MOVIE REVIEW: SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS

 

Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrives on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Shazam and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world.

Director: David F. Sandberg

Cast: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Grace Caroline Currey, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou, Helen Mirren

Release Date: March 17, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Fantasy, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and language

Runtime:  2h 10m

Review:

David F. Sandberg's original Shazam had a sort of goofy charm captured perfectly by Zachary Levi's performance as the titular superhero.  The follow up still has that energy even though its more frenetic and unfocused than the first go around.  This film is clearly shooting for a more family friendly angle than the majority of the superhero with a lighter tone even with the assortment of action set pieces on display.  Those set pieces are decidedly bigger than the first go around which are fun, but they may turn off people who aren't fans of heavy CGI usage.  Levi is still the focus, but the story does expand a bit to include more of his adopted siblings/superhero team with Grace Caroline Currey and Asher Angel getting the biggest chunks of the spotlight.  Currey and Angel make the most of the opportunity as they flesh out their particular characters.  Sadly, the rest of the ensemble only gets a few passing moments leaving Meagan Good's fun performance  being terribly underutilized.  Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren and Djimon Hounsou have fun in their roles with Mirren proving more than capable of bringing back some of that classic Morgana energy from Excalibur.  Rachel Zegler is appropriately wide eyed throughout but her character is thinly written not terribly interesting which doesn't do the film or story any favors.  It doesn't help matters that the film could have used some trimming here and there to make it a more enjoyable experience.  Ultimately, Shazam! Fury of the Gods falls into the cliched sequelitis where everything is bigger and louder but it’s not as effective as the original.  

C+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms & Bohemian Rhapsody

 

 

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for The Nutcracker and the Four Realms and Bohemian Rhapsody.

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

 

First on the docket: Christmas comes early with The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.

 

On Christmas Eve, a grieving young lady is transported to a mysterious world where her help is needed.

 

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms wants to know two things: How soon is too soon to go full Christmas? and: How is it possible to go so wrong with this story, this cast, and the full weight of Disney in your corner?

 

We'll start with the positives, because there are a few. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a spectacular production with gorgeous sets and costumes, and the CGI is astonishing throughout, avoiding those missteps that have become common in even the priciest productions. The cast is top notch and mostly seems to be having fun despite the poor material. James Newton Howard's lush score perfectly compliments familiar excerpts from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. All of those things ordinarily would keep the Four Realms spreading its cinematic cheer all the way through the new year, but...

 

...the Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a lousy movie. All the bells and whistles in the world can't offset a paper-thin story, an easy-to-spot twist, and a mysterious world that looks beautiful but feels more mundane than magical. An underused Helen Mirren is the only principal who seems to recognize just how badly it's all going to turn out, and she appears uncomfortable every second of her too-little screen time. The movie runs well shy of two hours, but feels very long indeed. Setting itself up as a new family holiday tradition, the Nutcracker and the Four Realms is likely to disappear from cinemas and from the memories of those who see it long before ol' Santa slides on down the chimney.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms clocks in at 99 minutes and is rated PG for "some mild peril."

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a criminal waste of some wonderful resources. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms gets three.

 

Fangirl points: Matthew Macfadyen! Jack Whitehall! Gustavo Dudamel! The divine Misty Copeland!

Next up, the much-anticipated Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.

 

The story of one of the world's most revered rock n' roll bands, from inception through their performance at 1985's Live Aid.

 

Well, dear reader(s), as I've mentioned a time or twelve, I make every effort not to read reviews prior to writing my own, to ensure nothing outside of the film itself informs my opinion. Having said that, I spend a LOT of time online, and there's no avoiding headlines and friends' posts all the time. From what I've seen, it appears fans absolutely love Bohemian Rhapsody, and critics are somewhat less enthusiastic. I understand both sides, and I'll talk a little about each, but mostly I want you to know why I come down firmly on the side of the former.

 

Bohemian Rhapsody is less a grittily-realistic biography than it is a loving tribute to Freddie Mercury. While his less-flattering diva moments aren't entirely missing, they're easily outweighed by the affection with which the film presents him. The surviving members of Queen come off very well, as people who live to tell their own stories tend to do.

