RED is a funny and very violent action film (loosely based on the comic book written by Warren Ellis).  The postcards are an excellent way to bridge changes in locations for the story.   Bruce Willis is charming and he plays off everyone in this film.  John Malkovich threatens to steal every scene he is in (the scenes with the pink stuffed pig come to mind) while Helen Mirren is a class act as Victoria (it’s nice to see her shoot a gun).    Malkovich as Boggs is a character filled with paranoia (years of exposure to LSD) and it is the guy that Malkovich excels at playing.   Morgan Freeman is at his best when he plays a government official for one scene. 

 It is a great action ensemble piece that doesn’t take itself too seriously.    I hope they don’t try to make a sequel to this film.   RED shows us that you can make a well-written action film with good comedic timing as long as you have the right cast.   RED has all of those elements.

SPECIAL FETAURES:

The audio commentary with Retired CIA Field Officer Robert Baer reflects on the various things about spies, how the CIA works, the Cold War, and a little about some of his travels while in the CIA while he is also commenting on the film.

The deleted and extended scenes don’t add much except the final one is an extension beyond where the film ended.

Cast Insights are a variety of featurettes where the cast talk about other actors, the characters, and productions through interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.  I wish these were more exciting and edited down.

CIA Exposed is a series of animated shorts that go into various CIA operations that were declassified.

FINAL ANALYSIS:  RED is still a fun action film.   The extras are a mixed bag and I wish some of the extras were better while others were entertaining.

This DVD review is ©1-29-2011 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com