Day 76- Movie 68. Red (2010)

Despite everything Red had going for it, I just couldn't get excited about the movie. Sure, it had a great cast and it certainly looked like fun, but I wasn't convinced. I could not have been more wrong. I'm surprised how much I liked this movie. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun watching an action movie. This is a great movie.

To simplify the plot, four retired CIA agents (Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren) come out of retirement to find out who is trying to kill them. There's actually so much more involved in this fast-paced, entertaining movie.  I love the different layers of this film. It seems like a straightforward story, but it's surprisingly complex and involved. Sure, parts were a bit absurd, but it's all in good fun.

So much of the film's success comes from the cast. It is so much fun watching four great actors like Willis, Freeman, Malkovich, and Mirren working together. Seeing them on screen was just so enjoyable. I love their relaxed demeanor- it really felt like they were old, old friends seeing each other again. The casting was perfect. While they are all superb, I think the most important role belongs to Mary-Louise Parker. Parker serves as the audience's surrogate- the ordinary person caught in events way over her head. I'm not sure why Parker isn't a bigger star- she's a terrific actress, and in many ways, was the best part of the film (Willis is close, though). I loved her interactions with the rest of the cast. These were some of the funniest moments of the film.

As if Willis, Freeman, Malkovich, Mirren, and Parker weren't enough, the rest of the cast is almost unbelievable. We have Brian Cox as a Russian agent, Karl Urban as the young, ambitious agent tracking the retired ones down. We have Richard Dreyfuss (God I love Richard Dreyfuss) in a meaty role. The cast is one of the best I have ever seen.

I loved how this movie perfectly blended action and comedy. Sometimes one of those comes at the expense of the other, but it was perfectly balanced in this film. This is a movie you can just sit back and enjoy. I watch a lot of movies, and they are all enjoyable in different ways. However, this movie was effortlessly enjoyable. I could watch it again and again. It required no work, no effort to enjoy. It was a truly fun movie.

I didn't expect to be so blown away by this film, but I was. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun watching a movie. Like many action movies, it requires you to just go with some of the more far-fetched events, but the payoff is worth it. I really, really enjoyed this movie. I'll give Red a well deserved 8/10.

I enjoyed this movie so much that I'd be eager for the sequel, but I'm also completely happy with this just being a stand alone film. What do you think- stop now, or does this movie deserve a sequel?