Veteran cast can't rescue anemic 'RED' from itself - USA Today

Greenlighting RED must have seemed like a good idea at the time.All the elements for a lively, offbeat action film are here. Its graphic-novel pedigree, paired with an over-the-hill gang of former CIA operatives, sounds inspired. Add an eclectic cast featuring some of the best actors in their golden years, and the possibilities are golden, indeed.

But, try as they might — and the actors really do — the uneven humor, half-baked plot and generic action scenes keep RED from being much fun. If the story made more sense and the humor were more abundant, this could have been a bona-fide winner. Instead it falls smack in the realm of forgettably mediocre.

Earlier this year, Oscar winner Helen Mirren and box-office heavyweight Bruce Willis were trotted out at Comic-Con, bolstering the want-to-see factor. But Mirren mostly ends up trailing the guys, along with Mary-Louise Parker, the only member of the team who is not over 50.

While there is some wry banter, other elements undercut its effectiveness. The script is anemic and disjointed, which is hardly surprising, given that RED's screenwriters, brothers Erich and Jon Hoeber, were responsible for 2009's inert Whiteout.

Willis plays Frank, a former black-ops agent whose life is so empty that the highlight of his day is to make long-distance calls about his pension check. Instead of a recording, he always gets Sarah (Parker), a pleasantly chatty clerk. Fortunately for the sake of their budding romance, he's suddenly attacked by a team of assassins. Though he's eligible for AARP, he easily fends them off and breaks into Sarah's apartment to kidnap/rescue her. (Apparently everyone on his call list is at risk.) Sarah yearns for adventure and happily accompanies Frank as he rounds up old CIA colleagues to help piece together why he's wanted dead.

His pals include Joe (Morgan Freeman), now in a nursing home, and Marvin (John Malkovich), a paranoid subject of one too many LSD experiments. Victoria (Helen Mirren) has traded in her assault rifle for flower shears but is quick to jump back into the fray.

Hot on their trails are an ambitious CIA operative (Karl Urban) and his steely boss (Rebecca Pidgeon). Ernest Borgnine has a pleasantly surprising turn as an affable CIA records keeper.

Wisdom and experience trump immature bravado, a refreshing message from youth-obsessed Hollywood. And Mirren and Freeman lend the film more grace than it deserves.

But the action scenes are neither thrilling nor original, except for a shootout with a middle-aged woman who looks as if she should be piloting an SUV filled with Little Leaguers rather than firing massive weaponry. Willis recycles some Die Hard moves.

Lately, for every exhilarating action spectacle such as Machete, there are at least half a dozen thudding disappointments. (Takers, The A-Team, The Expendables top the list.)

To clarify, the title stands for "Retired and Extremely Dangerous." More accurate: "Regrettable and Exceedingly Disposable."

Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.

View the original article here