Much similar to the Sylvester Stallone-directed "The Expendables" this recent summer, "RED" brings together an ensemble of veterans, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren as retired C.I.A. operatives who bring a fresh take on the espionage adventure and punctually topple the showbiz myth that
action movies are a young actor's realm. However, contrasting to “Expendables”, which lived in denial of the aging process and looked outrageous as a result, “RED” is a dynamic mix and every one of those veterans does their job to precision, but what gives this otherwise solid content an extra boost is the humor. Yep, since the smiling ex-CIA operative (Freeman) says, “we’re getting the band back together,” it’s an indicator of the free-wheeling humor of this action movie. Directed by Robert Schwentke (Flightplan, The Time Traveler's Wife) from a script by Whiteout's Jon & Erich Hoeber based on the cult DC Comics graphic novel by Warren Ellis and Cully Hammer, while the comic was written into a brooding, intense, extremely violent, fairly hopeless story, “RED” movie version is a somewhat lighthearted actioner that pulls out the entertainment from its story and characters from every turn. So it is true that “RED” not nearly as loyal as “300” or “Watchmen” or even “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”. But it’s still good.
Ex-CIA agent Frank Moses (Willis) isn't tuning well to retirement. He's totally bored, and the barely bright spot in his otherwise dreary days is chatting with Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), whom he flirts regularly on the phone under the guise of not receiving checks. He rips them up to talk to her. Soon the two are planning a face-to-face meeting which Frank is absolutely delighted about. But his vision of a nice evening with Sarah is dashed after his residence is riddled with bullets by a troop of hitmen. One thing leads to another and soon he's holding Sarah against her will in attempt to save her life - which is definitely not anyone's idea of a good first date. So now Frank's forced out of retirement - not that he minds - and forced into seeking out his old (as in also retired) buddies from the CIA. Joe (Freeman) lives in a retirement home and seems to have adjusted reasonably well. Victoria (Mirren) looks completely comfortable in her gorgeous home, arranging flowers and carrying on as though she's embraced retirement. But looks are deceiving as she's taking 'odd jobs' on the side that have nothing to do with putting together pretty floral arrangements. And Marvin (Malkovich) is a loony conspiracy theorist who was given LSD on a daily basis while he was still in the CIA. Together they must figure out why they're being targeted by killers. And to complicate matters, a rising star in the CIA, William Cooper (Karl Urban), would like nothing better than to bring in Frank and his reactivated sidekicks.
# Director Robert Schwentke shows he’s an adept director of over-the-top action, and benefits from good chemistry among a cast that’s having too much fun to be put out to pasture. He also orchestrates the unlikely merger of action, comedy and tart romance with solid craft and a stimulating sense of fun.
# Even with the story changed to accommodate a larger cast, it still did not lose the feel the original conveyed.
# One of the film smarter tricks is throwing a familiar face in every 30 minutes or so between fast-paced shootouts and explosions.
# The film does not rely to much on epic explosions and gunfights, but it’s much more a character driven, relying on the strength of its actors to create jokes and to connect with the audience.
# Willis formerly appeared in "The Expendables" brief scene opposite Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger but he truly comes alive in "RED" with a mix of humor and fighting equal to his best "Die Hard" moments.
# With his weirdness and doughy physicality, John Malkovich will have even the hardest-hearted person laughing hysterically by the end.
# Morgan Freeman with his wizened world-weariness and Helen Mirren with her steely elegance also bring some humanity to the cold-blooded killers group that makes the film feel organic and helps the story flow seamlessly.
# Karl Urban gives Cooper a deadly, laser-guided hyper-competence. This guy is so steady you could use him as a building foundation.
# Other honorable mentions should goes to Brian Cox, as a Russian spy with a soft spot for Victoria, who’s solid and charming with his accent, Richard Dreyfuss who turns in another solid performance as a spoiled smart-ass arms dealer, also memorable cameo role of Ernest Borgnine.
# Talking about action scene, Willis and Urban actually throw down in one of the best physical fights which I think is even better than anything in “The Expendables”.
# Schwentke directs large, complicated setpieces in which you can always follow the action clearly and you always know where every character stands in relation to the others.
