RED 2

Back in 2010, there was a small action comedy film entitled "RED" that ended up becoming the sleeper that particular summer. The different veteran actors in it played off each other so well that they decided to 'do it again' in the form of yep, you guessed it, "RED 2".

Others to round out the cast are Neal McDonough as Jack Horton, Jong Kun Lee as Han's father, David Thewlis as The Frog, Garrick Hagon as Davis, Tim Pigott-Smith as Director Philips, Brian Cox as Ivan, Philip Arditti as Arman, and Mitchell Mullen as Wade.

In "RED 2", the high-octane action comedy sequel, retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) reluctantly reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device designed by Bailey (Anthony Hopkins). To succeed, they will need to survive an army of relentless assassins, ruthless terrorists, and power-crazed government officials all eager to get their hands on the next-generation weapon. The mission takes Frank and his crew including Marvin (John Malkovich), Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), Victoria (Helen Mirren), Katji (Catherine Zeta-Jones), and Han Cho Bai (Byung hun Lee) to Paris, London, and Moscow. Outgunned and outmanned, they have only their cunning wits, their old-school skills, and each other to rely on as they try to save the world.

This was adequately directed by Dean Parisot ("Framed" (TV movie) '90, "Home Fries" '98, "ATF (TV movie) '99, "Galaxy Quest" '99, "The Heart Department" (TV movie) '01, "Fun with Dick and Jane" '05, "Area 57" (TV movie) '07, "See Kate Run" (TV movie) " '09). It certainly had the same flavor as the original, which gave it that, "OK, let's do it again and have a ton of fun in the process.
It was written by Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber based on characters created by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner. There were a few places that were extremely far-fetched and difficult to swallow even though this is an action comedy, but not enough to take away from the entertainment factor of this film.

If you liked "RED", you'll love this new installment. It has all the qualities of a seasoned summer flick: witty banter amongst some great veteran actors, solid directing and enough arenaline and high-explosives to keep you glued to that seat for its 2 hour time slot.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                      Rated: PG-13                     116mins.