RED 2

Greetings, RED 2 is the sequel to the 2010 film Retired and Extremely Dangerous, bringing back a good portion of the actors and actresses that stared in the first movie as well as introducing a few that are new to the series. New members of the cast include Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Lee Byung-hun. I enjoyed the original set up due to its successful blend of colourful characters, humour and action scenes but couldn’t really follow the plot that well. However that isn’t a problem in this movie that has a simpler storyline despite being set in different locations around the world, instead of just America again.

The story is set after the events of the first RED in which retired CIA agent Frank Moses, played by Bruce Willis, tries to settle into a normal life with his girlfriend Sarah portrayed by Mary Louise Parker.  However their lives are interrupted by an old friend and ex-special agent Marvin, John Malkovich, warns that their lives are once again in danger due to a leaked document that involved both of them in an operation during the Cold War. Frank doesn’t listen to the warning and Marvin is forced to fake his death by blowing up his own car.

Once Moses is at his colleague's funeral, he is forcibly taken to a location for interrogation about Operation Nightshade. However, he manages to escape the facility with the help of Marvin and begins to unravel the reasons for his planned interrogation. Helen Mirren’s character, Victoria is threatened into finding and killing Moses or else by killed by her MI6 employers as she had worked with him in the first RED film. Notorious Contract killer Han played by Byung-hun is also hired to pursue and assassinate the targets of Frank and Marvin

Overall, it is a humorous and enjoyable movie with interesting action as well as plot twists but it doesn’t quite stand on par with the original movie in my opinion. However, it is still definitely worth watching. There are plans to make the series into a trilogy which should hopefully keep up the same standard as the first two. I look forward to how they are going to conclude the story and what other notable celebrities will be included.

Plot=8/10

Characters=8/10

Special effects=8/10

Overall=8/10

Quote of the day

Roz, my tender, oozing blossom, you're looking fabulous today. Is that a new haircut? Tell me it's a new haircut. It's got to be a new haircut. New makeup? You had a lift? You had a tuck? You had something? Something has been inserted in you that makes you look like...Listen, I need a favor.

Mike Wazowski

Monsters, Inc.