled with flashbacks to describe their relationship which can be summed up in one word, 'Fagin." If you have ever seen an action film before, you know the formula.

This is an Indonesian grindhouse. It could have used a heavier soundtrack. Most of the one on one fighting was good, other times it looked like a JCVD spoof. The opening close range fire fight scene made me initially think this was going to be a Jackie Chan style comedy, but as it turns out, it wasn't meant to be funny. That is just how they roll.

I watched the film with English subtitles.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

Great Ambience

[nomodusproject · 7/10 · 3 March 2020]

The biggest strength of this movie is its ambience. Coupled with entertaining martial art shows, nice twist in the plot, it is a good movie. But I'm afraid that's all, nothing very special about it. Maybe because we have seen Iko Uwais in much better movies with much better martial art shows, better plot and more interesting twists. And maybe Chelsea Islan wasn't developed enough to make this movie extraordinary. Maybe.

A fun, fast and frenetic Raid rip-off

[eddie_baggins · 6/10 · 11 October 2017]

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, so on that note Welsh director Gareth Evans should be highly chuffed with Indonesian film Headshot.

An Indonesian action/thriller that not only feels like a first cousin/half-brother to Evan's first two Raid films, but stars its breakout performer Iko Uwais, Headshot aims for the frenetic nature The Raid seemingly invented as we were introduced to the apartment complex from hell in 2011 and while Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto's film never reaches The Raid's or its standout sequel's heights, this valiant effort is a sight bit better than your average standard action event.

Not holding back in its depiction of brutal violence and feats that should've ended in instant death, Headshot sees Uwais's Ishmael awaking with a particularly nasty headache and a potential new love interest in the form of Chelsea Islan's kindly nurse Ailin, only to find out his the target of a group of hard-core baddies and with the simple and over the top set-up (much like once again, Evan's films), Headshot acts as an excuse to deliver some far-out set pieces that showcase Uwais's skills as a beat-down master.

Capturing the video game vibe and essence that came across in The Raid films, Ishmael's journey to rescue Ailin and kill all the big bad's including Sunny Pang's ruthless leader Lee feels as though his going from boss fight to boss fight within interesting locations from a bus, a curiously badly secured police station and exotic looking beaches as Ishmael kills off goons one by one in inventive fashion, only to ruin his good work whenever the film stops to try and become emotional and actually tell a story.

Something The Raid film's managed to overcome with pure unrelenting energy and story twists and turns, Headshot's weak dialogue, so-so to bad performances and cheesily constructed narrative often undoes the films action wins and no amount of white knuckle showdowns and shootouts can save Headshot from its amateurish execution in these areas, even if you won't care to much when the hits start being landed.

Final Say –

Not quite a poor man's Raid but not worthy of being talked about alongside Evan's classic action epics, Headshot is an often brutal and fun actioner that feels like an easy to digest entrée too what is Evan's Raid swansong in the years coming, which is hopefully sooner, rather than later.

3 chopsticks out of 5

The fight choreography is phenomenal. It is brutal n intense.

[Fella_shibby · 10/10 · 13 March 2017]

I really wanted to see this on big screen but saw this on a 50 rs pirated copy. Had seen all of Iko Uwais' films. Had enjoyed The Raid in theatre. The plot line for Headshot may sound familiar, a man found on a shore, wounded and unconscious, wakes up in a rural hospital unable to remember anything. His attending lady physician gives him a new name. Later we come to know that the amnesiac man can do hand to hand combat n other self defense tactics efficiently. Viewers may compare this to Jason bourne, Kill bill or Faster but believe me this movie ain't no another revenge or secret agent run of the mill. This movie is an awesome adrenaline filled, high octane, brutal n bloody action film. Directed by Timo Tjahjanto and Kimo Stamboel (Macabre, Killers). They know how to position their camera best to capture Uwais in full on furious action mode. There is some good camera work n with the attractive locations, the film does engage visually too. The editing is frenetic. The action is non stop. But it is Uwais who is the star of this film. Uwais delivers the bone-breaking, gravity defying flurry of kicks, punches, eye gouges, and throat throttling. His action choreography is the best. This movie also has some of the best movie martial artists and stunt performers in the world — Iko Uwais, Julie Estelle, Very Tri Yulisman, Sunny pang, Zack Lee n David Hendrawan. Anything n everything can be a weapon when controlled by true masters : chopsticks, desks, broken plates, bus seats, pistols, shot guns, machete, rods, etc. but fists, elbows n feet are much deadlier weapons when controlled by them. Jason bourne, Kill bill n Faster looks like kindergarten in front of Headshot.

