A playful action blockbuster with a top-shelf cast.

Rating: 7/10 (18 June 2014)

I didn't watch Red until after I watched Red 2 (2013) in a theater. It didn't seem interesting to me at first. I watched Red 2 in an auditorium full of adults and was pleasantly surprised. I only watched it to waste some time but Red 2 turned out to be a very funny and enjoyable film. I watched it in the evening and it made my day. So, naturally, the next day I watched Red. I consider it to be just as enjoyable as its sequel. It may be funnier too. Bruce Willis is 59 now but he still manages to shine in the action roles that he picks. He isn't picking anything meaningful, but Live Free Or Die Hard (2007) was one fine action film. The comedy that he shares with Mary-Louise Parker in Red boosts the action at the beginning. However, the film becomes even more enjoyable once John Malkovich jumps out of the bushes. His antics as the wild-eyed paranoid assassin Marvin Boggs just have to be seen. Morgan Freeman, who seems to be in many films these days, plays the canny and loose Joe Matheson. He does well with the clever comedy too. All the main players seem to be having a blast with the weaponry. Helen Mirren more so than others perhaps. She looks elegant in the expensive clothes, even when she's firing a machine gun. The cast is definitely the best feature about Red. Karl Urban acts just as well as the main players, with confidence and style. With Red director Robert Schwentke managed to make what is easily his best film to date. The energetic action scenes that he filmed with cinematographer Florian Ballhaus are stylish and coherent. The downside to Schwentke's direction is the film's awkward pacing, which makes it seem longer than it actually is. This prevents Red from being a truly satisfying action comedy. Still, it's not a big problem. The film looks great, the laughs come often, and the action is exciting. The biggest draw though is certainly the cast of famous actors. This unconventional yet exciting concept gets a high recommendation from me.