 

Though the trailers promised to tell "his story," Bohemian Rhapsody doesn't delve too deeply into Mercury's difficulties with a disapproving father, nor the painful reality of being a gay man in the 70s and 80s. It's all there, but none of it is really the focal point it might have been in a Very Serious Film releasing into awards season. It feels like filmmakers backed off a bit for fear of alienating the broader audience for which they clearly are aiming, which results in some unfortunate missed opportunities, but a happier film overall. Bohemian Rhapsody navigated a tumultuous road to the big screen, so of course there are those who feel it would have been better served by other talent that had been attached along the way. Personally, I think it does beautifully with the talent it has. Though they aren't necessarily A-List (yet), I am more than a little familiar with Rami Malik, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, and Joe Mazzello, yet I never saw anyone other than Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon up on the screen, so effectively do they embody their characters. The supporting cast is equally extraordinary. If the film is guilty of glossing over some of the lower moments in the band's and Mercury's histories, it more than makes up for it with iconic performances, perfectly mimicked by four fantastic actors. Choosing to end on a high note--with the rousing Live Aid performance--might be considered contrived, but it's a fitting tribute to a legend and that's good enough for me.

 

Bohemian Rhapsody runs 134 minutes (could have gone another 134 with no complaints here) and is rated PG13 for "thematic elements, suggestive material, drug content, and language."

 

Bohemian Rhapsody may be a less-than-factual biopic, but it's a joyful tribute to one of the greatest bands of all time, and I enjoyed every minute. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Bohemian Rhapsody gets nine.

 

Fangirl points: Gwilym Lee!! Rami Malek! Tom Hollander! Aidan Gillen! (This might be my favorite cast ever!)

 

Until next time...

 

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story / Collateral Beauty

 

 

Dearest Blog: Yesterday I (or, more specifically, the driver) braved inclement weather to get to Marquee Cinemas for the promising double-bill of Rogue One and Collateral Beauty. Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. 

 

First up: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Episode 3.5: The Rebel Alliance risks everything in hopes of finding the key to destroying the Death Star. Rogue One is basically the story you don't (or didn't) know that lays the foundation for the one you do. 

 

Familiar elements provide a nice touch, but the movie makes every effort to stand on its own. It's a little slow getting started, but, ultimately, it's solid enough to recommend to even those who have never seen a Star Wars movie before. That being said: The first act of Rogue One could have been better paced. 

 

The movie spends a good deal of time laying groundwork that really isn't all that complicated; then, as if that weren't enough, it wastes even more time flashing back to stuff that happened only 20 minutes before. It's awkward and frustrating. Warming up to our heroine, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), is no easy task; she's not even half-likeable until she meets up with Rebel pilot Cassian Andor (Diego Luna).  (Disclaimer: Opinion may be based entirely on the fact that I don't like Jones or her weird teeth.) 

 

Once the picture gets moving, there's plenty of action to go 'round, and it becomes much easier to get invested in the characters...perhaps because they're just better characters. The movie really finds its heart when Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen), Baze Malbus (Wen Jiang), and Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed) turn up, and, unlike Jyn, it's very easy to root for them. Ahmed, in particular, is terrific and does scared and conflicted about as well as anyone. Rogue One has a fair bit of humor, some that hits the mark and some that's just too silly for the situation. 

 

Michael Giacchino provides a rousing score, though, ultimately, it's those hints of John Williams' original music that really feel like home. Large sections of the picture are too dark to see what's going on, and the runtime is a little excessive (which could have been remedied easily if only that first half had been better plotted), but, for my money, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a fun outing that's even better than The Force Awakens. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story clocks in at 134 minutes and is rated PG13 for "extended sequences of sci-fi violence and action." 

 

Rogue One is another worthy installment in one of the greatest movie sagas of all time. Do see it on the big screen while you can. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Rogue One gets seven and a half. 

 

Fangirl points: Ben Mendelsohn! Mads Mikkelson! Jimmy Smits! *swoon* 

 

Next up: Collateral Beauty. After the loss of his young daughter, a grieving man begins writing theraputic letters to Love, Time, and Death. Much to his surprise, Love, Time, and Death offer the favor of a personal reply. 

