Let's face it, what makes this movie and its predecessor so much fun has very little to do with the plot. This is about the characters and some fun dialogue. Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is a retired CIA hit man who has finally found love with Sarah (Mary Louise Parker) and has retired to a quiet suburb. The problem is that Sarah got a taste of his former life in the first movie. And she LIKES it. So when ex-partner and professional paranoid Marvin (John Malkovich) turns back up she's ready to go even if Frank isn't. Turns out a CIA project that was supposed to be finished years ago (closed out by one of the few mistakes Frank's team ever made) has re-surfaced. In true movie fashion the evil suits in the Intelligence community decide to cover it all up by killing everyone involved. Like Frank and Marvin. The delightfully psychotic assassin Victoria (Helen Mirren) is given the contract to take them out. Along the way we meet the genius behind the threat (and the focus of the mistake years ago) Dr. Edward Bailey (Anthony Hopkins, who plays him to the very edge. Hopkins flips from comic absent minded professor to Hannibal Lecter between breaths. Really astounding work to make it all fit together). Add in Russian agent and Franks former flame Katya (Catherine Zeta-Jones. Hate the bangs but for her I'd forgive almost anything) and you have some serious fun ready to go.
The dialogue crackles at the same tempo as the action. And the movie is laugh out loud funny from beginning to end. Here's a clue how much fun these movies are. My family saw the first one together and when the sequel came out we drove 3 hours so we could watch it together as well.
Rating -**** Recommended
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