Bruce Willis brings comedy chops to action flick
I wasn’t that enamored with the last movie I saw that was based
on a graphic novel a few months ago.
”
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
”
tried too hard to take the graphic novel feel to the screen and
it didn’t work for me, though I know fan boys who loved it. So I
was hesitant to see the movie
”
Red
”
when a coworker told me it is based on a graphic novel, too. But
the sight of Helen Mirren with a semi-automatic weapon was enough
to get me to the theater a couple weekends ago.
”
Red
”
has some similarities to
”
Scott Pilgrim.
”
There is a lot of fighting in the movie and there is a love
story around the center of it. But that is where the differences
begin.
Bruce Willis brings comedy chops to action flick
I wasn’t that enamored with the last movie I saw that was based on a graphic novel a few months ago. “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” tried too hard to take the graphic novel feel to the screen and it didn’t work for me, though I know fan boys who loved it. So I was hesitant to see the movie “Red” when a coworker told me it is based on a graphic novel, too. But the sight of Helen Mirren with a semi-automatic weapon was enough to get me to the theater a couple weekends ago.
“Red” has some similarities to “Scott Pilgrim.” There is a lot of fighting in the movie and there is a love story around the center of it. But that is where the differences begin.
Frank Moses is a retired, just beyond-middle-aged man who is having trouble adjusting to life without a job. I would guess it’s not uncommon for retirees to have some trouble finding a new purpose in life. But for Frank things are a lot harder since he has gone from living the life of an undercover CIA agent to that of a civilian.
The only highlight in his life is when he calls Sarah Ross (Mary-Louise Parker,) who works in a federal call center and helps him with his pension check. They flirt over the phone and when Frank says he might be coming to her town soon, she hesitates before she tells him to give her a call.
But before he can get a romance off the ground with her, he is attacked in his quiet, suburban home. The scene is a typical action sequence in which Frank is able to take out a dozen assassins all on his own and the most unbelievable thing about it is that no one in the neighborhood wakes up from all the gunfire noise.
The story by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, adapted by Jon and Erich Hoeber, is just funny enough that it’s easy to suspend one’s disbelief for the duration of the movie. Willis, who is best known for his action roles, has great comedic timing (though it was wasted on the recent ‘Cop Out’) and it is used to good measure in “Red.”
After the attack on his home, Frank’s first line of business is to get out of town. His second is to find Sarah Ross because he knows she is also in danger. His third is to find out who is trying to kill him and why.
Unfortunately, there is a little snag with task number two, as Sarah doesn’t want to go with someone who is practically a stranger. Frank has to kidnap her to keep her safe, but she still doesn’t really believe he is a good guy or that he is a former CIA spy.
As he tries to find out what is going on, he visits another associate, Joe Matheson (Morgan Freeman.) Joe lives in an old folk’s home, has stage-four liver cancer and is just living out his last days. He helps Frank find out that the hit on him was ordered by the CIA, his old agency, putting Joe in the line of fire.
William Cooper (Karl Urban) is the CIA agent who has been ordered to take out Frank. He doesn’t know exactly what Frank has done, but he has his orders and he doesn’t question them. But Frank’s years in the CIA have made him a wily target.
As Frank digs further into the conspiracy, he enlists the help of other associates and even a former target. Perhaps the best casting in the film is John Malkovich as Marvin Boggs. Marvin Boggs is the perfect of example of the saying just because your paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you. Boggs is paranoid, and he has every reason to be. Some of his paranoia comes from having the government test LSD on him for years, some comes from being the target of assassination on more than one occasion.
He is holed up off the Florida keys when Frank tracks him down, and though it seems for a minute as though he might just kill Frank and Sarah, he changes his mind and joins their hunt.
Victoria (Helen Mirren) comes into the film rather late in the story, but it is still great to see the grand dame who is best known for her roles in Oscar-buzz period pieces toting a few guns around. The role allows Mirren to come off mostly as uptight, prim and proper so it’s all the more funny when Victoria says or does something violent.
The movie is funny, though it has some violence in it, and it’s worth a watch for fans of Willis, Mirren or Malkovich.
Melissa Flores can be reached at [email protected].