 

When I went to buy my ticket for Collateral Beauty, I accidentally asked for Collateral Damage, which anyone who knows anything about me will TOTALLY understand. Collateral Beauty isn't really my thing, but the trailer promised some Oscar-worthy performances, and, since none of the really good awards contenders--La La Land, Manchester By The Sea, Nocturnal Animals--have played here (I'll hopefully add a "yet" to the end of that bit), it became my default option for a weekend so deep into Awards Season I couldn't afford to take a pass. 

 

Collateral Beauty has two chief strikes against it: First, it is a criminal waste of everything that normally makes Will Smith such a compelling lead. Smith is more than capable of tackling this sort of drama, but he's got an inherent charm that's suffocated by this lifeless character. 

 

Even when he gets really angry, it's a flatline. Secondly, everyone outside of Smith is just SO. DAMN. EARNEST. A little of that goes a long way, and so much makes these individuals seem insincere, like one-dimensional paper dolls. Helen Mirren is always a delight, and, if there's something that's almost as cool as Helen Mirren with an RPG in RED, it's Helen Mirren as Death, even if that's not *quite* what the trailer leads you to believe. 

 

The remainder of the cast is more than solid, but they're drowning in broadly-drawn characters that are about as subtle as a dollar-store greeting card. Collateral Beauty's finale is unspeakably hokey, but, if you didn't guess from the trailers that hokey was on the menu, you probably weren't paying attention. 

 

Ultimately, Collateral Beauty fails to tick any of the boxes that make a quality motion picture, but it's got a warm-and-fuzzy holiday vibe and, to be honest, I liked it better than it probably deserves. (But Collateral Damage is still way better.) 

 

Collateral Beauty runs a very reasonable 97 minutes and is rated PG13 for "thematic elements and brief strong language." The awards contender that wasn't, Collateral Beauty will still satisfy any cravings for sentimental holiday fare. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Collateral Beauty gets four and a half. 

Fangirl points: My beautiful New York City! Naomie Harris (even if her accent is all over the place)! 

 

Until next time... 

 

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & The Hundred-Foot Journey

Dearest Blog, today it was off to the movies for one of the strangest double-bills ever, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Hundred-Foot Journey.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers...er...let's face it, you weren't planning on seeing either of these anyway, were you?

First on my agenda was the newest screen incarnation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, and Leonardo try to save New York from the evil Shredder.

Here's a true fact: I am wildly excited for every Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, and this one was no exception. First time those words have all been together in the same sentence? Possibly, but, despite the world of hate being rained down on it from all sides, I looked forward to TMNT, and I was not disappointed.

It's always fun to see such familiar and well-loved characters again, and I was pleased with how each turtle was represented here. The new look is okay, if not my favorite, and the martial arts moves are pretty cool in 3D. Will Arnett is entertaining, Megan Fox is smokin' hot, and no movie or TV show was ever worse for having the magnificent William Fichtner. Sure, the humor's juvenile, the story's done to death, and the effects are nothing to write home about, but, somehow, I still enjoyed this from beginning to end.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles runs 101 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sci-fi action/violence." If it's a terrible movie, that didn't keep me from having a great time with it.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles gets five. I'd honestly love to score it better, but at some point I have to acknowledge it's probably a bad movie, no matter how much I like it!

Next on the docket was The Hundred-Foot Journey.

Fireworks ensue when an Indian family moves to the French countryside and opens a restaurant across the street from a hoity-toity local establishment.

Whoa! Bickering restaurant owners...sounds like the most boring movie ever, huh? What's next, two dentists trying to lease the same office space? While The Hundred-Foot Journey is a little long, it's a cute story that's elevated by a solid and likable cast. Helen Mirren is, as always, brilliant in the lead, and Manish Dayal and Charlotte Le Bon are appropriately adorable as young chefs at the two restaurants tip-toeing around the possibility of romance. The story is serious when it needs to be and funny when it means to be.

