Red 2 allows me to include another pair of amazing duologies to my list of favorites. These include Miss Congeniality, The Princess Diaries, Sister Act, and Legally Blonde. While I hope that each of them will eventually get a third entry, it’s nice to have two enjoyable entries to fall back on occasionally. While Red was primarily contained within the continental United States, Red 2 upped the ante and took things to a slew of other countries to unfurl its vast conspiracy.
Since their last mission in the final moments of Red, Frank (Bruce Willis) has settled back into a new routine with Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), which has left her exasperated and bored once more. Frank is more concerned about keeping Sarah safe from all the external threats his former life has left him with, while Sarah simply wants to bask in the danger of it all. This has put some strain on their relationship, but not enough to lead them to the breaking point. When Marvin (John Malkovich) approaches Frank with a warning that needs to be acted on immediately, Sarah is already prepared to jet off to parts unknown, while Frank is more reticent. His tune changes once Marvin’s car blows up, seemingly killing his longtime friend.
Red 2 features a conspiracy laden with more layers than a Russian nesting doll, with each uncovered one pointing to further depths of depravity. All of it centers around a nuclear device located somewhere in Russia; its existence was made known the world over when it was leaked in a dossier. The problem, though, is that Frank Moses’ name is on that dossier, and the CIA, the KGB, MI6, and a slew of other organizations are out to get him or kill him. Whether they plan to use the device is up to the viewer. Not every group’s representatives make their desires for the bomb plainly known.
In Red 2, we are treated to a more bombastic storyline as a result. Everything from Red is upped a notch, and then thrown into overdrive. This is not a detriment. In fact, because the cast has room to breathe in their roles after having played them once, it’s like they stepped right back into familiar territory. That doesn’t stagnate them, which is always a concern for sequels.
Most of the previous film’s cast returns, with those not returning either having died in the preceding movie, have no place in the current plot, or perhaps simply decided not to return. Regardless of the reason, several new additions slot seamlessly into practically identical roles, with a few changes thrown in for good measure to spice things up and keep them interesting. The supporting cast fills out the plot nicely enough that the breadth and depth of the adventure, the conspiracy, and the stakes feel real. This is a multinational effort, and it shows. The prominent newcomers are all fun to watch, too, letting us know that it is not a simple rehash of things seen and done.
First, there is Jack Horton (Neal McDonough), who is a seeming combination of two roles from the first film, in that he is a corrupt US intelligence agent, like Cynthia Wilkes, but also the primary pursuer, like William Cooper.
His first act is to casually shoot his way through the FBI team that has brought Frank in for an interrogation, alongside a team of capable minions whom Frank tears his way through after they massacred the FBI team. During this sequence, Marvin reveals he survived, jumping in at the last second to save Frank from certain doom. Unlike Cooper, there are next to no redeeming qualities regarding Jack Horton. He is ruthless in his pursuit and casual in using deadly force. While the threat of an actual nuclear device seems to rub him the wrong way, he is by no means above using it and its creator for the interests of the United States.
Next, we have Lee Byung-hun, a notable South Korean actor, as well as Han Cho Bai, a former NIS agent who Frank burned and was framed as a traitor in the distant past.
Like William Cooper, who is more directly an analog, Han is introduced as a calm and collected professional who casually dispatches his target with an origami crane. He is well-funded and fully staffed, and, who am I kidding – all of that save his funds disappears shortly after they are introduced because Han seems far more capable without them. Yet, despite the numerous times he manages to catch Frank and his team unawares, he spends the film on the receiving end of Frank’s hands. Still, he proves himself to be truly honorable, as his disturbance over the threat of the device prompts him to side with Frank and his team to hunt it down.
