It was once said 'better off dead than red.” In this funny, fast paced action movie, RED equals dead. These retired spooks are targeted for assassination because of some obscure mission in Guatemala almost 30 years ago. Bruce Willis is trying to lead a normal life (if you count tearing up pension checks just to talk to the wonderful Mary Louise Parker normal). Morgan Freeman is dying of cancer. Helen Mirren runs a bed and breakfast (and takes the odd freelance assassin job on the side). And John Malkovich is paranoid beyond all belief. There's a lot here that's familiar and by the numbers. But the actors are so likable and Malkovich and Parker are so good, it's hard to not enjoy this movie. It's not great, but it's one of those films that you'll stop and watch 10 years from now when you see the 300th rerun on AMC. — Alan Yudman