Highly entertaining actioner; a lot of bang for the buck; a guilty pleasure for all to have

Rating: 8/10 (20 October 2010)

RED (2010) ***1/2 Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Mary Louise-Parker, Keith Urban, Richard Dreyfuss, Brian Cox, Rebecca Pidgeon, Ernest Borgnine. Highly entertaining actioner based on the graphic novel of Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner – a serviceable adaptation by scribes Jon & Erich Hoeber and quick and loose direction by Robert Schwentke – with Willis (dry-as-a-Saltine-cool-as-a-cucumber having a field day) as an RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous) ex black ops agent facing down his former employers (i.e. the good ol' US gov't) out to retire him  permanently. "Getting the band back together" with colleagues in vengeance and cleaning up messes including wily Freeman, wetworks specialist Mirren (!) –suggesting Martha Stewart gone wild – and best, for last, loony-toon conspiracy theorist/weapons expert Malkovich (also have a giddy time letting his ya-yas out). Parker is acridly funny as Willis' would-be new flame (a meet cute on the phone as his pension check rep) and Cox too as a Russkie compadre. Some great sequences and a lot of bang for the buck; a guilty pleasure for all to have.