RED

RED (Retired, Extremely Dangerous) (Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence, profanity):   Previews distort.  It would be a terrible error to anticipate yet another violent action spy flick simply updated (like most mediocre flicks of today) with expensively paid stars to turn rags into riches.  It's far better than that.

With a quartet of writers who used as the base for this movie a graphic novel by Warren Ellis & Cully Hamner, here turned into the most amusing, eminently successful tongue-in-cheek satire devised, created cohesively by director Robert Schwentke and a supreme cast (who must have had a joy ride with their  roles) and a production crew of capable cameramen, editors, music composers, etc., whose Bond-type imitations  have nailed the lid on what is a delightful,  hilarious spoof - one can spend 111-minutes  in the dark, snickering at worst, howling at best.

With subtle smirks, snide toss-away lines, and the back-up of enough wham-bang, explosive shoot-em-ups to make Clint Eastwood jealous (note that opening scene in which a house is shot into shambles in seconds), along with needless leaps from city to city around the country, the movie doesn't miss a beat.

Plot?  Who cares, but briefly it's about this bunch of ex-CIA agents who are being eliminated  one by one by the CIA for reasons eventually explored; they turn the tables with casual delight. 

The cast of experts from  a variety of backgrounds - from Masterpiece Theatre's Helen Mirren (as former contract killer,"I do become restless at times & still take a contract now & then") to ex-CIA agent Bruce Willis' refusal to act his age in both romance & action, the movie is silly without being moronic, exciting without ever taking itself seriously, tragic without  settling for bathos.  For added laughs, toss in ridiculous costumedisguises, more weaponry than owned by the Middle East, and reminiscent  bits from "Bourne" to "Bond" flicks to the "Wild Bunch" and a final showdown to end 'em all.

Then add John Malkovich who makes Christopher Lloyd's mad scientist pale by comparison, Morgan Freeman as an ailing but willing cohort, Mary Louise-Parker as the youthful romantic interest, and a host of cameo roles including  Richard Dryfuss as a former arms dealer, Brian Cox as an old Russian adversary, Karl Urban as a young CIA agent caught in the midst of the action, and a passel of other (wink wink) name stars - and you have a movie that is a delightful piffle as long as it keeps its tongue planted firmly  in cheek - and that's most of the time.   (Grade: B+)