Review: Red 2

                           A Sequel That Doesn't Make Me Angry And Start Seeing 'Red'

              Whenever a sequel is made, it either surpasses the original or shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence as the original. But Red 2 leans more towards the former rather than the latter as there is still a healthy mix of action and humor.

               Story:
              Red 2 follows Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) and merry band that includes his girlfriend Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), Marvin (John Malkovich), and Victoria (Helen Mirren) as they travel across the globe to track down a dangerous nuclear device. Along the way, Frank runs into an old flame (Catherine Zeta-Jones) who wants him back.

              What I Liked About It:
             Like the first one, I loved the actors and how they play off each other. But the two actors that really stood out this time around in my opinion are John Malkovich and Mary Louise-Parker. Mary Louise-Parker really shows off her comedic chops and proves that she can not only do dramatic roles, but she is also great at comedy. Some of the funniest scenes were the ones where she and Catherine Zeta-Jones fight for Bruce Willis' affections. With his performance in this, John Malkovich proves why he is one of the best character actors in the business as he effortlessly steals the show.

             I also liked how this film features the same harmonic balance of action and comedy that the first one did. The action may have been amped up a bit, but it definitely didn't hurt the film, and the comedy used definitely shows that not all action films have to be serious.

              What I Didn't Like About It:
            Honestly, the one thing that bugged me was the pacing. Towards the end, I felt that it was getting a bit slow despite the well-done action scenes, but that's more of a nitpick than anything else.

              Consensus:
            Overall, Red 2 is a solid follow-up to the well-done original. It's got plenty of cool action mixed with gut-busting humor and makes for a good time for those who see it.

Rating: 3.5/5