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
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What Ricky Gervais said on 2011 Golden Globes about Bruce
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Also on Morgan Freeman
Thick as Thieves starring Antonio Banderas & Morgan Freeman
11 Celebrity Bad Behaviour- Inspired by Mel Gibson- featuring Morgan Freeman