Red 2 (2013)

Maybe it's finally time to retire.

Retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses is in for another ride as he and his team of elite operatives are on the mission to locate a missing portable nuclear device built during the Cold War. Along the way, they cross paths with terrorists, assassins, and government officials who are all itching to get their hands on the weapon that will turn the tides of hegemony. If this isn't bad enough, Frank must also deal with his relationship with Sarah which seems to be in trouble as well.

This movie is a whole lot different from the first one, and that's not a compliment. What bothers me the most in this sequel is that it has more comedy than action. What's worse is the fact that it's barely even funny at all. The action scenes fail to deliver as well. This was a comedy film with action when it should have been the other way around. What this film missed that its predecessor had was the balance. Red was able to balance the action and comedy quite well. It entertains you and gives you the great action you deserve unlike the sequel we have here. Watching the film felt like a giant goose chase around the world. It bothers me how I was so detached to the film despite the fantastic, yet overused, locations they have for the movie. Paris, London, and Moscow: these are gorgeous places yet watching the film feels like I can easily see them across the street. The film is fond of travelling from one place to another without giving much importance to the current place they stay on. In one scene you are in Paris and the next you are in London. It doesn't give you the time to appreciate and understand what's going on. By the time the places shift again, your brain would still be in the previous location trying to piece together what happened. 

The ensemble cast doesn't help either. For some reason, the film probably thinks that the more characters they put, the better it will be. Well it definitely thought wrong. The fact that they added more characters was a risk in the field of characterization. That many characters require a great need of character development or depth or else they will come off as flat and shallow. However, I am more lenient with character development in action films compared to other genres. What I usually look for in action films is how smart the characters are, the decisions they make and their relevance in the film that can contribute to the development of the film. What irks me the most in this film is how bipolar its characters are. At one point, they are allies and then in a not-so-surprising turn of events, that ally turns out to be a villain. Some go the other way around. This is a cliche in the genre of action films, wherein an ally turns out to be the villain or vice versa. Red 2 makes use of this cliche and to be perfectly honest, it's fine with me. But what's not fine is how they used the same concept over and over again until it got so old that you would just have to wait for the next twist. If you can still call it a twist that is. 

Bruce Willis was less badass in this film. I expected so much more from this man. This does not seem to be his year since A Good Day to Die Hard and G.I. Joe: Retaliation were both failures. It's probably the other cast members that are stealing his spotlight especially Helen Mirren. Helen Mirren is one hell of a woman in this film, just like in Red. She was able to pull off her character quite well and was able to give a performance worth praising despite being stuck in an upsetting movie. The other woman in the film is Catherine Zeta-Jones who was okay. Not that good and not that bad either. Her character was bad though, but that's another aspect. In terms of acting, she did what she could do to save her character's uninteresting life. Byung-hun Lee had so much potential in this movie. I love his character except for the third part where it all went downhill. Not his fault though, once again, all the blame is on the script. Last actor I'll mention is Anthony Hopkins. He is one of the reasons why I really wanted to watch the movie. It's Anthony Hopkins for heaven's sake. Watching Anthony Hopkins was entertaining but with a little bit of annoyance from time to time but still tolerable. I like how flexible his character is and how he plays it. Anthony Hopkins is able to put on a good show despite being in a movie that no one may want to see twice. 

In terms of the technical aspects, I noticed how the film had some trouble in terms of its continuity. I usually don't mind them as long as it only happens once but I noticed more than couple of them throughout the film. Other than that, the rest were all good. 

Overall, Red 2 was a good try but a miss. If you're looking for some good old action-comedy film, then you have nothing to see here. If you're looking for a good action film, still nothing to see here. A comedy film? Not even close. But if you just wanna kill and waste time, then you might want to consider this.

Rating: 1.5/5

Side Effects: May Include Brain Damage

I don't really mean the title in a literal sense and not even in a bad sense. The movie was great and it would make you think a lot, hence the brain damage. Unless of course you like these types of movies.

