1- Red

This was the first movie that I decided to watch in 09. Well the first complete movie as I finished watching Defiance which I had started on New Year's Eve. I decided to watch this after hearing Tim talk about it. I figured that this was going to be a standard revenge movie. It's a pretty standard formula, person is wronged then decides to go a rampage for blood. Part of the reason I figured it would play out like this was the poster above. Brian Cox looks like a damn creep, and the tagline is "They should have told the truth." If that doesn't spell rampage then I don't know what does. Well it doesn't quite play out that way though it was a pretty good movie anyways (for awesome movies that do follow this formula then check out the Death Wish series, Taken, and if you're willing to watch something a bit worse Death Sentence). 

The plot of Red is basically that Avery Ludlow (Brian Cox) is a widower out fishing with his dog Red when some rowdy teenagers decide to rob him. Unfortunately he only has thirty dollars which angers the teens and they decide to shoot Red. Red was a gift from his dead wife on his 50th, so needles to say Avery was pretty attached. Some clever detective work coupled with the fact that it's a pretty small town and soon he has located the boys who did it. He goes to their father to try to get them to apologize as well as a promise that the boys will be punished. Well typically the father believes that there is no way that his kids could have done such a horrible thing, and when the boys deny doing the deed he believes them. The movie unfolds from there with Avery trying to get justice for Red. One thing is certain...they should have told the truth. 

I wouldn't say that I wholeheartedly recommend this movie, but if you are interested at all in revenge movies and want to see one that is a little different then Red is right up your alley. Also check it out if you're a fan of Brian Cox who I quite liked in X-2 as well as playing Herman Goering in the otherwise regrettable Nuremburg TV movie. The head bully Danny is played by Noel Fisher who was also great in the now cancelled FX drama The Riches as the teenage son Cal.