RED

Just because you're no longer active in the CIA doesn't mean you're not a target of a nefarious scheme involving murder, as four older agents discover when they're designated RED: Retired Extremely Dangerous. Living in suburban Ohio, Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is so bored that his primary pleasure is calling Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), his flirtatious pension administrator in Kansas City, to report a missing retirement check (as soon as she sends another, he rips it up and calls her again, just to talk). Sarah yearns for travel and adventure, while Frank is just lonely and smitten. When his home is raided by a high-tech hit squad, Frank is determined to discover who wants him dead, but realizing that his phone's been tapped—placing Sarah in danger—he kidnaps her. Soon they're off on a whirlwind trip to recruit three former black-ops colleagues—irrepressibly subversive Joe (Morgan Freeman), paranoid crackpot Marvin (John Malkovich), and sophisticated Victoria (Helen Mirren)—who are also being threatened. Recapturing the excitement of yesteryear, the team infiltrates the lair of a Defense Department records keeper (Ernest Borgnine) and interrogates an arms contractor (Richard Dreyfuss)—evoking memories of a secret mission in Guatemala with high-reaching repercussions. Based on the DC Comics graphic novel, filmmaker Robert Schwentke's RED is an adrenaline-pumping adventure with appealing characters. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by retired CIA Field Officer Robert Baer, deleted and extended scenes (8 min.), “Access: RED” production featurettes on “Cast Insights” and “CIA Exposed,” and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is the full “Access: RED” picture-in-picture track with featurettes, interviews, and pop-up trivia. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a fun film.] (S. Granger)