Raid

Finland 2003 colour 125 min Kinoproduction Oy

***½

Crime, action, comedy

cast: Kai Lehtinen (Raid), Oiva Lohtander (Jansson), Mari Rantasila (Tarja), Pekka Huotari (Huusko), Kirsti Väänänen, Juha Muje (Sundman), Markku Maalismaa, Risto Salmi (Arska), Helge Herala (Keisari, Tarja’s father), Aarre Karén, Sakari Jurkka, Tommi Korpela, Hannu Kahakorpi, Kirsti Väänänen, Tuula Nyman, Jaakko Salomaa, Miitta Sorvali, Pertti Sveholm, Jorma Tommila (Legioonalainen)
credits: dir. Tapio Piirainen, script Harri Nykänen with Tapio Piirainen, DOP Timo Heinänen, music Pekka Marjanen, prod. Claes Olsson

The popular TV serie called Raid was made in 2000. It told about a contract killer, polices, corruption, love and lots of other things around their world. This movie is a second act for that serie. Still, it works without the serie too and it is extremely funny.

The movie starts from the point when the contract killer, Raid’, travels back to Finland. He wants to see his girlfriend Tarja, but it seems that she has died in an arson. Raid’s old friend, a huge and sympathetic cop Jansson, has some other information about things and soon they both are investigating Tarja’s case. There’s big business behind everything.

The cast is same as in the tv serie. Lehtinen, Lohtander, Muje and the others does very good work. Especially Juha Muje as an alcoholist and Markku Maalismaa as a weird truck driver are great. They are also the funniest characters in the movie. The dialogue of the movie is as short and juicy as in the tv serie.

TRIVIA: The leading lady of the movie, Mari Rantasila, sang both the movie and the serie’s main themes.

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