RED

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence and brief strong language.

“RED” (which stands for Retired, Extremely Dangerous) is based on a graphic novel. It is a satire. It is a rather perverse comedy designed to appeal to a certain demographic, a growing one; not a bad marketing idea by the way.

With creak of bone and ache of muscle, we aging Baby Boomers, all too aware of the sunset of our generation, may sometimes yearn for a return to our glory days when we were held in awe and ruled the world. And so, “RED” is sort of a feel-good fantasy for us; as long as killing people and destroying property can be defined as a proper and appropriate release.

Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is a retired CIA agent living in Cleveland. Lonely, he calls up a young woman at the call center that takes care of his measly pension check, just to feel “connected.” He has sort of a telephone romance. In order for his relationship to keep going, he has to tear up his check and claim it never came in the mail.

One day, bad guys come to kill him. Try not to think too much from this point further. The usual boogey man of films, novels, and harebrained conspiracy books is the cause of this high caliber home invasion: the CIA! And of course, the real, real bad guys who are behind the nefarious plan are top dogs from the Military Industrial Complex (personified by Richard Dreyfuss) and a politician close to the White House. (Insert maniacal laugh and the raising of one eyebrow).

Our man Bruce dashes off to Kansas City (where the call center is) and snatches up his tele-girlfriend Sara Ross (Mary-Louise Parker). She is not enthusiastic about the kidnapping until she realizes the new CIA buck-of-the-day (and perhaps future “RED”) is out to kill them. Bruce, I mean Moses, picks up his pal from the old days, Joe Matheson (Morgan Freeman), from a nursing home. He also recruits the loony Marvin Boggs (appropriately played by John Malkovich). And then to demonstrate that “deadly” isn’t gender specific, Victoria (Helen Mirren) is brought in the mix. She, a former MI6 agent, handles the heavy artillery whilst wearing a formal gown. The crew even brings in a former Soviet agent (Brian Cox) to assist in breaking into the secret file room of the CIA, controlled (and you will love this) by Ernest Borgnine.

Car chases, car crashes, explosions, building shoot-‘em-ups and various cinematic tension releases occur but the real appeal in “RED” is the “mature” cast acting like 20 something James Bonders giving the pipsqueaks a proper comeuppance.

This is a tongue-firmly-in-cheek action film making fun of that very same genre and the aging process, not to mention age discrimination or assumptions about the aging etc. It is funny and absolutely without artistic merit; just silly, indulgent fun, specifically for the newly grand-parented generation, to coin a clumsy phrase.

Needless to say this is a film that is worth a viewing mainly for the stunning cast. These guys are having fun getting together and acting like youngsters. And it is fun watching them have fun. The fireworks are thrilling too; over-the-top action purely for giggles and thrills. “RED” is cotton candy for those of us who wonder when our salad days wilted; back “When [we were] green in judgement, cold in blood.”

“RED” earns three and a half bow ties out of five.