Movie goers love action flicks. They love romantic comedies. And apparently they love grumpy old geezers doing both.

In "Red," Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren play former top CIA agents, but now they're retired. And now they're thetargets. I have to admit, I still don't really understand the plot of this one. There's an assassination, and this team is being framed, so they break into CIA headquarters to try and unravel a huge, secret government conspiracy.

Then there's the romantic comedy portion of our program. Bruce Willis is sweet on Mary-Louise Parker (of "Weeds" fame), although he's never met her. But he decides that, after masked men shoot up and burn down his home, now might be a good time for a visit. Parker then gets caught up in the action, and hilarity ensues.

Willis, Freeman, Malkovich, Mirren and Parker play along gamely. Willis is exactly what you want in a stone-faced action star. Freeman is that same calm, reassuring presence you've come to rely on. Mirren gives Martha Stewart a run for her money, except that she can also handle an assault weapon. And Malkovich is just plain crazy. And Parker is adorable and goofy. They're trying really, really hard to make this funny and exciting, and I tried really, really hard to stay interested, but none of us succeeded as well as I would have liked. The story, as with all action films nowadays is unnecessarily over-complicated, and it just screams, "See, you younguns! We old folks are wiser and more experienced, so suck it!" That would be fine except they then have to give Willis a love interest who's a decade his junior. (At least Parker isn't as young as Willis' real-life love interests. That's progress.) And they do give Mirren an age-appropriate beau in Brian Cox.

This is complete brain candy. It's a fun ride that you won't think about for a second once you leave the theatre. It won't hurt you to see it, but it won't enrich you, either.