Anyone who would not only cast 93 year old Ernest Borgnine in their film, but also give him a fun, albeit way too brief, part automatically is granted three out of five stars in my book. So it is with Robert Schwentke’s Red. So, other than a cameo by one of my personal favorite actors, how does the rest of the film stand up? Much like Mr. Borgnine – with grace, sharp wit and a surprising amount of energy. I am perplexed as to why Summit Entertainment didn’t drop this in the middle of summer as it is exactly the sort of film that many others tried and failed to be this year and it certainly would have satisfied that summer action flick itch very nicely. For starters, Red boasts a veteran all-star cast that includes Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Julian McMahon, Helen Mirren, Richard Dreyfuss, Karl Urban and Brian Cox. Added to that is a very snappy script from Whiteout scribes Erich and Jon Hoeber. One could easily think that all Schwentke had to do was to show up and just roll the camera, but that would be a grave injustice to the relatively new(ish) director. Schwentke gives everything just the right amount of style and flavor, but not in a way that overwhelms or distracts from what’s going on. The script, direction and cast make this a perfect storm of eye candy goodness without leaving the intelligence behind.
And let’s talk about that cast for a moment. I’m marvelling at the fact that Bruce Willis can go from talking smack to and threatening both Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Expendables to playing lonely CIA retiree. His Frank Moses goes from lonely white male seeks engaging voice on the other end of the phone to stone-cold assassin in a heartbeat. It certainly speaks to the actor, not to mention the quality of the script, that the likes of Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren and John Malkovich agreed to support positions. Karl Urban is particularly rock solid as a new-blood CIA operative out to get Willis and Brian Cox is there like an old friend that you perpetually miss and are gleefully happy to see. Richard Dreyfuss is on hand to do what he does best, namely taking what would be a one-dimensional villain in lesser hands and adding his singular charm and sparkle to elevate it into a wonder to behold.
Red the film is based on the DC Comics/WildStorm/Homage Comics mini-series of the same name by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner. Having read the comic books and seen the film, it is safe to say that the latter is based on the former in only the loosest sense of the phrase. Interestingly, Ellis himself seems nonplussed by the major changes and additions made by the scriptwriters. Indeed, the comic series was much more streamlined, yet just as entertaining, but a two hour film needs much more going on. The end result may be a distant cousin to the original, but they both work in their respective mediums and will leave you with a goofy smile in the end. See the film Friday night, then drop by your local comic shop on Saturday to pick up the mini-series. You’ll enjoy both in equal measure and it will make for an extraordinarily enjoyable weekend.