RED: Retired and Extremely Dangerous

Retired and Extremely Dangerous is what the C.I.A. has titled Bruce Willis and the A-list cast that includes Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Brian Cox, Richard Dreyfuss, and Ernest Borgnine. It is irrelevant that the base of this story is your typical action pact thriller because the comical and brilliant twist is within its aging cast. This movie is no different from any other Bruce Willis epic shoot-em-up except for the ironic poke of the aging stars and the fact that they all still can kick some ass.

I simply loved this movie because it’s full of classic actors playing the parts they play best. The enchant the audience with the characteristics their known best for and what we as American Blockbuster viewers love.

Bruce Willis with his cool calm level-headed killer-with-an-ease je ne sais quoi,





Jon Malkovich, a colorful actor with strange and unexpected mannerisms








the ever so lovable Morgan freeman










and little miss tough cookie Helen Mirren.




Their rolls in this movie are their expected rolls from familiar rolls in the past, and I find comfort in that.

For example, we can see Bruce play the same calm kick-ass character in The Fifth Element, Unbreakable, The Whole Nine Yards. The ever so strange Malkovich, is seen as his crazy self in movies like In the Line of Fire, Con Air, and Burn After Reading. The lovable Freeman is also lovable in every movie he’s ever been in including Bruce Almighty where we see him as the best actor to play God, and it’s believable. Morgan Freeman is God. And of course the hot and fiery Mirren can also be seen as her sassy self in in Calendar Girls and The Last Station.

This delightful cast is accompanied by the cute Mary-Louise Parker the star of one of my favorite TV shows Weeds. I recently saw an interview on the TV Guide channel was executive producer and Writer Roberto Benabib described Parker’s as an actress that knows, “gear changing. She can react to you something silently and show you fifteen different emotions that are crossing her face and mind.” I think she is a great addition to the movie and is a believe love interest for Bruce’s character.

While watching this movie I had an epiphany that my favorite actors are getting old, and I almost tear up at the thought of loosing our baby booming supreme actors. It will be a very sad day when Morgan Freeman dies. And who will be the next cycle of silver screen actors? Millie Cyrus? God I hope not.