There's enough cooking and eating going on in this movie that restaurants neighboring cinemas are probably seeing a nice uptick in business this weekend. There are also plenty lingering shots of the picturesque French countryside, if that's your thing, and a nice anti-racism message as a bonus.
The Hundred-Foot Journey clocks in at 122 minutes and is rated PG for "thematic elements, some violence, language, and brief sensuality." If the movie is predicable and a bit overly-sappy, that's not hard to forgive in such a genuine and sweet picture.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Hundred-Foot journey gets six.

Until next time...COWABUNGA!!!

 It's official: my mental age is five.

MOVIE REVIEW: RED 2

Frank (Bruce Willis), Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), and Marvin (John Malkovich) fight an unrelenting onslaught of hired killers, heavily armed terrorists, and powerful government officials in their desperate race to prevent a missing portable nuclear device from falling into the wrong hands. Sir Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Lee Byung-hun, and Catherine Zeta Jones co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Dean Parisot

Cast: Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren

Release Date: Jul 19, 2013

Rated PG-13 for pervasive action and violence including frenetic gunplay, and for some language and drug material.

Runtime: 1 hr. 56 min.

Review:

I’ll be upfront and say that I enjoyed Red 2 much more than I probably should have. It’s overlong somewhat predictable and incredibly stupid but it delivers the kind of mindless fun I look for occasionally. Dean Parisot direction is far from perfect but he excels with the outlandish action set pieces which are lots of fun. Unfortunately there are plenty of dead spots throughout, the film could have easily been trimmed by a good half hour. By the end of the film even the action pieces start to drag on because the film just seems to go on forever. Still, the cast is clearly enjoying themselves with expanded roles for Mary-Louise Parker and Helen Mirren which I consider a positive. Anthony Hopkins and Lee Byung-hun inject some good energy while Catherine Zeta Jones isn’t nearly as effective as you’d expect. Bruce Willis is on cruise control letting the supporting players do the heavy lifting. Red 2 is a film that’s easy to watch and just as easy to forget.

C+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Red 2 and The Wolverine

Dearest Blog, yesterday I trekked to the cinema to see two highly-anticipated (for me) releases: Red 2 and The Wolverine. If I'm guessing by the number of people with whom I shared the theatres, not everyone anticipated these films quite so highly.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First on my agenda was the middle-aged comic-book sequel Red 2.

Ex-CIA agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) has retired (again) to domestic bliss with Sarah (Mary Louise Parker), but the life he thinks he wants is re-interrupted when his crazy old pal Marvin (John Malkovich) drags him back into the world of international espionage.

I tend not to read many reviews before I write my own, but as much as I'm online, I can't help but see headlines. The headlines I saw about Red 2 led me to believe it's worth an eye-roll and no more, in keeping with the first one.

However, I loved Red, and I'm pleased to report I loved the sequel equally well.

Bruce Willis is Bruce Willisey in the lead. This is a compliment. He carries this sort of film about as well as anyone, and the wisecracking tough-guy routine has yet to wear thin with me. Helen Mirren is the coolest Dame on the planet...all the more so when she's armed and dangerous. John Malkovich has his kooky on and is enjoyable as always. Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones kick up the star power of this cast, though I didn't entirely buy either in his/her role. Brian Cox is amusing in another brief appearance, and I was delighted to see David Thewlis. I'll cop to being absolutely fixated on Byung-hun Lee, whom I've only ever previously seen in the G.I. Joe movies, and wishing he had more screen time. I still hate Mary-Louise Parker, FYI.

Plot-wise Red 2 isn't trying to reinvent the wheel. It's action heavy, with the usual not-too-complicated (and somewhat holey) "save the world" storyline. Again, this is a compliment. It does slow down enough in some places that I wished they'd made it a bit shorter, but it's not bad enough to derail enjoyment of the whole.

Red 2 runs 116 minutes and is rated PG13 for "pervasive action and violence including frenetic gunplay, and for some language and drug material."

With its likable, familiar cast and likable, familiar storyline, Red 2 is much like an afternoon passed with good, old friends...except Mary-Louise Parker, who's that one person you don't actually like, but you have to put up with because one of your friends does.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Red 2 gets seven.

