Monday, October 25, 2010

Red

Judy isn't an action-movie fan, but as we were walking out of the theater after seeing Red, she said, "How could anybody not like that movie?" Lots of critics didn't, but what do they know? Explosions, laughs, and geezers kicking whippersnapper butt. What's not to like? The plot doesn't really matter because the whole thing is preposterous. All you need to know is that the C. I. A. is killing off all the people who were in Guatemala at a certain time. Four of those on the list (Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, and Morgan Freeman), all now Retired but considered Extremely Dangerous, fight back to excellent effect. Brian Cox helps out, too, and Mary-Louise Parker is along to provide the love interest. Again, what's not to like?

Willis underplays the whole way, which works well with Malkovich's overplaying. Willis nearly always has a little grin, as if he knows how ridiculous the whole thing is but doesn't care because he's having fun. I had fun, too. Malkovich has a throwaway line that I laughed at, but no one else did. Maybe it was too much of an in-joke for everybody else, but I liked it. But then I liked pretty much the whole over-the-top thing. Especially the gators. Yes, there's a great gator sight-gag. No wonder I had such a good time.

[SPOILER ALERT]: Here's the Malkovich line. At one point during a gun battle with the Secret Service, he says something like this: "I seem to remember that the Secret Service used to be much tougher." I instantly flashed on In the Line of Fire, in which Clint Eastwood played the Secret Service guy who was taunted by the would-be presidential assassin played by, you guessed it, Malkovich. [END SPOILER ALERT]

7 comments:

David Cranmer said...

I thought it was a lot of fun but another co-worker claimed it was a horrible film. But he liked The A-Team so go figure. I thought Mary-Louise Parker and Malkovich were the stand-outs.

Rhonda said...

I LOVED the movie (*and* The A-TEAM). I love the movies that can wrap love interest with action with comedy and do it WELL (Grosse Point Blank is one of my top examples). My favorite line was "When I woke up, I knew she still loved me, or it would've been in the head."

iasa said...

I liked the movie too. What's not to like with a crazy John Malkovich and a gun totting Helen Mirren.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I didn't like it. I found it troubling to hear people talk about assassinating a vice-president so cavalierly, especially with the death threats taking place now. I hated hearing people we are supposed to side with saying, "I miss killing." It took me back to the assassination of RFK with setting it in a hotel as they did. Six of us saw it, three loved it and three didn't. And how can Mirren be shot in the leg in one scene and reappear in the same white dress with no trace of blood or bullets. I guess I wasn't in the mood. And Malcovich and Willis have played those parts a million times.

Richard R. said...

It'll go on the Netflix queue as soon as it's available to do so - long way of saying it's on "save". I do appreciate the explanation of the in-joke as I'd not have remembered that.

Seems to me maybe Patti took the thing too seriously. I'll try no to do that when it comes to my watching it.

Martha Wells said...

I absolutely loved it!

Glen Davis said...

I totally caught that!