SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE MOVIE OR READ THE COMIC!
Can we please take a minute to appreciate the fact that they pretty much just animated Bruce Willis for the comic
The movie is based on a three issue comic series written by Warren Ellis. The story is about Frank Moses, a retired black-ops agent who the new director of the CIA decides is too dangerous to leave alive. The story is pretty much a one man killing spree that ends with Frank about to go out in a blaze of gunfire. As a short comic this is good, but there just wasn’t enough meat here to make the large pot of stew that is a two-hour action movie.
So they had to load in some broth and potatoes, and what a tasty broth it is.
The overall tone of the movie is much lighter and funnier than the comic, and a big part of that is the addition of characters. In the comic Frank is a lone wolf out for blood. In the movie he actually has friends who help him, and they’re all funny. Helen Mirren is a polite killing machine, Morgan Freeman is a sly old bastard,
and John Malkovich is bat shit insane!
Mary-Louise Parker’s character, Sarah, is given a much bigger role in the story too. In the comic she is Frank’s handler who he talks on the phone with frequently. In the movie he calls her about his pension checks frequently so they can flirt. She also goes on the run with him (at first against her will) and by the end they fall in love. Because among all the guns and explosions you need some romance.
The sequel came out a few weeks ago, but at this point the story has virtually nothing to do with the comic. It does look awesome as fuck though.
