Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
After surviving an assault from a squad of hit men, retired CIA black ops agent Frank Moses reassembles his old team for an all-out war. Frank reunites with old Joe, crazy Marvin and wily Victoria to uncover a massive conspiracy that threatens their lives. Only their expert training will allow them to survive a near-impossible mission -- breaking into CIA headquarters.
RED is a breezy, star-studded action-comedy that coasts largely on the charm of its ensemble cast — Willis, Freeman, Mirren, and Malkovich are all clearly having fun, and that goodwill carries the film further than its script deserves. The plot is fairly formulaic spy-thriller fare with predictable beats and a by-the-numbers conspiracy, and the cinematography is competent but unremarkable blockbuster work. Novelty gets a modest bump for its distinctive premise — aging, retired black-ops legends returning to action — which gives the film a genuinely playful, self-aware energy that sets it apart from standard action fare, even if it doesn't fully exploit its comic-book origins. The ending resolves things tidily but without much surprise or impact.