Every year we are treated to more and more feature films based on the licenses of DC and Marvel comics, with such iconic characters as Superman, Spider-Man and The Avengers throwing around big budgets in an effort to create the largest spectacle possible. But comic books’ big guns aren’t the only ones to strut their stuff around Hollywood. With just about everything ripe for adaptation, it’s no surprise that many lesser-known titles are getting released; moviegoers often don't even know these movies come from comics. There are dozens of these would-be blockbusters that never quite got the attention they deserved, from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World to The Losers to the more recent R.I.P.D.And then there was RED, the 2010 action comedy based on a three-issue series by DC imprint Homage Comics and written by comics legend Warren Ellis. In it, retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) was on the run from unknown enemies out to kill him, alongside companions Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich) and Victoria Winslow (Helen Mirren). These agents, code-named RED (Retired, Extremely Dangerous), uncovered a major conspiracy and saved the world, and their humor and action-filled adventures made for a surprise hit with audiences, to the tune of nearly $200 million worldwide and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Comedy/Musical (of course, the god-awful The Tourist was also nominated, but I digress…). Three years later, and we’ve got RED 2, bringing back all the surviving members of that little mission on a bigger, globe-trotting adventure.Frank Moses is trying to get his retirement back on track. He’s got a great companion in girlfriend Sarah Rose (Mary Louise Parker), and he's attempting to put his CIA days behind him by investing in the classical suburban life. That lasts until he’s confronted by the paranoid Boggs, who insists that he and Frank are being targeted by the government for their supposed part in a Cold War mission called “Nightshade”, in which the contents of a prototype nuclear device were smuggled into Russia piece-by-piece by mentally-deranged scientist Edward Bailey (Anthony Hopkins). Now if they want any chance of clearing their names and getting out of the game, Frank, Marvin and the thrill-seeking Sarah must team up Bailey and Russian secret agent (and Frank’s former lover) Katya (Catherine Zeta-Jones) while contract killers Victoria Winslow (Helen Mirren) and Han Jo-Bae (Byung-hun Lee) hunt them down.The first RED was a hit under director Robert Schwentke; the sequel is helmed by the man who brought us Galaxy Quest and Fun with Dick and Jane, Dean Parisot. The differences are immediately apparent, and not all for the better. Parisot is not the natural director of action sequences that Schwentke proved to be three years ago. He does do well with comedy, and thankfully he’s given plenty to work with here: he has a ton of fun with his characters, especially the interplay between the uber-schizophrenic Marvin and the relative straight man Frank. Funny exchanges pop up throughout the screenplay (by Jon and Erich Hoeber), as many characters either go the all-serious route (Mirren, Lee, Zeta-Jones) or are all-out crazy (Hopkins), though each occasionally crosses the line between those two extremes (with Parker's character the perfect foil helping to stop the whole business from getting out of hand). They complement each other perfectly, which really does wonders in making the humor and sight gags work on just about every level.As mentioned, Parisot is not an action director. And since RED 2 is an action movie, this is a bit of a problem. He openly copies the best moments from his predecessor, but scenes like the “casual car-step” rarely have the same charm when simply repeated - his solution is to speed them up, which doesn't really improve them (some of this gimmick-recycling is probably the Hoebers' fault, but Parisot is the man in the center seat - the failure is ultimately his).And despite the expanding cast of characters and the more global perspective, there’s little to hide the fact that RED 2 has essentially the same story as the original. Larger scale aside, the elements are all still there, from covert operations teams out to kill the heroes to the theme of whom they can trust, with all the backroom deals, clichéd double-crosses and outrageous twists we’ve come to expect. On some levels, this is good enough; the characters are likeable, and this cast of actors can do pretty much anything. On the other hand, the copy/paste method of storytelling doesn’t always pan out - as when, for example, you ask yourself why Neal McDonough’s character still matters after the 30-minute mark. It also makes the whole product sadly predictable just when a few surprises would have been appreciated.The original RED was a nifty little movie where everything that could possibly have gone wrong didn't, and audiences responded by honoring it a very nice box office run. RED 2 isn't nearly as captivating, exciting or unpredictable as its predecessor, but despite its flaws, viewers will still enjoy its comedy (and catching up with their favorite characters). Parisot is genuinely talented when it comes to satire; it’s too bad his Galaxy Quest chops aren't more visible in this movie - instead, it plays to all his weaknesses as a director and leaves you wondering how all those action sequences would have improved if Schwentke had been the one presenting them. Perhaps that will happen with RED 3, which is already on the table despite 2's weak opening weekend. In the meantime, what we're left with this time around is merely okay, a rest stop before the forks of excellence and mediocrity. Like most comic book movies, come to think of it.John C. Anderson is a freelance writer and movie enthusiast living in Boston. For the rest of his film reviews, check out Hello, Mr. Anderson (http://latestissue.blogspot.com)
