Retired CIA agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is living the quiet, suburban life. The highlight of his days is when he talks on the phone with Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker) – his representative for the pension fund: Even though they never met, they both have a crush on each other.
While Frank makes plans to meet in person, a team of assassins try to kill Frank. Frank escapes but now that he is a target. So he has to kidnap Sarah, who is unwilling to believe that Frank is in fact ex CIA. But she eventually believes him. Frank realizes that the hit has been ordered by CIA itself. And it is not just Frank. A past Guatemala operation has gotten lots of agents and a news reporter killed. So Frank pulls up a team he can trust – although he has to let each member know that he is not trying to kill them first.
His team includes ex-CIA Joe (Morgan Freeman), nutty but smart Marvin (John Malkovich), ex MI6 Victoria (Helen Mirren) and Russian Ivan (Brian Cox). At first the CIA was confident that their agent in charge, the highly capable William Cooper (Karl Urban) could take care of a “grandpa” agent but as it will turn out, this team of old agents and a civilian can really kick ass and raise mayhem. Catching Frank will be a lot harder than anticipated…
*
2011’s Golden Globe nominee for Best Picture (Comedy or Musical), Red is a pretty entertaining action/comedy that deliberately starts slow and follows with fast action and good comedy. The cast is incredible, the characters are hilarious. It is one of the most entertaining movies of Bruce Willis, who has been kicking ass in action films for over 2 decades now. And kudos to Helen Mirren, whose character totally destroys all the stereotypical movie roles a 65-year-old actress can get.
It’s unreasonable. It’s illogical. And the ending is predictable. But it is bloody good entertainment. It is hard to pick a favorite character but for me it is a tie between deadly Victoria and the paranoid Marvin who gets upset when he doesn’t kill anyone.
Written by Jon and Erich Hoeber. Directed by Robert Schwentke (Flightplan, The Time Traveler’s Wife). Based on the graphic novel created by Cully Hamner and Warren Ellis.
7 Fun Red Facts:
– Nip Tuck’s Julian McMahon makes a guest appearance as the Vice President.
– The cast also features Richard Dreyfuss.
– The “Russian” Ivan is played by Brian Cox, who is actually Scottish.
– Sex and the City’s Richard James Remar makes a guest appearance.
– Between the cast, there are three Oscars in acting: Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman and Richard Dreyfuss are Oscar-winning actors.
– Weeds star Mary- Louise Parker used to date Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who also appeared in Weeds.
Favorite lines:
**
Sarah is not happy to be kidnapped.
Frank: I was just hoping you’d be a little more understanding of the situation.
Sarah: I was hoping not to get kidnapped. Or drugged. I was hoping you’d have *hair*. So it looks like none of our dreams are coming true at the moment.
**
Frank (Willis) and Cooper (Karl Urban) are engaged in a deadly fight. Cooper first thinks he can beat Frank easily because of the age difference but Frank beats the crap out of Cooper.
Frank (locking Cooper in a wrestling position):Krodesky trained you?
Cooper: Yeah.
Frank: I trained Krodesky.
**
Marvin wants to kill the agent who is trying to kill them and has called Marvin an old man.. Frank had previously made him let her go, thinking she was an innocent civilian.
Marvin: Can I kill her now? (Frank nods and Marvin kills her) Old man, my ass!
**
Favorite scenes (minor spoilers):
– Pretty much all the action scenes, especially the kidnapping of the V.P.
– The very last scene.
Also on Bruce Willis
Surrogates starring Bruce Willis & Rosamund Pike
Top 5 Movie Endings feat. The Sixth Sense
Actor Musicians and Musician Actors feat. Willis and Travolta
What Ricky Gervais said on 2011 Golden Globes about Bruce
10 Celebrity Break-ups You Didn’t See Coming
Also on Morgan Freeman
Thick as Thieves starring Antonio Banderas & Morgan Freeman
11 Celebrity Bad Behaviour- Inspired by Mel Gibson- featuring Morgan Freeman
Hilarious comedy, with a fabulous cast: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren and Mary-Louise Parker (Fried Green Tomatoes, one of my faves); they were all brilliant, as always!!!
Not to mention Karl Urban, who simply stole every scene he was in!!
