Let me be upfront: there is nothing socially redeeming about Red 2, the new movie starring Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker,  Catherine Zeta-Jones and Anthony Hopkins. There is no great cinematic moral message. There is no Oscar worthy script. Nadda.

What there is, though, is one hell of a fun movie. I’ve had a rough week. After two days in the hospital, being poked, prodded and tested, I needed a break. Along with my wife and neighbors, the Monroes, we went to dinner at Fuji’s Japanese Steak House and then over to Tinsel Town to catch a show.

We had seen Red a few months ago, and were pleasantly surprised. So seeing the second movie in the series was being released, made it one of top movies for us to see this summer.

I can’t remember the last time I laughed out loud so often in a theater. The action is superb, if a bit over the top, but that’s why you see a movie like this. If you there hoping to see the next Lawrence of Arabia, you’ve already screwed up.

The movie is superbly cast. Willis as the tough, retired C.I.A. agent, Parker as his put upon girlfriend, play off of each other well. And Malkovich steals scene after scene with just his facial expressions. The women loved the addition of Byung-hun Lee, from G.I. Joe fame.

I’m not going to go into a long plot description. Hell, I’m not even going to go into a short one. This post is not about what the movie is about, but what the movie does. It makes you laugh, keeps you entertained and allows you to leave the theater in a great mood.

If you want to know more about the movie, then this trailer is for you:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1933551385/

Good food, great friends and a movie worth the money. The week could not have ended any better.