I think maybe there’s an interesting wider trend in here somewhere about how women are filmed when they do action sequences or violence. I remember ‘graf looking at Salt for this site and commenting that the camera rarely pointed at what the heroine was doing, choosing instead to focus on *her* face at moments of gore. Compare Craig’s Bond, where we see the effect of his actions as well as the act.

I still haven’t seen RED, because when around half the team went I stayed home to do some site admin here! Might have to get the DVD.

However, my wife and I came out of the film beaming – it’s so much fun!

Well, as romantic as you can get whilst one partner is bleeding to death from a bullet wound.

OTOH, I spent half the movie waiting for Morgan Freeman’s inevitable return to the fold. I mean, come on: with the first death fake out, and the irrelevance of his second “death”, and the fact that no one admitted to shooting him – there’s no possible narrative way he could actually be dead.

Right?

Yes, basically.

(Spoilers for the comic comin’ up:)

1) There is no relationship between Paul (Frank) and Sally (Sarah) – or rather there is, but it’s not a romantic one.
2) The comic is not a comedy. It’s a three issue short story about Paul being the baddest badass who ever badassed.

Yes, ugh. I was genuinely surprised at that particular turn around. I mean, yes, he does save her life when she’s drugged, but that’s really not enough, is it, to counterbalance the fact that he literally kidnapped her with little-to-no explanation at the beginning.

So, so sad at Inevitable Dead Black Dude. MORGAN, WHY. MORGAN, I LOVE YOU, MORGAN.

So yes. I should, really, have mentioned those things. But I was too busy with my GLEE TUBE.

GLEE TUBE.

When I first saw the film (and I should hasten to add that in general my impression is of OVERWHELMING GLEE AND AWESOME and I am still SPECTACULARLY EXCITED and Warren Ellis has bought his daughter a pony with the money from this film, did you know that? A PONY) I was disturbed – and I am still disturbed – by the abusive-turned-“fluffy” nature of the relationship between Frank and Sarah. I don’t think the transition from “kidnapper” to “lover” was handled as elegantly and it could have been and it leaves a slightly bitter taste in my mouth.

I mean, “You can’t just go around duct-taping people” – but – what consequences does the film show for kidnapping of a young woman? She falls into his arms…

Oh, and Inevitable Dead Black Dude, of course. :(

BUT. Those things aside. THIS IS AN AWESOME MOVIE. And anything is going to have flaws. And it still does lots of things better than anything anywhere else ever. HELEN MIRREN. MACHINE GUN.