Red 2 revealed it's origins in the title sequence which was a pleasant surprise since I was not aware Red was based on a comic book series (Wildstorm / DC). Less surprised was I to find out that the comic was a serious affair as opposed to the movie. While I enjoyed the humorous take on espionage and all that it felt it did not belong there. And only was made bearable or fit because of the incredible actors.
Red 2 is clearly more aimed at laughs than the first one and for the most part that detracts from any serious plot element that is being told. Again the comedy is made tolerable because of the big names featuring. Except for one, Mary-Louise Parker. Sure she made me laugh on occasion but overall she was very annoying and utterly fake. I don't care if she wants to quit acting because of the bad comments on the internet. In this case she deserves it. Besides for the amount of money actors and actresses make these days it is only fair they get criticized for the roles they are playing. The whole duration she was only able to produce a few expressions and all of them involved smirks where you ask yourself WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU. The other actors compensate for this the best they can and here it is shown how having solid actors in a film can help immensely.
Another huge problem with Red 2 is the story. It simply is not compelling enough. Just enough to go from one action scene to another but without real investment. Here is where the lightheartedness tone is hurting. A little more effort in building tension and would have made the difference.
That being said, I found myself enjoying Red 2. How was I able to? Well, first of all after seeing the first one my expectations weren't that high to begin with. Secondly I was hoping for Red 2 to contain more cool action and on that front it delivered big time. Byung-hung Lee was a welcome addition in the cast where he could showcase his martial arts skills. Although I suspect that got lost on the ladies and some men the minute he appears half naked in his introduction scene.
Breathe, it's just a man who takes care of his body, nothing special! |
Now don't expect to be completely blown away by the action but compared to recent action movies I have to say Red 2 is one of the better ones. So yeah, lower your expectations to a minimum, and you will be able to enjoy it.
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