Next up was the weekend's big new release, The Wolverine.

A meeting with an old acquaintance draws Logan into a conflict that is more than it seems, and forces him to confront his personal demons.

So...y'all hated X-Men Origins: Wolverine, yeah? See, I didn't. I liked it. A lot. I also liked this one. A lot.

Hugh Jackman is one of the more gifted and well-rounded leading men working in Hollywood these days, and it's to his credit he can do things like Wolverine and things like Les Miserables and be credible in both. He sings and dances on the Tonys and the Oscars, and he still embodies the macho superhero perfectly. The bulk of Wolverine's supporting cast is comprised of Asian actors with whom I'm only vaguely, if at all, familiar, but I thought they all did a fine job. I did pause to wonder whether Hollywood ever offers these actors any decent roles that have nothing at all to do with martial arts. I feel sure they've more to offer.

I am not invested in X-Men lore, so I can't comment on how well this film represents the comics, but the story is engaging, with (obviously) a good bit of action. It does run a bit too long (I ought to just copy and paste that line from review to review), and there were times, particularly some of the fight scenes, where I wished they'd just get on with it already.

Scheduling forced me to see this in 3D, and it was worse than useless; there wasn't a single scene where I thought it added anything. For the more shallow among us, Hugh Jackman is looking extremely fit, and there's plenty of gratuitous shirtlessness to be ogled.

The Wolverine clocks in at 126 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, some sexuality, and language."

If you were waiting for that perfect superhero movie of the summer, well, you'll still be waiting, but the Wolverine is a solid couple hours of escapism that should please most fans of the genre.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Wolverine gets seven.

So, dear Blog, that closes the book on another Star Trek-less weekend; however, as the next four weekends are giving me 2 Guns, Elysium, MY BELOVED GARY OLDMAN in Paranoia, and The World's End, they should be filled with enough awesomeness to get me through.

Until next time...




Not gonna lie, I gave it six and a half Weasleys, looked at this, and changed it to seven.

MOVIE REVIEW: MONSTERS UNIVERSITY

Take a trip back in time to when star Monsters, Inc. employees Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) and James P. "Sulley" Sullivan (voice of John Goodman) were just two promising young students at Monsters University in this frightfully fun Disney/Pixar prequel. Dan Scanlon (Tracy) takes the directorial reigns for this prequel featuring additional vocal contributions by Steve Buscemi, Dave Foley, and Julia Sweeney. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Dan Scanlon

Cast: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, Peter Sohn

Release Date: Jun 21, 2013 RealD 3D

Rated G for frightening Scenes

Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min.

Genres: Animated, Family

Review:

Pixar has been in a strange funk as of late. I tend to act like Cars 2 doesn’t exist and Brave played it too safe for my taste. Since I’m still waiting for a sequel to The Incredibles, Monsters University will have to fill the spot. It’s typical of Pixar’s work, polished, well written and funny enough to keep most children and adults entertained for the better part of its runtime. What it’s not, like their last 2 entries, is special. In fact it’s surprisingly generic, borrowing the plot of Revenge of the Nerds. Hearing John Goodman and Billy Crystal back in their classic roles is good fun and there are some strong bonding moments. It’s just hard to ignore that it’s all rather lackadaisical and uninspired. It doesn’t seem to have any heart. This prequel is lacking that emotional connection the original had with Boo and Sully. Its fun seeing Mike and Sully become friends but it all feels rather perfunctory. It’s not terrible by any stretch of the imagination; it’s actually quite good but just not up to Pixar’s standards.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: HITCHCOCK

HITCHCOCK



Director Sacha Gervasi adapts Stephen Rebello's book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho to explore the relationship between the legendary British director (Anthony Hopkins) and his wife Alma Reville (Helen Mirren), who played a crucial behind-the-scenes role in the making of her husband's terrifying 1960 classic Psycho. Scarlett Johansson co-stars as Janet Leigh and James D'Arcy portrays Anthony Perkins in a film also featuring Jessica Biel, Danny Huston, Toni Collette, and Ralph Macchio. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Sacha Gervasi

