Let's take a minute to appreciate the brilliance here, because no one sums up "unlikely action star" like Helen Mirren. She's a dame. A dame, and she's kicking ass. Before Red, we knew her as the queen of the silver screen- quite literally too - as she was famed for her Oscar-winning performance as Elizabeth II. Her innately regal persona lends itself well to royalty, which is probably why she's played three different queens in her time. Even early in her career, in films like O Lucky Man! and The Long Good Friday, she displayed trademark grace. Who would have thought we'd see her starring alongside Bruce Willis... and rocking a handgun so mercilessly? Look at that face. So much for regal harmlessness. She'd beat you down and act cold and uncaring about it afterwards. In Red and Red 2, Helen Mirren forms part of a highly skilled squad of whoopass. Which is exactly what you need when an assassin is threatening the peace. It was a surprising change of direction for her at the time, and displayed another layer to her repertoire. And while we're unlikely to see her in many more action blockbusters, her appearance in Red proved to be a breath of fresh air in a genre riddled with usually cliched and humdrum characters.
Mike Revell is the author of STONEBIRD (Quercus, 2015), and is an award-winning journalist. He has written for the Mirror and NFL UK. He lives near Cambridge, and has an unhealthy obsession with American football, Doctor Who, and Game of Thrones.
