Red 2

Starring: Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, Byung-hun Lee, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Brian Cox
Directed by: Dean Parisot
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Comedy
2013

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Frank (Bruce Willis) and the gang get back together when they are framed for stealing a nuclear weapon.

Review:

Tim: The first Red was a surprise hit. Even though it looked silly, the movie was exceptionally well executed by director Robert Schwentke. The movie was an enjoyable, fun, exciting time. I really, really liked it. Because of that, I was looking forward to this sequel. Going into it, once again, the film didn't look all that appealing. However, those were the exact thoughts I had going into the first film, so I was prepared to be surprised once again. Unfortunately, lightning did not strike twice. This film is fine, but it's a far cry from the original film.

Part of the problem is that the first film felt so fresh and exciting. This movie follows the formula very, very closely (a little too closely). At this point, we know exactly what to expect and this film is more than happy to deliver exactly that. Instead of innovating, the movie took the conventional, expected approach. The story felt tired- we've seen this movie a number of times before. And yet, it still could have been successful if it was well executed. Unfortunately, Dean Parisot is no Robert Schwentke. I blame a lot of the film's failure on Parisot.

We once again have an incredible cast, although the story surrounding them isn't all that engaging. I was mildly interested from start to finish- my emotions never built to more than that. The first film took a chance by killing off a beloved actor- that got the audience to sit up and pay attention. This film couldn't possibly do that, what with the commercial potential of the property. This movie follows the typical sequel route- give them more of the same to hope for double the profits, but try half as much. It felt like everyone involved in the film was trying to make a decent movie, not a great one.

This is too bad, because the cast truly is excellent. Bruce Willis felt like he was going through the motions a bit, but it's still Bruce Willis and I love watching him on screen. Mary Louise-Parker once again brought her comedic timing and cute naivety to the role. She is really critical to this budding franchise- her presence is the most important because she's the most relatable character in the film. John Malkovich is funny again in an over-the-top performance. Helen Mirren is quite good as the coldblooded contract killer (but she didn't have enough to do). Catherine Zeta-Jones was a nice addition to the cast, but her character wasn't utilized nearly enough. Her character was greatly mishandled in the script, and that's a shame. I love the idea of Anthony Hopkins joining the cast, but it felt like the expected casting. He was fine, but seemed a step out of tune with the rest of the cast. Even Brian Cox returns, in a way-too-small role. The cast, though, is impressive- you have a collection of great actors all in one film, and it's the chief reason to watch this movie.

You can do much, much worse than Red 2. While not especially good, it's still a decently entertaining action comedy. I would probably watch it again and not be too upset about the prospect. It's just a shame, because after the incredible first film, I would have been excited about five more movies in the franchise. After the second movie, I'm much more lukewarm on the concept. I have to believe this is probably the last Red movie, but if they make a third film, I hope they find a better director than Dean Parisot.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Red, The Losers, Die Hard, Cop Out Fracture