Things suddenly take a turn for the worst when Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich) interrupts stating that he and Frank are being hunted and they need to work together once again if they want to survive. Frank is reluctant to believe his friend and is instead looking to live a quiet, normal life with his girlfriend, but when Marvin's vehicle explodes in the parking lot, it's clear his former partner wasn't just being paranoid. Red 2 is a good film that features equal parts of comedy, strange characters and action to make the film well worth watching, even if viewers haven't already seen the original, though there are a few jokes that have been added just for fans of the series.
After attending Marvin's funeral, Frank and Sarah soon meet up with the half crazy former agent who was simply faking his own death. The trio must work together while traveling around the world to escape their pursuers and attempt to clear their names. Red 2 is mainly different from the original in that the hunters have become the hunted as former allies such as Victoria (Helen Mirren), Katya (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Han Cho Bai (Byung Hun Lee) are all after the protagonists for their own personal reasons This action continues for the first half of the two hour ride, as viewers wonder who is still friends with the group and who has turned because of the influence of money and power.
There are several strong performances features in Red 2 from the film's great cast. Bruce Willis and John Malkovich make a great pairing, with Willis taking on the no nonsense role, while Malkovich plays the quirky role of Marvin to perfection. There are plenty of good characters in the film as well from the oblivious girlfriend Sarah to the top assassin Han. The show is mostly stole by Anthony Hopkins however; the actor plays the role of a once brilliant doctor who has completely lost his minds after being subjected to over 30 years of solitary confinement deep within an asylum. The team first meet the character while looking for help later in the movie only to find the doctor talking among his fellow colleagues, who happen to be imaginary.
Not all of the humor featured in Red 2 is successful, and there were a few moments while watching where viewers will wonder if they should laugh or not such as in the funeral scene early on in the movie. It feels as though director Dean Parisot missed a few moments to turn in some extra comedy bits for his film, but maybe this was intentional to keep the movie from being too cliche. There are still plenty of good laughs to be had in the film though, and the action sequences are great and rival that of the original or any other great action film for that matter. Red 2 is a fun new release and one that is well worth a rent, so check it out on DVD, Blu-ray or streaming on your favorite movie service today!
Red 2 is now available from all major retailers on Blu-ray and DVD. Red 2 is rated PG13 by the MPAA for pervasive action and violence including frenetic gunplay, and for some language and drug material. For more information on the film, check out the official Red 2 website.
Movie Features:
Release Date: July 19, 2013
Director: Dean Parisot
Running Time: 116 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Previous Release: Red
Cast: Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich
Score: 8 out of 10