The Film
Thanks to the $199 million haul of the 2010 action-comedy RED, Summit Entertainment decided it was time to get the band back together. Armed with a slightly bigger budget and a slightly larger cast, RED 2 aims to recapture some of the magic and the mayhem.
Based on the DC Comics graphic novel by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, RED 2 has Bruce Willis playing Frank Moses, who is basically John McClane with less sass and more killing skills. Despite trying to live a normal life with girlfriend Sarah (Mary Louise Parker), best friend and former partner Marvin (John Malkovich) convinces Frank back into a high-octane lifestyle.
Survival will do that to a person. See, there's a hit out on Frank -- a few of them, actually. Victoria (Helen Mirren) and Han Cho-Bai (Lee Byung-hun) both have separate orders and could also take out Marvin and Sarah, if they get in the way. Besides avoiding bullets and bad guys, the trio has to track down a stolen nuke and clear their names from a Cold War scandal known as "Nightshade."
Sure it's dangerous, but that's part of the lure for the trio. There are also some seriously awesome travel perks, which take the three to Paris, London and Moscow, where they meet up with Catherine Zeta-Jones, David Thewlis, Anthony Hopkins and others.
RED 2 isn't quite as unique as the original film -- and by "unique," I mean that it was surprising good for what it was. This sequel has plenty of explosions and gunfire, but it isn't half as funny as it thinks it is. That said, RED 2 isn't a total loss. There's tons of mindless action and the cast alone make it worth a viewing. As long as you aren't looking for Oscar-worthy performances from this Oscar-winning cast (there's a few of them in there), RED 2 is entertaining enough.
The Picture
RED 2 is a movie filled with aging stars, so you'd expect a few soft shots here and there. However, those fleeting moments aren't where you'd expect them to be. Faces are pretty detailed overall, but some of the wider shots and scenery could be a tad bit sharper in some spots. That said, those few moments certainly won't detract from the overall viewing experience. RED 2 has great colors and a ton of detail. The stubble and shine on Bruce Willis' head, Byung-hun Lee's ripped chest, and Helen Mirren firing out of that baby blue car are just a few of the standout moments here.
The Sound
The dialogue always comes through clear, but RED 2's action is the real show here -- especially since that action is going off every few minutes or so. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is a bold one that's filled with explosions, gunshots, smashes, crashes, crunches and exploding toilets. Enjoy.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
Of course, RED 2 wasn't really necessary. However, it's understandable why filmmakers wouldn't want to leave money on the table, especially when most of the principal cast was up for returning. And RED 2 isn't all that bad. Bruce Willis is a good bad-ass and it's nice to see Mary Louise Parker get some post-Weeds work (R.I.P.D. doesn't count!). And frankly, I could watch a whole movie just about Helen Mirren's Victoria. (Maybe she will be the focus of the recently greenlit RED 3.) That said, RED 2 just doesn't pack the same wit as its predecessor. It's certainly not short on punches, gunshots, explosions and other mayhem, though. The AV is also fun to watch, making RED 2 a fairly decent, but mindless way to spend an afternoon.
Product Details
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