All your favourite lines, are mine too. Great review, Pinar 🙂
Thank you, Patricia:) I absolutely adored this movie and I am glad you loved it too:) Karl Urban was perfect: young and in his most gorgeous years, as opposed to the rest of the cast- who provided great charisma and comedic value:d
But I think my favorite was John Malkovich:) Remember his human-bomb mode? :))
It’s official once again: my favrorite genre is action/comedy with romantic implications:D
I prefer Drama films. But, of course, “smart comedies” are my favourite too 😉
🙂 When it comes to dramas, hardly anything beats epic period films but since I am addicted to fun and entertainment, movies like Red are great for escapism.
Red was, by far, one of the best movies I’ve seen in a LONG time! I adored the way the various characters played off of one another, especially John Malkovich (because let’s face it, he did an AMAZING job playing a crazy guy). The line-up was made of win and the story was both exciting and hilarious! Loved it!
My whole family just loved this movie. John Malkovich has always been a touch off of normal and I thought this character suited him perfectly. Richard Dreyfuss is great at playing a jerk and he did a great job here. My mother told me that she wants to be Helen Mirren when she grows up 🙂 I was sad to see Morgan Freeman’s character get shot but it really worked for the film. The fact that Karl Urban was in it was just icing on the cake of a fun film. Great eye candy there 🙂 The only person I really didn’t care for was Julian Mcmahon, though I like him in Nip/Tuck and Charmed. I just don’t see him as a Vice President type person. My kids got a laugh out of it especially when John Malkovich was carrying around the stuffed pig 🙂
Hey, Erika! Welcome back:)
I watched Red with my mother and I told her I so wanted to be Helen Mirren when I grew up. Well, I wanted to play a hard-ass assasin when I turned 65 as an actress, to be exact:) Mom agrees with me on Helen’s coolness levels.
I think Julian’s age and looks in the film did make for a VP, although his character was by far the most uninteresting. I adored Malkovich’s character though. The stuffed pig, the killing of the Washington woman, the bomb… all hilarity. Hard to believe this is the same guy that totally seduces Michelle Pfieffer in Dangerous Liaisons, lol!!!
And Karl was the serious eye candy!
p.s.: the soundtrack rocked too! How appropriate was to play Back in the Saddle when Willis was fighting with Urban. I also wanted to applaud when Bruce didn’t lose the fight. He might be a “grandpa”, but Willis was dying hard when Urban was a kid. Hell, he is still dying hard:)
Yeah, same here. It is just one of those movies where everything is a perfect fit. In fact I watched it twice in three days (once with my cousin and once with my mom) and I really loved it both times:)
Bruce was dying hard when Karl was a kid… that was great, Pinar! lol
Well, I think Julian was just right for the role…
I saw this for the first time last night and laughed my socks off! OK; Karl is utterly stunningly, mesmerisingly, screen-meltingly, spine-tingling HOT (as always) but I now have a serious girl-crush on Helen Mirren too. And how can you not love John Malkovich chewing the scenery!
I LOVE THE PIG!
Another bit I loved…. at the end, when Bruce Willis basically says to Karl “Is this going to land you in the shit” and Karl just says (SO cool) “Nah; I got it….”
Epic awesomeness!
@ patricia: Yeah, me too. I love Julian whatever he is in. He is not exactly handsome, but normally very charismatic. I really had a good time when he almost peed his pants during the kidnapping:D
Yep, Bruce keeps dying hard. He is making the 5th movie, for crying out loud. But we know he can pull it off:)
@Caroline: It’s as good as action comedy can get. I am huge fan of the genre, and this one did a wonderful job. The cast was awesome, the comedic timing was great, Urban’s coolness was a great contrast and the pig was just brilliant!
Helen Mirren is my new favorite idol when it comes to actresses. Loved her role. Malkovich is brilliant. Loved his underground house. And he looks “pretty good for a guy who was experimented upon with LSD”. :d
@Caroline: That bit was cool. It was cooler when he shot his bitch of a boss. But my favorite bit can be when Malkovich finally got to shoot someone and asked for pancakes. Got to love that character:d
@Pinar, yes, my favourite bit was when Karl shot his boss!!! 😉 I also loved the bit when Bruce was waiting for Mary-Louise Parker in her apartment… he had a sexy way of looking at her… *sighs*
Malkovich was hillarious: “Can I kill her now?” *LOL*
John should do more comedy. 🙂