"“Doesn't take itself seriously in the slightest, as an ultimately enjoyable film that combines the action and comedy genres sufficiently...”"

Dean Parisot's Red 2 is almost a carbon-copy of the first of the franchise. Be that in the style, the humour or even the storyline – the two screwball comedies share various similarities. Which means one of two things; either you really enjoyed the first Red and will therefore appreciate this second offering. Or alternatively, you really weren't a fan of the 2010 production and should probably steer clear of this sequel.

Retired C.I.A. agent Frank (Bruce Willis) is finally ready and willing to settle down and live a quiet, monotonous life with his other half Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), where eating in is preferred to eating out. However when he is visited by his former elite operative teammate Marvin (John Malkovich) it seems that one final job is to be undertaken, as the trio set out to Europe, in a bid to track down a hugely destructive nuclear device. With the law enforcement on their tail, and the world's most feared assassin after them (Byung-hun Lee), tracking down this device may just be a harder task than they had initially envisaged, as Frank's cravings for a night at home in front of the telly intensify.

In much of the same vein as the first, Red 2 doesn't take itself seriously in the slightest, as an ultimately enjoyable film that combines the action and comedy genres sufficiently. It must be commended for such an approach, as you can't fault the fun to be had within this film. Plus we get the chance to see Dame Helen Mirren holding two guns. Not one, but two guns. You can't complain with that. That said, the jovial tone is sometimes rather harmful, as we seem without any real, evil antagonist. Every time someone seems like a genuine adversary, a comic touch is implemented and we see them in a more affable light, as we don't really have anyone to truly fear, which regrettably impacts on the narrative.

Fortunately the credentials of this immensely impressive cast – which also boasts the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones and David Thewlis, ensure that Red 2 is not a disaster. The script is mediocre to say the least and the story is lacking in any originality at all – however you simply can't fault the acting on show, as a much needed touch of professionalism and class is added to proceedings. Malkovich is the stand out performer, stealing the show with brilliant comic timing. His face just has a look of bewilderment smacked across it, as though he never quite knows what it is he'll be doing beyond the next five minutes.

Red 2 is exceedingly easy to indulge in, while you get to see lots of Europe, which is always gratifying up on the big screen. However it peaks and troughs, and despite the occasional scene or moment that is wonderfully judged and riotously entertaining – there are a handful of sequences where the only fit way of bearing them, is to nip to the loo and avoid them altogether.