RED

Yes, it is another action film starring Bruce Willis, however adding Mary Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren make RED so much more than just another Die Hard film.

Retired CIA agent Frank Moses believes Sarah to be the woman he can have a regular life with. Before they have a chance to find out, Frank becomes the target of an assassin. Frank kidnaps Sarah and sets out to reassemble his team, to save not only his own life, but theirs as well.

The plot is predictable, yet enjoyable. We know all the bad guys will die and all the good guys and girls will live, but getting to the happy ending was fun. The music throughout the film is upbeat, the transitions between the scenes a bit campy. The dialogue is funny, the actors perfectly cast. We accept that 65 year old Helen Mirren is the "best wet work asset in the business," and buying John Malkovich's character as a paranoid conspiracy theorist; no stretch at all. Morgan Freeman plays his character with the quiet assurance of a man who knows his fate. Bruce Willis does not play an over the top tough guy in this film, his character is just tough enough while still being funny and kind of adorable. Mary Louise Parker adds just the right amount of personal disbelief and humor to the situation.

Bruce Willis gets top billing, but John Malkovich steals the show. Every scene with him is a treat. He plays the role of Marvin Boggs perfectly. Most of his dialogue revolves around government satellites, wanting to kill everyone and being followed; whether by helicopters or real estate agents, someone is always out to get him. He constantly needs to be reigned in from these rants and Frank is always the one to do it. Even when Marvin isn't part of the action, he can be seen stealing the spot light. In one scene, after having been chastised by Frank for his behavior, we see Marvin standing on the curb, holding his stuffed pig by the tail, pouting like a two year old.

I would see a film with any one of these actors in it, yet I was hesitant to see this one with all of them in it. A movie with this many big names seems guaranteed to flop. I was happy to be proven wrong. While picking a favorite scene proved to be difficult, one does come to mind. Near the end of the film, Marvin Boggs shoots someone who is already dead, Frank asks him if he feels better to which Marvin replies "Yes. Can we get pancakes, now?" 


For more information about RED please visit the links below.

RED-The Movie

RED at IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes Review of Red

Alice In Wonderland

Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland is a comedy, drama and adventure delivered in true Tim Burton style. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter is the icing on the cake.

In this new version of an old story, we see Alice, not as a child, but as a young woman. She once again follows the white rabbit down the hole, returning to Wonderland to see the adventure of her youth through to completion this time.

A classic Tim Burton film, starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter with Danny Elfman scoring the soundtrack. The visual aspects of a Tim Burton Film are all present as well. The distorted perspective, everything dark, yet very colorful at the same time. The world around the action appears to be dead, the trees have only a few thick limbs that end in identical curls, no leaves, no green grass. Where the action takes place however, we see color and substance and life, most noticeably when we are introduced to the Red Queen's castle. The castle and its immediate grounds are beautiful; the lawns are manicured, the shrubs perfectly trimmed, roses and other flowers are growing, yet a dark, dead forest surrounds the castle. 

The combination of live action and computer animation in this film is obvious yet almost unnoticeable. The Mad Hatter is purely live action, however, his wardrobe, hair and eyes are so colorful and over the top that he blends well with the animated characters. The Red Queen is also live action, with her head enlarged to three times its normal size in post production, making her appear very child-like. The Red Knave, the Queens right hand man, is a mixture of animation and live action. His entire body being computer generated and his head being live action. All of the animals in the film are animation, they look real enough to convince the viewer, yet they did not attempt to make them look 100% real. Bayard the Bloodhound is the only animal that was a bit hinky and distracting. Trusty, from Lady and the Tramp is a more convincing bloodhound than Bayard the computer generated one.

I am a fan of both Tim Burton and Johnny Depp and they did not disappoint in this telling of an old classic. One of my favorite lines in the film was when a young Alice is telling her father about her dreams, she asks if he thinks she's "gone round the bend", he father answers with a simple yes.

For more on Alice in Wonderland, please visit the follow sites:

Disney's Alice in Wonderland

Rotten Tomatoes Review

Alice in Wonderland at IMDB