Red (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:26
Fresh:18
Rotten:8
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: This vengeance film leans heavily on attack-and-avenge scenarios but performances by Brian Cox's and Tom Sizemore's take the stink out of any weaker scripting.
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Aug 8, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: From its first scene, Red rivets you like a classic page-turner. Set in small-town America, Red derives its title from a 14-year-old dog that is the sole companion of Avery (Brian Cox), an older... [More]
Starring: Brian Cox, Noel Fisher, Kyle Gallner, Tom Sizemore
Director: Trygve Allister Diesen, Lucky McKee
Reviews for Red
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
 3/4 |
The hero in Red doesn't want revenge. He wants an apology. This isn't your ordinary vigilante film. Full Review |
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5/5 |
Red is the best Ketchum adaptation to date, just edging out The Girl Next Door. It earns this achievement thanks to Brian Cox's amazing performance. Full Review |
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3/4 |
...a deliberately paced and downright thoughtful piece of work. Full Review |
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4/5 |
An elegant and deceptively straightforward dramatic thriller. Full Review |
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 2.5/4 |
A movie that's completely out of its tree. Full Review |
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3.5/5 |
A low-key but compelling thriller that refuses to follow the traditional vengeance movie template. Full Review |
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The movie's escalating series of tit-for-tat revenge ploys becomes a bit tedious even at 95 minutes, but Cox and a rich (if not always well-served) supporting cast that includes Tom Sizemore, Amanda Plummer, and Robert Englund keep it more than watchable. Full Review |
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A- |
A final quarter sentimental streak clashes with the masochistic pleasure of watching middle America close ranks against a victim who can't even bark in his own defense. Full Review |
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C- |
Begins promisingly and then swerves into absurdity. Full Review |
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3/4 |
What makes this movie worth seeing is the acting, which is superb throughout. Full Review |
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B |
Along with Shotgun Stories, Felon, and a few other recent 'indie pulps,' Red is part of a wave of low-budget genre films that turn injustice into an abstract force ripping decent folk apart. Full Review |
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2.5/5 |
Once Avery's mission assumes a Freudian dimension, the allegory loses its moral force and changes from a meditation on justice, power and inequality into a gory melodrama. Full Review |
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3.5/5 |
As Diesen fades out with a pat, artificially full-circle ending, we still appreciate how Red danced on the edge of the Movie-of-the-Week abyss and, thanks to Cox and the careful tending of Jack Ketchum’s original novel, never fell in. Full Review |
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2/6 |
The lesson to be taken away from Red is that, after some killin', the only thing that can make someone feel better is a new puppy. Full Review |
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Somewhere along the line someone should have taken a long, hard look at the excesses of the ending and changed course. Full Review |
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This powerful, elemental drama hits all the buttons, probably to a fault, but it’s helped along by fine performances all around. Full Review |
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2.5/4 |
The film's climax ultimately seems less an example of its protagonist's irrational fury than of cockeyed storytelling. Full Review |
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It’s Brian Cox’s powerful but low-key performance and an abiding respect for animals that can’t defend themselves that invest this simple, straightforward narrative with an understated passion that is unforgettable. Full Review |
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2/5 |
This movie has a humungous amount of problems, but I think that its absolute worst sin is that it’ll make you think that the Jack Ketchum novel is some sort of Oprah’s book of the month reject. Full Review |
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B |
Animal lovers may or may not like the way that the principal character gets revenge on a young man who killed his dog. Full Review |
CommentLatest News for Red
July 20, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review 
More...
July 01, 2008:
Edinburgh 2008: What to Watch
We share twenty of the best films screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, currently running in the Scottish city. More...
June 18, 2008:
RT's First Critical Consensus Award to be Presented at Edinburgh Film Festival
A panel of leading film critics will present the Rotten Tomatoes Critical Consensus Award 2008 to one of a shortlist of films playing at this year's Edinburgh International Film... More...
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