Aylmer to Zazzoo and Beyond: RED 2

Sunday, July 28, 2013

RED 2 - Review

RED 2
(2013 - July 19)
Action | Comedy | Crime
1 hr. 56 min.

Rated: PG-13 Pervasive action and violence including frenetic gunplay, some language and drug material. Common Sense Media says OK for kids 14+. Read more on child suitability
Grade: C

Director: Dean Parisot
Writers: Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, Warren Ellis (characters), Cully Hamner (characters)
Stars: Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker | See full cast and crew

In RED 2, the high-octane action-comedy sequel to the worldwide sleeper hit, retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device. To succeed, they’ll need to survive an army of relentless assassins, ruthless terrorists and power-crazed government officials, all eager to get their hands on the next-generation weapon. The mission takes Frank and his motley crew to Paris, London and Moscow. Outgunned and outmanned, they have only their cunning wits, their old-school skills, and each other to rely on as they try to save the world—and stay alive in the process.

RED 2 (Retired, Extremely Dangerous Part 2) in case you are confused about the title, is the follow up to the 2010 hit RED. Red 2 had a better opening weekend besting RED by about $7 million exceeding $28 million. RED cost $58 million to produce and brought in $199 million plus, you do the math, was there any doubt there would be a sequel?

I saw the first film in this franchise, yes, RED 3 is on the way, and I wasn't particularly impressed. I can't suspend belief enough to accept that these retired people would be able to function as they are portrayed in the film, that much they could so easily best and out smart much younger and fitter agents with similar training.

Nor is the dialogue all that clever, its all old stories rehashed and consequently the humor, for me anyway, falls flat. Since smug Smart Alec quips are the intended strength of these films, it doesn't quite achieve its goal.

RED 2 has assembled an impressive group of talent. The cast is very capable, it just doesn't have that much to work with. Many of its stunts, though impressive, are outside of the realm of believability. It is, however, pretty much free of nudity, vulgar and profane language which is a plus in my humble opinion.