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RED - Film Review

"When his peaceful life is threatened by a high-tech assassin, former black-ops agent Frank Moses reassembles his old team in a last ditch effort to survive and uncover his assailants".

 Directed by Robert Schwentke and written by Erich Hoeber, RED is an action-packed adventure, full of mystery, suspense and comedy. 

 Although this movie may not be the action-packed film one might expect, it still manages to shine with its undeniable wit, classic style and a star cast including Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich and Morgan Freeman. RED is not a fast-paced film, but neither is it slow; in comparison with the characters, the film is set at a steady speed with insane action sequences that intertwine throughout and leave the audience wondering where the story line will take them next. As for the characters themselves, they are all brilliantly written with a good dose of humour, wit, romance, regret and sobriety.

 For some, the comedy may make up for the lack of action, but with action sequences like this (see below) it is not lacking drastically.

In hindsight, RED is almost placid compared to most action-movies today. Whereas one might expect an action-film to be literally jam-packed with action from the beginning to the end, this film allows the audience to step aside from that and see that a good action movie is not just made up of action, but of the relationships between the characters that are so often understated.

 It is for this reason that RED has managed to divide the crowd entirely. Some have labelled it mediocre and bland, whereas others have described it as playful with a refreshingly unconventional concept.

 What many critics fail to see is that beneath all the drama of exploding bullets and crashing cars there is a strong and solid story that is brought to life by a few well-cast actors and actresses. In RED, the fluidity of the characters interactions are not over-shadowed by the stereotypical concept that the elderly are not fit for anything but sitting in care homes - in fact quite the opposite. Although at times the film may seem a little over the top and ridiculously unfathomable, the message follows through. 'Old people' are not 'old'; they are simply young people who have grown up.

 Critic Reviews:

  • It's very silly and runs out of steam well before the end, though there are one or two gags - Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
  • RED may look tantalizing on paper, but the end product is nothing to smile about - Adam Woodward, Little White Lies
  • What RED lacks in incomprehensible muscle-bound meatheads it makes up for in humour, story and action - Joe Utichi, Film4
  • A visually explosive film that leaves you little time to catch your breath - Roger Tennis, Cinemaclips.com
The simple truth is that the majority of viewers across the world are not able to sit down and watch a movie without their senses being over-whelmed by action, horror and the like. A film that endeavors to try something new will always be in the line of fire, but what remains to be seen is whether a steady-paced film can be watched by audiences who are used to watching fast-paced movies.

You can watch the official trailer here:

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