SYNOPSIS:
Based
on the cult D.C. Comics graphic novels by Warren Ellis and
Cully Hamner, RED is an explosive action-comedy starring Bruce
Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren.
Frank(Bruce
Willis), Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich) and
Victoria (Helen Mirren) used to be the CIA's top agents -
but the secrets they know just made them the Agency's top
targets. Now framed or assassination, they must use all of
their collective cunning, experience and teamwork to stay
one step ahead of their deadly pursuers and stay alive. To
stop the operation, the team embarks on an impossible, cross-country
mission to break into the top-secret CIA headquarters, where
they will uncover one of the biggest conspiracies and cover-ups
in government history.
MOVIE REVIEW:
I wanted very much to like RED but in the end I got to settle for an average rating for this action movie starring a bunch of seasoned screen veterans including Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren and the always delightful John Malkovich.
If this movie works for you mainly it’s the magic from the cast listed above that manages to weave itself right into your heart. Somehow, the story by Erich and Jon Hoeber fails to convince us entirely that this bunch of retired CIA agents can still wreck havoc and operate heavy artillery unless you are into the mood of lapping up the goofiness and tardiness the Hoeber brothers and director Robert Schwentke has conceived.
The movie opens with Bruce Willis character, Frank Moses. He is a retired CIA agent. His life is routine and boring and the only joy he could find is chat up a customer service officer, Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker) over the phone. That is until one day, Frank is visited by a group of assassins who are out to silence him and his former fellow agents over past operational secrets. Reuniting with the gorgeous Victoria (Helen Mirren), the ever paranoid Marvin (John Malkovich), his mentor Joe (Morgan Freeman) and the reluctant Sarah in tow, Frank is determined to uncover the mystery behind the killings not without CIA agent Cooper (Karl Urban) already hot on his heels.
A vast difference from the darker original graphic novel which RED is based on, RED the movie tried to be wham-bang high octane while simultaneously there are a couple of elements missing from the end product. There are too much tongue-in-cheek humour that doesn’t blend in too well with the all too serious plotting especially one which involves a conspiracy between a vice-president and a sinister businessman, Alexander Dunning (Richard Dreyfuss). It’s just utterly disappointing given the potential involved and obviously a big pity to be just relegate to a mere popcorn movie in the end.
The constant shifting of gear can be a tad distracting thus the only enjoyment is seeing Bruce Willis in top form after his 2007 outing in Die Hard 4.0. He is John McClane for heaven sake and his no holds barred fight opposite his much younger co-star, Karl Urban proves his mileage still has a long way to go. The always classy, no-nonsense, Helen 'The Queen' Mirren demonstrates she is equally at ease behind a deadly weapon in a white evening dress complete with army boots. And the one actor that stole the entire show is none other than John Malkovich’s Marvin with his funny deadpan expression and absolutely crazy antics.
Throw in people liked Brian Cox, the underused Freeman and Dreyfuss into the mix, RED scores purely of the many stellar cast talents that Schwentke has somehow managed to assemble. Perhaps watching Frank Moses posing with his pistol while coming out of a spinning car in slow-mo might just justify the price of this DVD for some hardcore action fans out there.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
For a different kind of commentary track, check out Audio Commentary With Retired CIA Field Officer Robert Baer as he offer insights into the actual world of RED.
Don’t miss the pretty amusing ending sequence which is cut out of the final film in 8 minutes of mostly brief Deleted And Extended Scenes.
When you on this feature while watching the movie, Access: RED Trivia Track will pop up showing you some random facts about the movie for example how much does it costs to blow up Frank’s house etc and general knowledge about hair follicles, duct tape, weapons and more.
There are 14 short chapters in Cast Insights as the cast and crew talks about working with each other, location shooting, weaponry training, costume, fight scene and much more.
CIA Exposed teaches you what is behind CIA terms such as Family Jewels, MK-Ultra, Kremlin Bug, Operation Kitty and Guatemala Coup.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The DVD transfer is filled with natural flesh tones, wonderful location shots and overall a sharp presentation. Dialogue is clear, Christophe Beck’s music is playful and the gunfire, explosions which are the main draw in this movie is perfectly robust. Can’t deny this is absolutely a fantastic audio track.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD
RATING :
Review
by Linus Tee
Posted
on 23 February 2010
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