The main signature importance of Red is that it shows a movie doesn’t have to be good, well, to be good. Red basically contains all of the plot holes and clichés that plague nearly every other movie, but, the movie is stylish and has a pack of good, old actors leading the way so that the film feels more fun than bad.
The film stars the aging action star Bruce Willis as retired Black Ops agent Frank Moses, who was the CIA’s best agent. He spends his days doing pushups, decorating for Christmas and talking to his customer service agent, Sarah Ross (Mary-Louise Parker) over the phone, because he feels lonely. One day, a South African hit squad shows up and pretty much machine guns his house to bits. Frank takes them all out and then saves Sarah from another hit squad attack. Frank assembles his old team: mentor Joe Matheson (Morgan Freeman), British assassin Victoria (Helen Mirren), Russian secret agent Ivan (Brian Cox) and conspiracy theorist Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich), who is also a bit paranoid. They work together again, the old people taking on a new breed of CIA agents, to find out what’s going on while evading CIA agent William Cooper (Karl Urban), who has been assigned to track down Frank and take him in dead or alive.
Red holds a lot of fun moments and surprises. As an action comedy, it holds out on its own. What I liked about the movie is it shows the older actors are willing to have a good time and still pack a few punches and a few bullets.
Unfortunately, the movie is also not that much of a great one. The inconsistencies and plot holes are all too numerous and the overused clichés are near abundant. Fortunately, the movie mostly overcomes this with its abundance of gags, thrills and chases.
The German director Robert Schwentke directs his comedic thriller. For the most part, Red showed the older actors still had what it took to take part in an action film. This is no important movie, just a fun one that is enjoyable and entertaining to watch. It's a fun movie.
*** ½/5
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