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, James D'Arcy

Release Date: Nov 23, 2012

Rated PG-13 for some violent images, sexual content and thematic material

Runtime: 1 hr. 38 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Hitchcock takes a fun and lighthearted look into the trials, tribulation and machinations of the making of one his seminal films. Sasha Gervasi, helming his first non documentary film, makes it feel like we are watching a sort of accurate cliff notes version of what actually happened. As such he keeps it from being overly dry, allowing his cast to relish in their roles. Anthony Hopkins, under heavy prosthetics which work with varying degrees of effectiveness, delivers one of his better performances in a good while. He can’t hide his singular voice but occasionally he does get the tenor of Hitch down perfectly. Hopkins allows us to see various sides of Hitch, his obsessive controlling nature along with his voyeuristic tendencies. Helen Mirren makes a good match for Hopkins as Alma, Hitchcock’s long suffering wife/collaborator. Mirren takes on the meaty role and she shares a steady effective chemistry with Hopkins and they play out the collaborative but dysfunctional relationship the couple shared. Both can carry a scene easily and are given plenty of chances to shine. Supporting players like Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, Toni Collette, Danny Huston and James D’Arcy, doing an impressive turn as Anthony Perkins, all do solid work filling out the film. The film ends on a tad bit too much of a happy note for my taste. A good companion piece to follow up with is the recent HBO film The Girl, which covered the making of The Birds, with a very effective Toby Jones playing a creepier Hitch as he tormented Tippi Hedren played by Sienna Miller.

B+

[Trailer] Hitchcock

The first trailer of Sacha Gervasi's "Hitchcock" has gone online and it looks like it’ll be a fun film for fans of Hitchcock and film in general. The tone of the film looks much lighter than HBO’s upcoming Hitchcock based film The Girl.

Anthony Hopkins appears to be incredibly focused even if the make up might be a bit jarring. His onscreen pairing with Helen Mirren looks to be the highlight of the film rounded out with a strong supporting cast.

Personally, I can’t wait to see this….

MOVIE REVIEWS: RED

IN THEATERS

RED



A group of former government assassins fights back against the CIA after they're targeted for knowing too much in this adaptation of Warren Ellis' acclaimed DC Comics graphic novels. Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) used to be a hired gun for the CIA. Along with Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich), and Victoria (Helen Mirren), Frank's specialty was carrying out contracts that the government didn't want the public to know about. These days, Frank and his old gang are all retired, but the powers that be are still concerned that they know too much, and dispatch a team of top assassins to ensure their silence. Now, Frank and his former team members realize that their only hope for survival is to break into CIA headquarters and expose the truth. But once they're in, the group uncovers evidence of a massive cover-up that promises to rock the very foundation of our government. Karl Urban, Brian Cox, Richard Dreyfuss, and Ernest Borgnine co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Robert Schwentke

Cast: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker.

Release Date: Oct 15, 2010

Rated: Intense sequences of action violence and brief strong language

Runtime: 1 hr. 51 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy

Review:

An uneven but mostly enjoyable romp, RED delivers enough fun to overlook some of the more obvious flaws. Robert Schwentke directs with an uneven hand, he’s unable to find a nice rhythm for the proceedings. Schwentke inability to find this results in various dead spot throughout, making what should be a very fun action comedy lose steam a bit too often. When the he hits the right notes it’s enjoyable if unoriginal, most of the credit here goes to the stellar cast which makes the entire thing watchable. Bruce Willis headlines playing a smirking knockoff of every character he’s ever played. Willis is having good fun and he and his costars have great chemistry throughout. Mary-Louise Parker is along for the ride and mainly just acts kooky and smiles a lot. Morgan Freeman and John Malkovick are both playing along with Willis and doing what they’ve done before with Malkovick’s nutty level set to 11. Helen Mirren is an incredible sight to behold once she shows up in the latter portion of film embracing her action role with great gusto. The always reliable Brian Cox and terribly watchable Karl Urban make the most of supporting roles. The story is an illogical mess that doesn’t make much sense or provide any three dimensional characters. Still as fluff it’s decent and it’s stars elevate it above the material.

C+