Red (Special Edition)

Formerly a black-ops CIA agent, Frank (Willis) now lives a quiet life alone until a hit squad arrives to kill him. With his identity compromised, Frank reassembles his old team - Joe (Freeman), Marvin (Malkovich), and Victoria (Mirren) - to prove they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, and John Malkovich, this action-packed film follows Frank's journey as he discovers that you can take the agent out of the CIA, but you can't take the CIA out of the agent.

The premise of Red, a jolly action flick based on a more serious graphic novel, is set in motion when a troop of black-ops guys descends on Frank's house and blows it to smithereens. Realizing he needs to gather his old colleagues, Frank sets out to uncover what's happening. The film boasts an impressive cast, with Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and a tea-pouring, hot-lead-spraying Helen Mirren portraying Frank's old posse.

Mary-Louise Parker shines as Frank's unsuspecting civilian date, swept into the action as she might innocently become a CIA target. Brian Cox hams it up as Frank's former Soviet adversary, wistfully recalling his desire to assassinate a US president, while Karl Urban (Star Trek) supplies brawn and brains as the current CIA agent in charge of bringing Frank down.

Directed by Robert Schwentke, Red maintains a breezy tone, barely pausing to acknowledge the semi-serious story point at the heart of the plot - a hazily recalled disaster in Guatemala many years earlier - or the dead bodies that pile up around the edges of the action. Schwentke allows his talented cast to shine, and the film moves along at a fitting speed, delivering a decent share of legitimate jolts and rim-shot one-liners.

While not aiming for the heights of cinematic art, Red succeeds as a multiplex diversion, a testament to the skills of its cast and the director's ability to balance the action and humor. The film's appeal lies not only in the sheer star power of its ensemble but also in the genuine chemistry and camaraderie between the characters, who prove that you can indeed teach old spies new tricks.

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