By Joshua Knopp/entertainment editor
Sometimes, when adapting films from novels, making drastic changes works out quite well.
The three-issue graphic novel on which Red is based ended after a mere 10 minutes of screen time when retired CIA operative Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is attacked in his home by an assassination, or “wet,” team.
Knowing that this team’s backers would be tapping his phones, he tracks down his pension representative, Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), to whom he’s been talking ad nauseum in an attempt to begin a relationship.
Taking Sarah with him for her protection but against her will, Moses attempts to unravel the assassination attempt with the help of retired associates (Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Dame Helen Mirren).
The biggest thing that pops out to audiences about Red is the cast.
Willis, Freeman, Malkovich and Mirren are some of the best and most recognized actors of their era, having brought incredible talent to every movie they’ve been in.
Such a cast will, inevitably, draw comparisons to The Expendables, another action movie driven by older actors.
To compare these films, however, would be akin to comparing a flat-screen to a black-and-white set — with the advent of one, there is no reason anyone would want the other.
This is because Red does not rely solely on actor recognition to make a good movie.
While it is the center of Red’s marketing campaign, the actors are immersed in an intricate plot with funny dialogue and great action mingling on screen in a way that few action-comedy movies deliver.
The only flaw in the movie is how clearly it is based on a comic book.
Characters wield handguns the size of their torsos and launch grenades that make people vanish in massive fireballs rather than die from shrapnel.
It’s not the biggest thing that could be wrong with a film of this kind, but the surrealism is out of place and could easily have been whittled out of the movie.
It all comes back to the cast, though.
Featuring dazzling performances from all the highlighted actors and bringing to light a delightful chemistry between Willis, Freeman and Malkovich, Red is a fun way to kill an afternoon.
Final take: A movie that corners the market of both action and comedy
Those who would enjoy it: Fans of the various actors, anyone looking for a few kicks
