I don’t think this movie was for me. I’m not a fan of action movies in general, and this one in particular seemed catered to a much older audience.
Synopsis: Frank Moses used to be CIA top agent but, now that he is retired, the secrets he knows make him a CIA target. He unites with ex-agents Joe, Marvin, and Victoria to use all their abilities to stay alive and stop the operation. They are labeled RED: Retired Extremely Dangerous, so an impossible mission is just another day at work.
The movie was much more focused on action and explosions than plot – which I suppose is normal for this kind of movie. There are crucial plot points that are easy to miss, and even if you do keep up with the story, you’ll probably lose track again during the next action sequence.
Speaking of which, the action sequences are very exciting, with lots of gunfire and explosions. Watching John Malkovich fire a bullet into a rocket-propelled grenade mid-flight was quite satisfying. My main criticism here is that the movie fails to create a feeling of suspense. Whenever the tension has a chance to build, someone nullifies it with a little comic relief.
Even though the movie is marketed as more comedic than a typical action movie, I didn’t find myself laughing that much. Maybe the humor just isn’t to my taste. John Malkovich had some good lines, but that’s about it.
I want to touch on something that really bothers me about this movie: In the romantic plot line, Frank breaks into Sarah’s home, abducts her, and leaves her bound and gagged in a hotel room, until she breaks free and dials 911. These scenes all have a lighthearted tone, masking the fact that the “good guy” of the story just forcibly abducted a woman. Frank and Sarah end up together by the end of the movie.
Overall, I found myself wanting a lot more from the movie. It was a relatively easy watch, but it just wasn’t for me.
★★★