Thursday, July 11, 2013

Movie Review: Red 2

Once again I was lucky enough to get passes to see this movie in advance of release.  If you’re not a member of AMC Stubbs or the Regal Movie Club, you’re missing out on some nice freebies.  Last night I got to see Red 2 for free, over a week before the movie was being released.  When we arrived, they told us we couldn’t bring any phones or anything with a camera in, but then they didn’t actually check any of us, so it seemed kind of silly.  The theatre was packed, odd for a Wednesday, even in the summer.  The movie started without any previews, which I kind of missed.

The movie picks up where the first movie left off.  Based on a DC comic, Red follows a group of former CIA operatives who have retired.  Frank Moses is trying to be a home-maker of sorts, keeping his girl Sarah away from harm despite his friend Marvin’s best efforts.  Not long into the movie we discover that Frank and Marvin are accused of being involved with hiding a weapon of mass destruction.  Goon squads are sent out to kill them and the race begins.

The story is fast-paced and the characters jump off of the screen in the manner you would expect from a comic.  The characters are all extremes and the cast is balanced so well that none stand out more than the other.  The inclusion of Helen Mirren as a sniper-wielding killer is especially entertaining.  The cast expanded slightly in this new iteration, but the key is that the tone and story stayed true to the original.  It almost makes me want to read the comics, if I only had time.  This one is well worth seeing despite the glut of big-name/big-budget movies out right now.

1 comment:

  1. We enjoyed it too. It was great to see a sequel that stayed true to the original.

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