Red 2

I almost never see movies in theaters.   It costs too much,  and then there is the issue of time.  When exactly would I get to do this?  I always feel like my time is better spent doing something else.
I will, of course, make an exception when it is a movie featuring John Malkovich.   I even braved a packed theater.  ME.  The most anti-social of anti-social.  I almost sat next to someone.  I placed my bag on the seat next to me so no one would sit directly beside me,  but even still,  there were strangers sitting feet away from me.  A bit distracting,  as I could hear their sniffles and coughs and ughhhh chewing sounds.  I was able, eventually, to block that out and fully immerse myself in the movie.
 
I've got to say,  the first time I saw the movie Red,  I was confused and didn't care for it all that much.  I did, however, give it a second chance recently,  and felt better about it.   I am not typically a fan of action movies,  I don't go for the "blowing stuff up, guns out, suspennnnd that disbelief, baby"  type films.  Just not usually my thing.

With that said,  I REALLY enjoyed Red 2.  It was better than the first one, by far.   I suppose this is because the first film had to work hard to establish those characters and make us (well, me) like them. I have no knowledge of the comics, so I am basing my opinions solely on the movie.  It took two viewings to grow on me.  This one I enjoyed from beginning to end.

It probably goes without saying, Marvin is my favorite character.   Malkovich does comedy quite well.  He is very funny, and I wish he would do more comedies.   My first viewing of Red left me a little sad,  as I initially felt like he should have gotten the role Bruce Willis had.  I would have preferred to see him be the hero/sexy guy etc.  as opposed to the paranoid sidekick type.  But he actually made it work.  Marvin is a likeable character.  His facial expressions and subtle humor work just as well as the over the top crap the writers threw in there.  

The other actors are fine.  I don't know much about any of them,  I think Bruce Willis is OK,  he's whatever.   I like Mary Louise-Parker as an actress,  but became very annoyed with her very annoying,  childlike character.   She appeared to have some sort of character arc near the end of the film, but then went right back to being a doe-eyed pain in the ass.  I wanted Frank or Marvin to just tell her to STFU....but neither of them ever did.   I'm not familiar with Helen Mirren at all,  but I would like to think I'd be so badass and somehow, magically, British when I'm a senior citizen.   I won't though.  By that time, I'll have 30 or so cats and have cute nicknames for each one of them.
Anthony Hopkins is in this one, playing Hannibal Lecter with Dementia.  I wasn't blown away by his performance, but he is Anthony Hopkins and he can pretty much do whatever he wants.   This wasn't some Academy Award type film,  it is a fun comedy/action,  so he is allowed to phone it in if need be.
Catherine Zeta-Jones was meh.   And was that Professor Lupin from Harry Potter playing the role of the frog?  If not, the guy seemed familiar from something.  He grossed me out though,  his mustache was creepy.  Like all mustaches are.

I especially enjoyed the scenes in London.  I was fortunate enough to travel to the UK years ago and while it looks increasingly as though I will never get back on that side of the Atlantic,  it still makes me happy to see England anywhere.

I couldn't quite understand the constant costume changes.  These people change clothes SO much!  But very much enjoyed Malkovich in the Paris scenes after he has inexplicably become Sarah's shopping buddy,  and has dressed rather fashionably.  Extremely hot.  Also the Russian uniform was nice to look at.   Malkovich in drag in the final scene,  not sure about LOL.

I'm happy I got to see this in theaters,  I have been waiting for a while and definitely found it worthy of both the time and money.  Even with all the blowing-shit-up, you-need-to-have-a-penis-to-fully-appreciate-it, testosterone-y goodness.