Red: "An Entertaining Collaboration of Hollywood Greats"





Rating:

***½

By: Da’Mon Guy

     What do you do when you need a good action star in the modern age of limited action movie stars? You cast one of the greatest action stars of all time, Bruce Willis (The Expendables). Then you add assemble a talented cast of Hollywood greats such as Morgan Freeman (The Bucket List), Helen Mirren (State of Play), John Malkovich (Jonah Hex). The result is RED. The film is an entertaining, terrific intermingling of action and comedy. This enjoyable merger is an action packed, jocular approach to the spy genre. The film also features Mary Louise-Parker (The Spiderwick Chronicles), Karl Urban (Star Trek) with Brian Cox (Zodiac), Richard Dreyfuess (Poseidon) and Ernest Borgnine (Strange Wilderness).

     When a retired, former CIA covert operative is tagged RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous) then targeted termination, he foils the first attempt and then he decides to recruit other RED operatives to discover the source of the attempts and in the process he uncovers and must stop a conspiracy.

     RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous) is the perfect commingling of action and comedy. The movie takes an extremely lighthearted approach to the spy genre. The film is loosely based on a DC comics comic book by the same name written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Cully Hamner. It was originally published by Homage Comics (an imprint of WildStorm) as a three-issues series between 2003 and 2004. It was later collected into a single trade paperback that includes both RED and Tokyo Storm Warning, another comic penned by Ellis. The film has an outrageous nature that makes some of the action seem preposterous. however, it is terrifically enjoyable as some of the action would seem ridiculous if the movie was firmly grounded in reality but coupled with the humorous nature of the movie, the outrageous action sequences aptly compliment the jocular theme. RED is highlighted by a number of action sequences that are extremely impressive.

     The entire cast of RED has terrific chemistry that increases the enjoyment of this witty collaborative endeavor. Bruce Willis makes an entertaining return to the action genre with his portrayal of Frank Moses. Willis never misses a beat as he returns to the type of character that he is most known for. The witty tough guy with the perfect punch line. Willis portrays the dual sided nature of Frank Moses exquisitely as the reluctant, unsure love struck civilian was a terrific contrast to the confident killer who lies dormant. Willis is joined by a cast of aging Hollywood greats, who all add to the Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, and Dreyfuss all showcase their acting ability to breathe life into RED. John Malkovic and Helen Miren steal the film with their portrayals of Marvin Boogs and Victoria. Malkovich as the paranoid Boogs is one of his more entertaining characters and easily the most enjoyable of the movie. Boogs’s constant episodes of paranoia are some of the best comedic aspects of the film. Helen Mirren is also a scene stealer in her depiction of Victoria, the witty dead eye sniper, is extremely charming. In addition to our group of protagonists, Karl Urban and Richard Dreyfuss add to list of enjoyable performances within this crazed farce. In addition, Ernest Borgnine makes a welcomed cameo.

     In addition to the obvious action and comedic premise, RED has a sweet love story deeply embedded in the subterfuge of the two. The story has two love stories that are the foundation of the film. Both are somewhat forbidden in nature but both are equally enjoyable. The budding romance between Moses (Willis) and Sarah Ross (Louise-Parker) is the foundation of the film. The forbidden romance between Victoria and Ivan Simanoff (Cox) was a surprising treat.

     RED is one of the more entertaining movies that you can see. The movie has a high level of enjoyment on a number of levels. The action and comedy are terrifically mixed and well timed. This is a feel good action movie. In the movie RED stands for (Retired Extremely Dangerous) however, it should stand for (Ridiculously Enjoyable Debauchery). You should sit back and enjoy the fun of RED, you won’t be disappointed.