RED: Frank (Willis) is a former black-ops CIA agent living a quiet life alone… until the day a hit squad shows up to kill him. With his identity compromised, Frank reassembles his old team — Joe (Freeman), Marvin (Malkovich), and Victoria (Mirren) — and sets out to prove that they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Stand back and watch the bullets fly in this explosive action-comedy that critics call “A rip-roaring good time” (Kevin Steincross, Fox-TV).
RED 2: Retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses (Willis) reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device. To succeed, they’ll need to survive assassins, terrorists, and power-crazed government officials, all eager to get their hands on the superweapon.
For thoughts on The RED Collection, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
RED and RED 2 arrive on 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation in 2.39:1. The two films in The RED Collection are the exact same discs that were released seven years ago in 2017, only this time in new exclusive packaging. Both of these were shot on film and finished with a 2K DI, and they have been given a 4K UHD upscale with Dolby Vision. These two efforts are pretty strong with the sequel showing off the most. There are moments in the first film that feature some excessive digital noise, but other than that it makes for a solid upscale.
The uptick in detail is nominal but welcome alongside the deep colors of the environment, the textures of the outfits, and the production design of the numerous locales explored. Black levels are incredibly deep and detailed with digital noise and crush rarely present on the screen. The natural film grain holds together well and reveals some remarkable facets. Brighter scenes impress with wondrous clarity and a strong handle of highlights that show no evidence of blooming. The 4K presentation provides a depth of field that simply cannot be replicated as well with the accompanying Blu-Ray. Skin tones look very consistent throughout and show a lovely amount of facial detail. Hues look more natural in this presentation with moments of fiery explosions radiating off the screen with force. Overall, these are really good 4K UHD presentations that offer a fine uptick on multiple fronts.
Audio Quality
These 4K UHD Blu-Ray releases boast a Dolby Atmos track that improves upon the already excellent DTS-HD 5.1 and 7.1 Master Audio tracks on the previous Blu-Ray releases. These soundscapes bring the house down throughout with action always around the corner once things get cooking. Dialogue emanates clearly without getting drowned out by the score or any sound effects. As the characters travel from location to location, the sounds of the world flow out of your side, rear, and overhead speakers. Each sound is precisely placed with pinpoint spatial awareness.
The track utilizes all of the channels with panning effects and sounds of action-packed moments that make you feel like you are in the thick of it. These movies feature some formidable sound design that comes through flawlessly. The environmental effects make an impression naturally. There is an incredible amount of activity in the low end when the moment calls for it. The score and soundtrack utilized come through with an ideal fidelity. Lionsgate has cut no corners with these tracks, so those with a good surround sound setup should have a blast. There are English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles provided for the two films.
Special Features
Lionsgate has provided The RED Collection with an optional sleek new SteelBook available exclusively at Wal-Mart that is truly lovely in person. You can see a video of the set at the top of this review. The on-disc content is as follows:
RED
- Audio Commentary: Retired CIA Field Officer Robert Baer provides a unique commentary track that offers a consultant’s point of view of what the film gets right along with the dramatic license taken with certain elements. There are some slower moments, but there are many interesting anecdotes worth hearing.
- Deleted & Extended Scenes: There are ten scenes totaling just over nine minutes of unused material provided.
- Access – RED: A picture-in-picture video track on the Blu-Ray that features both random and film-related trivia and factoids, cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, expert commentary on real-life CIA procedure, a look into controversial CIA operations, and more.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.
- Easter Egg: An 11-minute look at the VFX work in the film can be found by pushing the down arrow button when hovering over the special features tab on the Blu-Ray disc.
RED 2
- The RED 2 Experience: A four-part making-of piece totaling 35 minutes is provided here that delves into various aspects of the production.
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- The Cast (13:31)
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- The Weapons (8:03)
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- The Spy Gear & Tactics (5:35)
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- The Stunts (7:32)
- Gag Reel: A nearly five-minute collection of flubbed lines, ruined takes, laughing fits, and more.
- Deleted Scenes: A nearly five-minute collection of unused material is provided here.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
The RED Collection contains two films that deliver on the promise of solid laughs and thrilling action sequences carried out by a fun ensemble. The first film is superior thanks to the sense of discovery that comes from learning about these characters and the rules of this world. The second film follows a more standard mission route, but it has enough raw energy and the returning characters to keep you engaged. There are some shortcomings when it comes to dialogue and pacing, but more often than not you can forgive these blips. You get what is advertised, and sometimes that is enough. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray set featuring a great A/V presentation and a decent array of supplemental features all in a beautiful new SteelBook. Recommended
The RED Collection is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook exclusively at Wal-Mart.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.