A movie like this is actually really hard to grade because they’re putting so little effort into it to begin with. It’s like it’s almost making fun of itself as it goes along, so it’s a little hard to really find anything that wrong with it (or right with it) without looking like you’re taking it too seriously.
What Works: The big kick of the Red franchise is that it’s actually the anti-Expendables. Sure, you’re also watching a bunch of seen-bigger-roles actors getting together for one last paycheck, but whereas the Expendables relies on totally washed-up action stars doing extremely violent things in very serious ways, R.E.D. offers actual actors a chance to flex their action star muscles and in the most comical way possible. Nothing here is taken seriously—–as it shouldn’t——everyone is having fun, and after a while it is fun to watch Helen Mirren fire a machine gun or John Malkovich diffuse a bomb. The cast is clearly savoring the chance to play against type, and the action sequences have just enough wit to make them look nimble.
What Doesn’t Work: The movie’s comedy also makes it hard to really care about anything happening on screen. Whereas the first film had Morgan Freeman’s cancer battle to keep it at least slightly grounded in reality (boy, is he missed here, especially when replaced with a babbling Anthony Hopkins) this one really doesn’t have much of anything except “hey, it’s a great paycheck and everyone is home by 5” kind-of vibe. If the first one was a B-, then this one is a C+…It’s close, but not quite…
What I Would Have Done Differently: Lionsgate probably wishes they’d kept the budget down since this one was costlier than the first RED and it will probably gross less. Also, don’t open a film like this in the dead of summer when it’s so obviously a fall sleeper.