I LOVED the first "Red,"
(Retired-Extremely Dangerous) an over-the-top and comically combustible ride,
and looked forward to the sequel. But
too much "Red" may not necessarily be a good thing.
"Red 2" continues to follow the spy-adventures of
retired CIA operative, Frank (Bruce Willis, "A Good Day to Die Hard"), bug-eyed
girlfriend Sarah (Mary-Louis Parker), old buddy
Marvin (John Malkovich), and MI6 cohort Victoria, Helen Mirren ("The Debt").
This time the gang goes international - Paris, London,
Moscow. They're tracking down a bomb
smuggled and planted in Moscow during the Cold War. In a document leak, Frank's and Marvin's names have been falsely
linked to it. They're branded as
domestic terrorists and pursued by intelligence agencies, including a contract
killer, Han (Byung-hun Lee).
They encounter Frank's former flame, Katja (Catherine
Zeta-Jones, "Side Effects"), an agent with Russian
intelligence. They eventually find the
architect of the device, Dr. Bailey, Anthony Hopkins ("Thor"). Bailey has been locked
up for over 30 years; there's a reason for it and it may not be what you think
it is.
The movie is an action comedy, it's packed with action, but
with an emphasis on comedy. As
basket-case Marvin, Malkovich supplies a lot of one-liners. Willis still has that cool guy persona, who
can cleverly defeats a dozen of armed men with ease. Parker has a much more prominent role in this installment and
becomes an integral part of the team.
Han rounds up the group and is a good addition as an outcast. Brian Cox makes a cameo as a KGB agent and
Mirren's partner in love. The most
sophisticated of the bunch belongs to Mirren.
Her chic, ice-cold portrayal is hard to beat. She doesn't miss a beat; be it disposing a body in a bath tub,
dishing out a relationship advice, or firing double guns in a fast-spinning
car.
There are a couple of cool car stunts. One in full speed with Mirren as a passenger
and Lee in the driver's seat involving a trailer truck. The other with Willis stepping right into
the car driving as Zeta-Jones moving out and into the passenger's seat; a
homage to the first movie where Willis steps out of a spinning car and onto
his feet shooting bullets.
While the first installment is fresh and fluid, "Red
2" feels segmented and bloated.
There are also nonsensical resolutions where you're expected to buy
things without knowing how they come about.
Too much spotlight is shined on Frank's and Sarah's comedic
relationship, and one upmanship with Katja.
It becomes too silly for its own good.
The cast members have terrific chemistry, but you may not get the
nuances among the relationships unless you see the first one.
If you've never seen the original "Red," you will
still enjoy "Red 2" because of the action, comedy and chemistry. It could have been much better, but it's
passable entertainment.
DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/lb3e2f6