Red – movie review

I love Bruce Willis, and as a fan of Weeds, I’ve grown to like Mary-Louise Parker – and let’s face it, everyone’s a fan of Morgan Freeman. Wild dogs couldn’t have stopped me from seeing the movie Red, which is a good thing, because it was awesome.

Red (or, Retired and Extremely Dangerous) was the perfect mix of action and comedy. There was no shortage of fist fights, gun fights, and explosions, but at the same time the film managed to keep up the comedic timing. The movie had postcard scene transitions. I liked them, because it showed us where the characters were and at times added a bit of humor to the situation. When they went to the swamp, for example, the postcard showed alligators chomping on a bird. Fight scenes were usually broken up with a quick shot of someone else in the group doing something mundane, such as Sarah reading a magazine upside down in a break room while Frank and William Cooper are having a fist fight in Cooper’s office. If I wasn’t sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next, I was laughing my butt off. The story itself had great twists and turns, including the reveal of the bad guy.

The relationship between Frank Moses and Sarah Ross was strange, but it worked. Frank would rip up his checks just so he could talk to Sarah, who was a phone operator, on the phone. It was a great relationship until someone put a hit out on him and put both of their lives in danger. The relationship hit a rocky patch when Frank had to kidnap Sarah, but no relationship is all smooth sailing. Bruce Willis and Mary-Louise Parker had great onscreen chemistry. Frank was a lonely retired CIA operative who had a hard time adjusting to civilian life, and Sarah was a phone operator needing excitement in her life, and the actors really delivered.

I loved Morgan Freeman as Joe. Joe was crafty, smart, and about one step ahead of everybody else. Joe was also pretty kick-ass. When someone they were questioning was getting on the team’s nerves and others wanted to shoot him, Joe punched him out because the guy wasn’t “worth the bullet.” Joe seemed to be the most mature of the group, which seems odd in a group of retirees, but it’s true. He was also always aware of what was important.

John Malkovich was great as Marvin. When we first meet Marvin, he’s described as having believed that the government was trying to do mind control experiments on him, and then it turned out that they’d been force-feeding him LSD. Marvin is the most perceptive, but the fact he’s so crazy gets in the way of people realizing that he knows what he’s talking about. Marvin is also a great shot, causing the best explosion in the entire movie.

Helen Mirren portrayed Victoria, who was my favorite character in the entire movie. Victoria is better adjusted to retirement, but that’s because she has found a way to keep excitement in her life. She’s also a bit of a contradiction. Victoria cares for her friends and comes off as very loving, but had no problem putting three bullets in the chest of her love when it was demanded of her. Victoria will get the job done. The fact that she’s a lady just happened to make one great scene where she goes down an escalator in a dress and heels, knocks out a secret service agent with her purse, and then takes off her heels and slips into her combat boots as she prepares for a gun fight. If I were going to be a spy, I would want to be like Victoria.

Overall, Red was one of the best movies I’ve seen all year – it’s my third favorite from this year. Some movies are definitely ones you wait to rent, but this isn’t one of them. I rarely see a movie that is action packed, funny, has a great mystery behind it, and has an inspiring romantic couple. Fans of any of the cast will not be disappointed. Red is definitely worth the price of admission.