RED

Synopsis: Former CIA top agents must protect themselves when they are marked for assassination.

Release Date: October 15, 2010     MPAA Rating: PG-13

Genre(s): Action,

Film Review

Do not let their ages fool you, this group of over-the-hill spies still has more than enough left inside of them to deliver a movie that is full of charm, laughter, and most importantly, big guns and plenty of action. Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is a retired CIA agent who has found a new life in suburbia. Adapting to this life has become a challenge and his only excitement is the once a month phone call he makes to Sarah Ross (Mary Louise-Parker) at the pension fund; as well as his romance novel reading brought on by his phone relationship with Sarah. When he wakes up one night to a house full of hired assassins his quiet life gets a great deal complicated – and he likes that. Dusting off his agent skills he sets off to solve the mystery of why he is marked, enlisting a little help from some old colleagues along the way. There is the more gentile, brainy agent Joe Matheson (Morgan Freeman), the feisty Victoria (Helen Mirren), a cooky, crazed, and delightfully paranoid Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich), and last but not least the Russian with a severe soft spot for romance, Ivan (Brian Cox). You could call this team of ex-agents (plus one call center representative) a dream team of comic and action proportions. They blend together effortlessly, and each and every line that rolls off their tongue’s is timed genius. The story itself may not be the most creative, or innovative, but it is the characters and their chemistry together that make the film absolute good fun. Giving RED two hours of your time is not only a good investment, but one you may want to make over and over again.

Helen Mirren in control of a ridiculously huge machine gun, blasting away the enemy with a wicked smile upon her face – priceless. Everything about the action is over the top and glorified in the film. The gunfire is loud, the explosions deafening, and excitement always present. Even the clock Malkovich’s Boggs uses for his explosion laden sweater bomb is larger than life, and childlike in a very humorous way. Director Robert Schwentke definitely wanted the action to be larger than life, playful, and full of charisma. He has succeeded in giving just the right amount of action mixed with personal relationships and comedy to make RED an action movie that is never exactly serious or always funny, but always right on the mark with expectations.

Cast and Crew

• Director(s): Robert SchwentkeMark Vahradian
• Producer(s): Jon HoeberErich Hoeber
• Screenwriter(s): Bruce Willis (Frank Moses)Morgan Freeman (Joe Matheson)John Malkovich (Marvin Boggs)
• Story: Helen Mirren (Victoria)
• Cast: Karl Urban (William Cooper)Mary-Louise Parker (Sarah Ross)Richard Dreyfuss (Alexander Dunning) Julian McMahon (VP Stanton)Brian Cox (Ivan)Ernest Borgnine (Henry, the Records Keeper)James Remar (Gabriel Singer)Thom NobleFlorian BallhausAlec Hammond
• Editor(s):
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• Country Of Origin: USA