If you take away with you one thing from the movie Red 2 is that it teaches you that older people can be just as cool as young action stars. Red 2 continues the exciting adventures of the Retired Extremely Dangerous agents based on the DC Comics graphic novel by the same name. The action is non-stop spectacular, the story is well crafted, and all the actors are fun and exciting to watch.
What Is The Movie Red 2 About?
The story begins with Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) and Sarah Ross (Mary Louise Parker), settling into their relationship that continues from the first film. Frank is trying to retire, and live a quiet settled down life with Sarah without all the killing, and moments of escaping death.
Frank is content with the simple life, and keeping Sarah out of danger. However, Sarah is bored, and desires adventure. After all the danger and excitement was one of the things that attracted her to Frank- when they first got together during the events within the first film.
Sarah gets her wish for more excitement when Frank’s old friend Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich) enters the picture. Marvin tries to warn Frank of impending danger, but Frank takes it as he wants him to go on another mission, and Frank wants nothing to do with it.
Even though Frank is retired he is never really retired. As Marvin drives away; his car explodes, and Frank and Sarah find themselves at Marvin’s funeral.
This sets the stage for the major plot of the movie. After the funeral, Frank is called in for an interrogation at a safe house for something he knows nothing about; but the agents believes that Frank has the information they want on a secret weapon of mass destruction.
Other government agents barge into the safe house facility killing everyone in their path- in order to reach Frank; he has no intention of being captured. Frank escapes the government agents with the help of Marvin (it turns out he was not dead after all), and sets the plot towards an international adventure.
You as the viewer get to journey all over the world with Frank, Sarah, and Marvin on their mission to clear their names, and in search of information on this weapon of mass destruction known as Project Nightshade.
Who Are The Other Characters In Red 2?
Helen Mirren returns, and she is as wonderful as she was in the first Red movie. Mirren is back as Victoria, the British agent who treats exposing of human bodies in the same manner as someone baking a cake. She’s calm, methodical, and walks out of these situations as if it’s just a another thing to do- in a day in a life.
John Malkovich is hilarious as Frank’s sidekick and their guide on this adventure.  Victoria is commissioned to kill Frank and the team, but instead helps the crew in their mission.
Catherine Zeta Jones joins the cast as the Russian agent Katja, and as an old flame of Frank’s- to what Marvin calls Frank’s Kryptonite. Some of the funniest moments in the film is Sarah’s jealousy of Katja; it tests Frank’s loyalty to Sarah, but also helps him prove his love for her.
When Frank isn’t dealing with all these women problems he has to contend with an assassin known as Han played by Byung Hun Lee (G.I. Joe Retaliation) who not only is being paid well to kill Frank, he also holds a past grudge against him.
Lee displays his martial arts prowess, and adds some cool style to Red 2. Some of his scenes reminded me of Jackie Chan, especially when he uses a cooler window frame as a weapon against the French police in one action scene.
The plot only thickens when the team is lead to an insane asylum where Frank meets an old friend that he and Marvin used to protect but thought was dead. It is the scientist Bailey played by Anthony Hopkins.
Hopkins only adds to the fun. His eccentric antics lighten the mood, but as the viewer you may get the sense that there is something not quite right with this character (You may be right).
Morgan Freeman is absent from the film since his appearance in the first Red movie. However these additions help to really draw the movie goer into the plot and action. Neal McDonough joins the cast as the villain Jack Horton; he has an excellent villainous charm to him- that only adds excitement to an already action packed movie.
Overall this movie was an enjoyable experience. One thing I noticed when in the Movie Theater was that it invited an older demographic going to see this movie ; but I think younger audiences will enjoy the film just as much. I’m sure older people in the theater enjoyed seeing these experienced actors doing things that they could only dream of doing at their ages.
Move over superheroes, and make room for the Retired Extremely Dangerous Agents. This movie can certainly appeal to a younger audience; the movie has all the action and humor that any action films buff could want and more.
If you haven’t seen Red 2 yet, I highly recommend it. If you missed it in the theater in 2013 then get it on Blu-ray/DVD or Stream it. You’ll have a blast.
Rating: 4 Out Of 5
Red 2 Movie Trailer
Featured image from Flickr (Shaun Wong)
Movie images from MovieStillsDB
