Movie Review: Red

Review By Patrick Hodges

If you have it in your head to see Red, it's probably not because you're a fan of the DC Comics graphic novel that the story is based on. It's because of the cast, plain and simple. In a business where fame and popularity is as fleeting as the proverbial wind, it's nice to see a film every now and again where a gaggle of savvy Hollywood veterans - who, from top to bottom, possess numerous Oscars and nearly two centuries of acting experience - come together to produce a truly entertaining romp that contains enough fun and whimsy to more than remind you why you love them in the first place.

In fact, one could even call Red a spoof of spy movies. Maybe not as slapsticky or silly as Get Smart and the like, but it's obvious that all the actors involved are playing their roles with gusto and with their tongues planted firmly in cheek. And having a ball doing it. The most prominent name is Bruce Willis, who is right in his comfort zone here. He plays retired CIA Black Ops agent Frank Moses, who now lives a solitary, sedate life in the suburbs. Bored out of his mind, he regularly tears up his government-issued pension checks just so he can regularly call an operator named Sarah (Mary Louise Parker) as a pretext to talk to her. Sad, huh?

Well, things take an unexpected turn when a team of black-clad assassins descend on his home in the dead of night to "retire" him permanently. But though Frank is out of the game, he's hardly gone soft. After this initial encounter, he yanks Sarah out of her life (to protect her, so he says), to which she vigorously objects... at first, anyway. Not knowing where else to turn, he looks up some of his former colleagues to help him discern just who is after him, including Joe (Morgan Freeman), currently running out the clock in a nursing home; the delightfully addled Marvin (John Malkovich), a raving paranoiac following years of LSD treatments; and Victoria (Helen Mirren), a former MI6 assassin who still takes the odd "job" on the sly.

I won't go too deep into the plot, but suffice it to say that it involves a covert mission to Guatemala in the early 80's, and some very powerful people's attempts to cover it up. Along the way, the REDs will have to deal with a former Russian enemy (Brian Cox), a shadowy defense contractor (Richard Dreyfuss), and a younger operative (Karl Urban) who is set against beating the seniors at their own game. There are also a couple of cameo appearances by Ernest Borgnine - who is now in his 90s - as the CIA's secret-record-keeper in a delightful turn.

Espionage films have a tendency to make their plots overly complicated; Red most assuredly does not. This is a story that is purely character-driven, and with Bruce Willis leading the way, shooting guns and cracking wise, I loved every minute. The acting is terrific, from all the veterans as well as the younger cast members (especially Parker, who took what could have been a throwaway role and infused it with just the right mix of sarcasm and enthusiasm).

I have to say, Red is probably the slickest, most laid-back action comedy that I've seen since Ocean's Eleven (and it also has probably the best ensemble cast since that same film). I mean, it's got Helen Mirren shooting automatic weapons... what more do you need?
4.5 / 5 stars