Been There, Done That

The title "RED" is an acronym that stands for "Retired and Extremely Dangerous". In reality, however, the only thing that needs to be retired is the tired plot that this movie recycles. "RED" has an amazing cast, and they all seem to be having a blast. The viewer, though, is rendered helpless, forced to endure a seemingly endless string of ancient cliches. But hey, at least "RED" is better than "The A-Team".

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"RED" is not a disaster, thanks to its wonderful collection of stars. It is always a joy to watch Bruce Willis infuse the screen with charisma and energy. It is always a pleasure to watch the great Morgan Freeman. It is always a pleasure to be graced with the presence of Helen Mirren. Richard Dreyfuss and Ernest Borgnine are always a delight. And the lovely Mary-Louise Parker is always charming. If not for the self-indulgence of the incessantly flashy John Malkovich, "RED" would have an impeccable cast. But a great cast can only carry you so far. In the case of "RED", the great cast is not enough to divert the viewer from the weary material. The film attempts to put a novel spin on the material by making the action characters be retirees, rather than spry youngsters. But to borrow an ancient political phrase, if you put lipstick on a pig, it is still a pig.

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I really don't have much else to say about "RED". You might enjoy it, thanks to the actors. But for me, the movie is disposable and largely forgettable. If you want to watch a fun, entertaining action movie with big stars, rent "Knight and Day", the underrated action caper with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, and skip "RED".