Quick Review: Red (2010)

RED

BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
JULY 20, 2013

According to this film, Bruce Willis is old enough to retire as former CIA agent Frank Moses. “RED” is a comedic action film that follows Retired and Extremely Dangerous agent Moses as he uses his former resources to find out why people are sending death squads after him. Over-the-top and sometimes brilliant, “RED” relies mainly on its ensemble cast to force across heavy-handed dialogue and ridiculous situations. John Malkovich delivers his wackiest performances yet, handling most of the comedic portions of the film. Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren are spectacular additions, proving you can never go wrong with the two of them, regardless of the plot surrounding them.

In a surprisingly deep and memorable performance, Karl Urban grounds this film by proving to be a versatile and hard-hitting asset, a trait he possesses in every role he graces. Although I’m not a massive fan of Mary-Louise Parker, even she rounds out the cast nicely. Despite its “retiree” nature, this never feels like a senior “Expendables” film, with all of the older actors still at the top of their game, with both action and comedic timing that helps this film stay fresh and exciting.

RELEASE DATE
October 15, 2010

DIRECTOR
Robert Schwentke

WRITTEN BY
Jon Hoeber
Erich Hoeber

BASED ON
“RED”
by Warren Ellis & Cully Hamner

STUDIO
Summit Entertainment

PG-13
(for intense sequences of action violence and brief strong language)

ACTION
COMEDY
CRIME
THRILLER
111 minutes