Film Review: Red 2

Red 2. Rated M (violence and coarse language). 116 minutes. Directed by Dean Parisot. Screenplay by Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber.

Verdict: Mary-Louise Parker saves the day in this derivative but entertaining old pot-boiler.

You’d think that by managing to reunite the top shelf cast from Red (2010) we’d have been guaranteed something memorable. While far from being a complete waste of time, the Hoebers’ cheerfully derivative screenplay (they also wrote the first instalment) treads a well-worn track and is only saved from becoming an easily dismissible parody by an entertaining turn by Anthony Hopkins as the crazy old nuclear scientist Edward Bailey and Mary-Louise Parker’s standout return as Sarah.

Sarah (Parker) is trying to enjoy domestic bliss with her retired covert operations agent boyfriend Frank (Bruce Willis). They are shopping for household appliances when the zany Marvin (John Malkovich) tracks them down to warn Frank that the baddies are after them again. A sinister operation known as ‘Nightshade’ is causing tension around the globe, and someone (notably Neal McDonough’s icy operative Jack Horton) is out to end the lives of everyone associated with it.

Much as she did with the first instalment, it is the least well-known Parker (Weeds) who walks away with the film. It doesn’t hurt that Sarah gets all of the comedy and is the only genuinely interesting character journey on offer. Watching her become more and more involved in the ‘disarm the weapon of mass destruction’ plot is delightful, and the scenes in which she accounts for Frank’s ex-lover Katya (a perfectly smouldering Catherine Zeta-Jones), are the film’s funniest running gags.

Parisot (Fun with Dick and Jane, Galaxy Quest) wisely gives his megastars all the room they need to strut their stuff, even if his primary responsibility appears to have been keeping up with them. If Malkovich wins the award for most reaction shots in a Hollywood film this year, it is always a real pleasure to watch Helen Mirren (The Queen), who has a ball sending herself (and the genre) up mercilessly.

This review was commissioned by the West Australian Newspaper Group.