Emily (Rooney Mara) is reunited with his husband Martin (Channing Tatum) who was imprisoned for four years due to insider trading. Hoping to start a new life with her husband does not go smoothly since for some unknown reason, she's going under depression and almost killed herself. Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law), a psychiatrist, takes Emily under his care and prescribes anti-depressants but none of them seem to work at all. Dr. Banks visits Emily's former doctor (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and suggests that he give Emily a new drug called Ablixa. Dr. Banks, knowing Ablixa is still new and experimental, reluctantly allows Emily to take it after another suicide attempt. Miraculously, the drug works on her this time and she manages to live her life normally again with a minor side effect which is sleepwalking. The movie doesn't end there though since all hell breaks loose when Emily kills her husband while sleepwalking. Emily is confined to a mental hospital and not prison since she was not fully aware of her actions when she killed her wife. Dr. Banks career however starts to crumble since he was the one who prescribed the faulty drug to Emily. With his pride and name on the line, he investigates to know what went wrong and as he digs deeper, he finds himself in a bigger mess and the truth behind all the lies.

This movie reminds me of the medical thriller movie Contagion which was also directed by Steven Soderbergh. Both films are great in their own extraordinary way. Personally I couldn't really relate to the concept of the movie. We Filipinos don't really make use of anti-depressants that much since we are happy in nature and if we're depressed, family and friends are always there. On the bright side, I appreciate that Soderbergh introduces the culture of a country reliant on anti-depressant drugs when coping up with, of course, depression. Correct me if I'm wrong but that's one of the themes I saw in the movie; a country reliant on these types of drugs that they have an advertisement for it on television. The fact that I mention this means that here in my country, we don't have those types of ads. 

Cultural differences aside, I really appreciate the build-up of the story. The first thirty minutes really shows Emily struggling with her depression. Very realistic and convincing. Rooney Mara's acting is so good that even her character, Emily, acts so well (you'll get what I mean when you watch it). Jude Law and Catherine Zeta-Jones also give stellar performances in this movie. The way they bring life to their characters is amazing. The characterization was well done. Each character had his/her own distinct and strong characteristic that leaves a huge first impression but this impression is constantly challenged as the film continues to unravel.

The story is very interesting and even has a Hitchcock vibe into it. A dramatic and thrilling build up followed by a twist and turn of events will keep you at the edge of your seat and keep you guessing as well. The first half is focused on Emily and her struggles from depression while the second half follows the struggles Dr. Banks on his quest to clear his name. There is an attachment from the viewer to the character as the characters struggle with the conflicts they have. You are no longer a mere viewer of the film; you are part of the film.  The first half would make you sympathize with Emily as she goes through her depression and confinement and by the second half, you investigate and find clues with Dr. Banks as he tries to clear up his name. By the time the big surprise is revealed, the sense of accomplishment is not limited to the character but in you as well.

Soderbergh is really a great director. What I really love about him is his consistent and noticeable directing style. Having watched Behind the Candelabra and Side Effects in succession made me appreciate it more. You don't really need to see both films to notice it since watching one would already prove my point. The way he wants it edited and shot is very apparent. He does this jump cuts from one sequence to another which actually works. He sure knows how to make the audience remember him. 

The cinematography is awesome as well. The simple use of depth of field gives a whole new meaning to a shot. I took notice of a scene in a cruise ship where Emily starts crying and goes out to the ship deck for a fresh air. The camera is still inside the party hall but pans through a transparent glass where we see Martin follow and comfort her and while this is happening, the reflection of the guests inside the room is seen on the transparent glass as they look at the couple outside. Genius, rather than having the camera outside and see the guests from the inside looking at them.

The musical score was eerie and mysterious, a perfect fit for a movie like this. Not over the top and domineering. Just right.

In conclusion, Side Effects is a great thriller film. May not exactly be for everyone since it requires a great load of patience and analytical skills. There may be a few dull moments but it's not really worth fretting over. Might not be a good idea to watch this when you're depressed though since it might give you ideas.

Rating: 3.5/5