MANILA, Philippines - The first installment was such a blockbuster hit that’s why a sequel was expected and not really surprising. Yet, it took three years before the action-comedy RED saw its second installment materialize and it was definitely worth the wait.
The title is actually an acronym for Retired, Extremely Dangerous, taken from the widely-followed D.C. Comics graphic novel by Warren Ellis and Cully Hammer. The sequel, however, stands on its own with an original story that centers on the much-reliable, retired but still dangerous RED team.
In RED 2, lead star Bruce Willis reprises his Frank Moses character, a former CIA agent whose private life was ruffled anew when he was forced to bond again with his unique team of top-notch operatives to track down a missing nuclear device.
As expected, Bruce remains a bankable action lead. Who can forget him in his Die Hard sequels? And who says he’s old? Never mind if he reprises his jokes or one-liners. Bruce is still a knock-out action hero onscreen, his age notwithstanding (he’s 58).
While the first film had Robert Schwentke (who megged Flightplan, starring Jodie Foster) at the helm, the sequel had a different director with Dean Parisot (Galaxy Quest). He admittedly had a tough time creating a new tone for RED 2, but Dean elevates his name to a higher level with this action-comedy flick to his credit.
John Malkovich is Marvin Boggs, former agent partner and best friend of Frank. Marvin convincingly “dies†in the early part of the film, so that even when Frank repeatedly pricks his hand with a pin while Marvin is in the coffin, the latter doesn’t budge.
But at the time when Frank needs all the support he can get to track the nuclear device, Marvin “resurrects†— alive and kicking. Towards the end, viewers will have their biggest laugh to see John in drag, for a change.
Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren (The Queen in 2006) shows her different side as she reprises her role as Victoria, the gun-wielding agent who courts danger. The 68-year-old actress obviously still displays her craft like a femme fatale.
Initially tasked to kill Frank, Victoria later reunites with him and the RED team. She is in her element when fighting or rather killing their enemies — elegantly dressed in long gowns and high-heeled boots.
Mary Louise Parker plays Bruce’s girlfriend Sarah Ross, who “romances†their enemies even in front of Frank to help the team. She returns for her role, so her chemistry with Frank is much more evident this time around.
RED 2 also welcomes big-name stars such as Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones, who undoubtedly add star power to the film. Anthony (he will always be memorable as Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs) plays Edward Bailey, a genius doctor who gets locked up for more than 30 years.
The svelte and beautiful Catherine has limited exposure in the film, too bad. She plays Frank’s former girlfriend, his “kryptonite,†who is a Russian agent. Needless to say, she still made her mark.
One of RED 2’s posters reads, “To avert a major world catastrophe and save millions of lives, they must reunite and do the impossible.†Of course, that refers to the team and the mission they will undertake. The film takes viewers to multiple locations — London, Paris, Moscow, even Hong Kong and New Jersey.
Providing support to give the sequel strong box-office boost are Neal McDonough as Jack Norton, the menacing government operative out to get Frank dead or alive and Korean actor Byung-Hun Lee as Han, who eventually joins Frank’s team to battle the bad guys. Driving while knocking out their enemies, Han and Victoria were the team to beat.
The story of RED 2 is rather shallow, but who cares about the material when you have such a strong team to propel the film to box-office status? The film has built a successful and solid franchise to make the sequel a must-see action-adventure caper. This early, the third installment is definitely a go, so watch out for it.