'Red 2' Is Good Fun Weighed Down By A Weak Plot

Sequel to the hit 'Red', Red 2 returns with our favorite retired agents back in action as they are hunted once again. Like the original, Red 2 is fun, filled with action, and the usual gags. The problem is the story and how it jumps around, slows down at points and goes from one extreme to the other. I think we get they are bad asses. There is even a point where you can guess what will happen next, more specifically the ending. What makes this bearable is the wonderful cast of Red 2 who make it enjoyable to watch and are clearly having fun making Red 2. So sit back, and watch the team save the world. Let the explosions begin.

So the adventure that is Red 2 begin with Frank (Bruce Willis) and Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker) at a Costco shopping when Marvin (John Malkovich) shows up needing Frank's help. Frank turns Marvin down, much to Sarah's protests, claiming he is retired. Things take a turn for the crazy when Marvin's car blows up and at Marvin's funeral, Frank is approached by the CIA. It is during Frank's interrogation that Jack Horton (Neal McDonough) shoots up the field office in order to find out what Frank knows on operation Nightshade. Frank, Marvin and Sarah soon find themselves hunted by government agencies and on the hunt for the truth. They are also hunted by professional assassin Han Cho Bai (Byung-hun Lee), who has a personal vendetta against Frank. Long the way they meet up with Victoria (Helen Mirren) and Frank's old flame Katja (Catherine Zeta-Jones).

There is a couple of elements that make Red 2 an enjoyable film to watch. As with the first one, Red 2 makes use of it's stars charisma and the pure fun they are having. It's them as their characters selling it and we believing it and going along for the ride. So when they are shooting up people, and blowing things up, your right there with them having fun. I have two favorite moments from Red 2 that just really stand out, without spoilers of course. There is this moment with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Bruce Willis involving a car that was just so bad ass. The second scene is again with a car with Helen Mirren and Byung-hun Lee and their excellent team work. Mary-Louise Parker was fantastic as Sarah as Sarah dealt with jealousy of Katja, and her character's wish to help out on a mission. The character that really sold the comedy though was as ever, was Marvin and his strange antics. Whats a movie without at least one crazy character? Whether it's Marvin's ridiculous cell phone(s), or him interrogating a man he kidnapped, Marvin is a treasure to Red 2.

Now Red 2 is not the success that Red was. The main issue was that the story strived to be something it's not. To be something that keeps the audience on edge and pull off a cool twist, but rather it ended up as something that just jumped all over the place. For Red 2, they pulled out the nuke card from the beginning saying that someone wants to blow a city. Then the film proceeded by jumping around from city to city at several times. It was like the Amazing Race, Red Edition. Also not too keen on the transitions they used this time with the whole comic thing. I get that Red is DC Comic movie, but there is no need to constantly remind us of it. I actually liked the postcard thing they had in the first movie. It was a very unique way of telling the audience of where they were. As for the story, it was a collection of hard to break into places that they broke into. It was like it was trying to fill in for the lack of story was breaking into places that you shouldn't. Finally, the plot itself at points was predictable and dragged out. At some point during the movie I began to wonder when it was going to end soon. For Red 2, it was the story that bogged down the success of the film.

Red 2 is most for sure a fun movie to watch despite being weighed down by a weak plot. You go to Red 2 for the action, gags and fun that it offers, in addition to being a fan of the first movie. There is a enough action scenes to please an action movie lover since where ever the gang goes, shit goes down. Red 2 is a good time waster for those of you looking for some options in the movie theatres. Or another Bruce Willis movie to check out. Our rating for Red 2 is:

You can watch the trailer for Red 2 below.
What did you think of Red 2?