Excellent action comedy

Rating: Null/10 (22 May 2014)

Let's face it, RED is nothing more than an excuse for aging actors to come together, shoot stuff up and play tough as nails action heroes. Kind of like Expendables, except intentionally hilarious. And it's that intent to be a comedy that raises this film above Expendables. The idea of old ex-agents going out for a last hurrah is ridiculous enough, but when those agents are played by Willis, Malkovich, Freeman, Mirren and Cox, it just cannot be taken seriously. Sure, you'll buy that these people could have been badasses, but the visual of Helen Mirren shooting a gatling gun is still one of those funniest things I've seen in a while.
Luckily the film never takes itself too seriously and most of the film is filled with lampshade hangings, callbacks, parodies and jokes about how old they are. All of the main actors are powerhouse performers, and it shows. They have great chemistry together and obviously enjoy spending time together like this, which is reflected in the quality of their acting.
The story is nothing special, truth be told, but for a comedy plot it's not all that bad. It catches your interest, keeps you interested and contains a few honest twists. Could it have been a bit better and more original? Sure, but I have no real complaints about what I ended up getting. You're going to see this film for its humour and actors, not for its story.
RED is a definite must watch for all fans of even one of its actors, for fans of action comedies and for everyone who wants to be entertained.