Finally, we have the more morally ambiguous additions in the form of Katja Petrokovich (Catherine Zeta-Jones), information broker The Frog (David Thewlis), and Dr. Edward Bailey (Anthony Hopkins). The three figure into the plot at different points, and all share a similar fate as the bomb becomes an increasing threat. We’re also treated to Arman (Philip Arditti), the Iranian Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Katja is a Major General from Russia who has had dealings with Frank and is presented as the only spy who managed to use Frank due entirely to his attraction to her. Zeta-Jones devours her role as Katja, bringing the spy to life as she enjoys toying with Frank and teasing Sarah. Katja is in no way hampered as a character, and her storyline unfolds exceptionally well.
She is wholly dedicated to serving Russia, unlike Ivan Simanov (Brian Cox), who is more careful in handling those from his past – especially when it comes to Frank and Victoria. She is not above using Frank’s former interest in her to her advantage. However, Marvin and Sarah distrust her enough that the former takes advantage of Frank’s predictability to get one over Katja.
Katja is heavily involved in the second act of Red 2, as the action dances through Paris and into Moscow itself. She is manipulative to a level that would make any covert organization proud, carefully utilizing her skills to get the most out of every interaction. She is also observant and capable, easily tracking down Frank and his team when they infiltrate the Kremlin late into the second act. Yet, despite her loyalty and seeming single-mindedness, she understands the danger of the bomb that actually exists versus the one everybody believes to be in play. She doesn’t hesitate to work with those on the other side to get rid of it in a nice call back to the Cold War era cooperativeness between the United States and Russia at certain points.
The Frog is an information broker with a penchant for expensive wines. He has stolen information from practically every government in the world to such a degree that they all agree that he is untouchable.
Sadly, Jack Horton doesn’t seem to be able to find that memo. His nickname comes from having poisoned a group of Russian spies with the venom of several tree frogs. He is, however, weak in Sarah’s interrogation efforts, which involve a handful of sloppy kisses and thinly veiled requests for help.
Dr. Edward Bailey has been held in a prison within a prison by the British government for decades – an insane asylum within another insane asylum that is under heavy guard.
He seems a dithering fool who has lost his mind with moments of clarity that prove him to be a capable threat. The reality of his character is much starker and far more dangerous.
Arman is at the center of a storyline where Iran seeks to buy the device once it has been liberated from Russia. He is used as a training ground for Sarah to prove her skills after her initial attempts with the Frog, resulting in a hilarious failure followed by an even more riotous success. Spies used to infiltrate other groups are generally chosen for their ability and looks. Sarah and Frank play on that and Arman’s chivalrous need to help a woman in distress. In any other instance, it might have been the right move. Here, it gets him “poisoned,” and he is forced to lead Sarah into the Iranian Embassy.
Brian Cox’s role is about the same as in Red, but he is deployed much later into Red 2, which makes his presence feel somewhat limited. When he finally does get around to appearing, he makes the most of his screen time, swiftly executing a rescue mission when the team seems to be on the ropes with no hope of escape or survival. His relationship with Victoria also seems to be going quite swimmingly. Victoria is just as involved in this entry as the previous one – not getting shot will do that for a gal. She seems to be working against the team when her government tasks her with killing Frank and Marvin, but her loyalty is not so easily used against her. This leads to one of my favorite scenes – “Well, you’ve heard of me now” will always make me smile with glee.
As it so happens, a couple can really make the whole world move if they put their minds to it.
Red 2 had a bigger budget, and it showed. With its generous tax credit for filming in Montreal, they could carefully present the cities of London, Paris, and Moscow as if they had filmed there. This is Hollywood, so I don’t always expect a film to be shot in actual locations presented in the story. Sometimes, it’s impractical, whether logistically, financially, or for safety reasons. Still, some of the film was shot in London despite Montreal standing in for it, proving that they weren’t afraid to go out on some kind of a limb. Also, the action sequences were grandiose, with more explosions and entertaining fight scenes that let the characters get down in the nitty and gritty of it all.
Because of Bruce Willis’ retirement, a third film will likely never be, but that doesn’t mean we can’t all imagine what it might have been.
Lloydd Marshall Books 