RED

Some things never change and one example is the appeal of Bruce Willis. I believe he belonged in the scene with Stallone and Schwarzenegger in “The Expendibles”. The best part of “Red” is the casting because even though Willis is the only reputable tough guy, the rest of his team are great actors and perfect for their roles. The story is fun and the film fits very well in the action-comedy genre. I felt that it was pretty much worth the full movie ticket price.

The first film I saw with Bruce Willis staring was “Die Hard” but it was “Armageddon” that cemented him in my mind. He made “Red” a fitting addition to the genre. Morgan Freeman did great as usual but John Malkovich was phenomenal, the best part of the show. His comedic timing was bang on as an elderly paranoid retiree. I first saw Malkovich in “In the Line of Fire” and was very impressed. He was the main source of comedy in the film and embraced that role fully. Mary-Lousie Parker played the perfect damsel in distress in the modern setting. We root for her as the rookie in the team who desires excitement in life. Her best work in this movie is the scene when Sarah and Frank infiltrate the CIA. Brian Cox was a lot of fun and because of his great performance in "Red", I didn't recognize him from "Braveheart" or "X2". Helen Mirren was fun too. She is pretty good in comedy roles but Oscar winners usually are. Karl Urban, ever since his breakthrough role in “The Two Towers”, continues to impress me. He effectively plays Cooper as an appealing antagonist. We want him to understand that Frank is innocent. Richard Dreyfuss quickly took the role of antagonist once he showed up. I loved his performance too. Another great actor in the film is Oscar-winner Ernest Borgnine as the record keeper in the CIA.

The opening action with the hit squad at Frank’s house kicks off the movie wonderfully. We come to understand that Frank is quite smart and despite his age, he can still kick butt. I like movies that have a team come together or, as in this case, reunite. I also like films such as “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and “Up” where protagonists over 50 fight quite well to the surprise of the rest of the characters and to us the audience. I love how Marvin was right about the helicopter and the female at the airport. We are convinced that he is just overly paranoid until the airport scene. It is a funny scene, especially with the pig and when Marvin takes vengeance because of the old man crack. I also love how Victoria, when we first meet her, catches Marvin in disguise and his subsequent look as Victoria moves to reveal him outside the window. I enjoy how Cooper goes from being the adversary to siding with Frank. When we see that Cooper has a family, we begin to view him less as an antagonist. His persona of Frank as a target is shaken at the Dunning mansion and he orders his men not to kill Frank. When someone takes the shot anyways and kills what turns out to be Joe, Cooper is now aware of foul play. Joe's death is sad but his liver cancer makes it acceptable. Frank convincingly gets Cooper’s attention by threatening Cooper’s wife and kids. We now come to understand the love Frank has for Sarah. Cooper can tell that it is just a point that Frank is making and that he won't really kill Cooper's family. The climax is handled well enough to lead up to the exchange of Stanton for Sarah. The end scene in Moldova is so funny and a perfect way to end the film. I relish at the beautiful countryside as it contrasts the action we see. Another great quality of “Red” is the graphic novel references with every location change.

The film is fun and that is what is most important. The level of action is entertaining but the cast, lead by Bruce Willis, is the film’s best quality. I have liked producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura’s work in the past. I am glad that humor was added to the graphic novel story while gore was eliminated. The film is fun to watch with friends at home.

3.5 Stars