Red

Red is a fast moving action comedy movie that has found a way to make fun of action movies in a way without moving into the realm of spoof. The movie critics were extremely harsh on Red and having seen it now I think the critics missed the boat on the movie being an action comedy and not just an action movie. Red is another strong movie that is based on a comic book. With the recent trend of so many movies being based on graphic novels and comic books, the quality of these movies have all raised the bar and Red meets this new standard.

The cast that was put together is superb and truly has a great all star cast. Bruce Willis does a great job in his role of Frank, a retired CIA agent who is lonely and finds the best part of his day comes from his frequent calls to Sarah regarding his "missing" pension checks. Sarah is the customer service representative he talks to each time about his "missing" checks (which really arrive and he simply tears them up). Willis plays a great role in being the action hero he has played so many times before, yet this time he does not play the role so serious. He plays in not so serious yet still gives us some great action sequence stunts, such as him stepping out of a spinning cop car to shoot at someone who is chasing him.

The great work by Willis would be pointless though if the supporting cast was not just as stellar. Anyone who may have thought that Red was meant to be a straight up action movie should have been convinced otherwise upon seeing Helen Mirren brandishing and firing automatic weapons. Anytime this happened I could not help but laugh simply because Mirren's roles have always been so regal and dignified. Meanwhile Malkovich plays the paranoid former agent to perfection. The way he acts makes you laugh and wonder how he can play someone so crazy so easily. The part everyone will remember of his from the trailer is him yelling as he runs down the street with an explosive vest strapped to his chest. Mary Louise Parker is not nearly as well known as many of the other main characters, yet she hold her own on screen with this not only great cast but ones that will go down as legends. Over the next few years she will definitely become a bigger star as more of her performances get noticed.

I loved the creativity in that Red stands for Retired Extremely Dangerous. The story from this graphic novel is very strong and the plot is just as strong as the acting. The story is one that I though was very well thought out because the overall reasoning behind why Frank and his former team are being hunted down by a hit squad remains hidden from the audience until the point it comes out in the end of the movie. Being one who has seen so many different movies it is truly enjoyable to view a movie that is able to hide the overall plot and only reveal it little by little.

The action sequences in the film are great and very over the top. The great epitome of over the top action is Bruce Willis stepping out of the spinning police car to fire his gun at the car chasing them. I know some people are critical of wanting action to be realistic, yet I am one of those people that enjoys suspension of disbelief. Of course this movie can not be an action one without tons of gunfire and explosions, one such over the top firing exchange is that of the hit squad taking out Frank's house with bullets upon bullets. This leaves his house riddled with bullet holes and even causes front parts of the house to fall apart.

Red is a funny action movie that delivers on all levels. I am giving it four buckets of popcorn our of five. The acting lives up to what one would expect from such a great cast and the story and plot are up to the level of the cast. This is a movie that is not only worth the pricing of renting but is definitely one worth buying.

-The Movie Man