"You can write Ishmael"

[ExpendableMan · 7/10 · 14 November 2020]

'Headshot' is notable for being the first Iko Uwais vehicle after the two 'The Raid' movies. With those, he was established as a major new action hero for the Far East and the pressure must have been on to keep the momentum going. If there was any temptation to make a less violent flick and increase the potential audience though, it doesn't show. 'Headshot' is brutal, matching 'The Raid' in intensity and only surpassed by the frankly insane 'The Night Comes For Us.' This is a martial arts movie that sees bones being splintered, glass bottles and knives being used as weapons and human bodies contorting as they're riddled with bullets.

The story sees Iko washed up on a beach and close to death. After spending two months in a coma, he wakes with no memory of who he is or how he got there. His doctor christens him "Ishmael" and he sets out trying to find out who he is. But the people who hurt him find out he's alive and come looking. He's barely begun to piece his life together before he has to fight for it.

And fight, he does. Ishmael might not remember any of his previous life but like Jason Bourne before him, he's very good at defending himself. As the gangs hunt him down, Ishmael finds himself in the centre of a Police station massacre, a vicious close-quarters fight on a bus and some wince-inducing punch ups in an underground bunker. It's unpleasant, vicious stuff and horribly authentic. Aside from the fact that Ishmael shrugs off multiple knife wounds and is borderline indestructible, when the characters in this movie hit each other, it looks like it really, really hurts.

All of which makes for an enjoyable two hours for action fans. 'Headshot' isn't a cerebral movie; the plot is only wafer thin and it serves as no more than a vehicle for Uwais to dispatch bad guys in increasingly violent ways. It gets by on pure adrenaline and while it does suffer from the final act being marginally less intense than you'd hope, it still ticks all the boxes for a good "beer and pizza" Friday night movie.

Skip

[Aswinning_11 · 3/10 · 4 April 2017]

If you've watched the Raids and expect the same quality of a movie, then skip this movie, please. The quality is sub-par to say the least. The directors are different, so you can tell the action sequences are less realistic; the acting is less average; the story line, well, makes even less sense than the Raids (although the Raids are much more enjoyable), the pace is slow, it's just dragging...

Let's just hope Gareth Evans makes another movie soon with the same team!

Gory, Thrilling, Funny and Full of Twists and Turns

[Blue-Grotto · 8/10 · 15 October 2016]

"The door swings both ways my friend." This is not something a maximum security prison guard likes to hear when facing a dangerous psychopath and skilled fighter who appears, with the help of insiders, to be on the verge of a break out attempt. The prison guard, as may be expected, is not long for this world. The man he faced, Lee, escapes from the prison over piles of injured and dead. By force of will and fist, Lee re-assumes command of a fearsome gang and drug distributing territory, but he is searching for someone that he desperately needs. The man he is looking for was admitted to the hospital with severe head trauma and amnesia. In the hospital, a burning bus, shadowy warehouse and the remains of a shattered police station, we begin to understand the stories of the two opposing characters. A doctor, Ailin, gets caught in the middle.

This gory, raw and darkly humorous film contains some amazing scenes and lines, especially in the first half. The main characters, both good and evil, repeatedly defy the odds as well as expectations. There are a lot of broken bones and buckets of blood are spilled. I like how the fighters make mistakes in judgment, such as impulsively swinging a machete at someone and not realizing there is an iron beam blocking your arm. These mistakes accord with human nature. Too often in films, action films in particular, the characters and scenes seem devoid of such substance, black and white and no gray in between. In another example of this, Lee chides Ailin; "You should have stabbed me here (points to artery), I thought you were a doctor."

Headshot also includes thrilling music, romances between beautiful people, and unexpected twists and turns. I love the frequent nods to Herman Melville. Even the main character of Headshot is tagged with the nickname of Ishmael, the narrator of Moby Dick. Headshot's theme echoes a theme of Moby Dick; what it means to be strong. The last half of the film is tamer and blander than the first, yet it is still thrilling. Seen at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.

Direction Could Be Better.

[mdesham · 6/10 · 17 March 2021]

As always action was awesome.I watched the movie just for action.After watching his raid and raid 2 movie.I became a fan of his action.The story is good an average level story.But the actions was fascinating.But what the movie lack is acting and direction.Acting was ok but direction could be better.Anyway,If you are an action lover just go for it.I hope it wont disappoint you.

Head Ache

[anil-kulkarni-108-85663 · 5/10 · 3 September 2020]

We've seen this before. A brutal gang boss who picks up kids from the street making them killers. One of them turns renegade and wrecks revenge. What works is the lead actor who's earned his chops in brutal action thrillers. What doesn't is everything else. There's no back story, no character development. Best avoided