RED (Robert Schwentke, Warner Bros., 2010)

I try to adhere to a pretty rigid set of rules when it comes to film selection and one of my primary rules is no comic book films. Recently I saw the film RED (Robert Schwentke, Warner Bros., 2010) and had I known it was one comic book series I most definitely would not have viewed it. The story was outlandish at best with a weak narrative structure. The performances by its ensemble of stars was definitely paycheck level and there was nothing visually to make the film stand out.

As I stated previously, the story was outlandish at best. To presume that this group of retiree's would be able to best all that our intelligence services has to offer is disturbing. Disturbing because there is an audience out there that believes this is a totally plausible concept. There is a reason people retire. It is because usually they can no longer maintain the pace of their younger counterparts in the workplace. In the physically and mentally demanding life of secret agents this widening gap would be even more exacerbated than usual. There is not one moment where disbelief is suspended, therefore the story does not work.

Narratively the structure of the story doesn't work either. Too many times coincidental occurrences lead to resolution. Often times plot holes are tidied up or glossed over with no regards to how this impacts the narrative as a whole. Oftentimes the narrative is predictable. Two segments particularly stood out to me as egregious. In the scene where the team forces the Vice President to flee, where is Frank Mason (Bruce Willis)? The films protagonist, the baddest agent to have ever lived disappears for fifteen minutes of key screen time. Next, Victoria (Helen Mirren) is shot as her and Marvin (John Malkovich) attempt to elude capture. Yet the very next scene she enters with not even the slightest hint of injury. Just a huge continuity error that cannot be overlooked.


The film does provide a nice vehicle for some older stars to peddle their wares. Roles for older stars are usually subjugated to supporting roles, hardly for an action film of this nature. And based on how the film performed at the box office there is a demand for these stars in these type of roles. Visually the film was okay although I didn't care for the constant zooming in at high speed. And the reason I forbid myself from seeing this film when it was released was the absurd shot of the bullet perfectly impacting the rocket. That shot alone made me not want to see the film due to its absurdity.

Ultimately the film is a passable two hours, a nice diversion if your brain is in need of shutting down. And that's it.