Star cast: Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Brian Cox, Karl Urban
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Director: Robert Schwentke
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What’s Good: The eccentric yet enjoyable characterisations; the peppy dialogues; and the abundant action.
What’s Bad: An average script.
Verdict: Red is a fun watch. It loses out on the chance to be a cult, like the comic book it is based on.
Loo Break: None.
Summit Entertainment’s Red is an action-comedy about a super spy, Frank Moses (Bruce Willis), and his colleagues, who are forced to spring back into action because they are being targeted by their former employer, the CIA.
Frank Moses, the deadliest of spies and a retired CIA Special Operations Division officer, is living a life of anonymity in a small house in Cleveland. He spends most of his time talking to a Pension Services employee, Sarah Ross (Mary-Louise Parker), over the phone or reading romantic novels suggested by her. When he realises that Sarah is single and lives alone, he decides to go see her at her home in Kansas City. But before he can do that, a deadly squad of assassins raids his house at midnight. Frank easily foils the surprise attack, but realises that his phone calls were being tapped. Immediately, he leaves for Kansas to pick up Sarah. Frank’s enemies follow him. With no other real choice left, Sarah becomes Frank’s partner – first unwillingly and then willingly – in his cross-country tour to regroup with his former colleagues. They are Joe Matheson (Morgan Freeman), a wise man who is living in the Green Springs Retirement Community; Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich), a wacko ex-spy who was subjected to psychoactive substances while serving the CIA and who has since become paranoid; Victoria Winslow (Helen Mirren), the trigger-happy former MI6 agent; and Ivan Simanov (Brian Cox), Frank’s former enemy and a Russian agent.
Meanwhile, at the CIA headquarters, a high-profile special operative, William Cooper (Karl Urban), is given the job of eliminating Frank, who, according to secret files, is a RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous) person. William traces Frank and attacks him with full force. However, Frank and his brigade, old as they might be, beat William every single time and even mount a successful guerilla attack on the CIA headquarters itself! The trail of evidence they gather from the CIA station leads them to Alexander Dunning (Richard Dreyfuss), a big defense contractor, who has been placed under the protection of the CIA at the behest of the US vice president. On interrogating Alexander, Bruce finds out that he is being targeted by the CIA because the vice president wants him eliminated as he (Bruce) was witness to a war-crime the VP had committed in Guatemala. Frank and his brigade have to die as the VP is running for the President’s post and wants a clean slate. But Frank won’t budge. Is he able to thwart the CIA’s sinister plans? Is he able to get back to his quiet life of seclusion, with Sarah? The rest of the film answers these questions.
Script & Screenplay
Red, based on the eponymous cult D.C. Comics graphic novels by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner and adapted for the screen by Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber, has an interesting story and some good dialogues. But the film falls weak in the screenplay department. The story of a vice president wanting to murder a former super spy to cover up his shady past might seem plausible enough, but this is not brought out well in the film at all. Most of the screen time is spent on establishing the characters and on Bruce’s journey across the US. Enjoyable as all this might be, it gives the audience a short shrift. Evidently, the comic book adaptation has been less than perfect. The film’s plot is weak and the audience can predict what’s going to happen next. Having said that, it needs to be added that the screenplay has been woven in such a manner that there is never a dull moment. High-octane action sequences and humorous quips are dime a dozen. A few stand out. Sample this conversation, which takes place between Frank (Bruce Willis) and Marvin (John Malkovich) when the former traces down the latter to a remote riverside hut, somewhere in midland America.
Marvin: Why are you trying to kill me?
Frank: Look, why would I be trying to kill you?
Marvin: Because last time we met, I tried to kill you.
Frank: That was a long time ago.
Marvin: Some people hold on to things like that.
Star Performances
Fans of action flicks will love Red because it has numerous mindless shooting sprees. All the characters, including Bruce Willis’, are more than happy to pull the trigger at the slightest provocation. As far as the performances are concerned, Willis is his usual macho self. Mary-Louise Parker acts ably as Sarah. Her transition from being a scared city girl to becoming a brave companion to Frank in the latter half of the film is nice. Helen Mirren and Brian Cox‘s flirting is cute. Morgan Freeman does well in a significant cameo. John Malkovich will bring a smile to the viewer’s face as the madcap spy who suspects everything electronic and modern. Karl Urban and Richard Dreyfuss are good. Veteran Hollywood actor Ernest Borgnine is a surprise package as the CIA’s record keeper.
Direction, Music & Editing
Director Robert Schwentke has made a fairly interesting film. But he should have paid a little more attention to the screenplay rather than concentrating so much on his characters’ ‘cool’ quotient.
The film is technically sound. Music by Christophe Beck is good. Cinematography by Florian Ballhaus is effective. Editing, by Thom Noble, is abrupt at times, but is okay overall. The visual effects, by CIS Vancouver, are excellent.
The Last Word
On the whole, Red is an okay watch. You won’t remember the film after you have left the theatres. Word of mouth may work in favour of the film but its appeal will be restricted to a select audience.
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