There’s really nothing to look forward to about growing old. Not only are we likely to have hair grow where it once didn’t and lose hair where it once did, we also have to put up with watching a bunch of actors, who are all old enough to travel on buses for free, still looking in great nick in this latest release. It’s all wrong.

Although not quite a pipe and slippers kind of guy, Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is struggling with retirement. It’s no surprise considering he’s a former CIA agent. Right now though, the only action he’s getting is in flirting innocently with Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), a customer service agent for his pension company, over the phone.

When he gets some unwelcome guests in the middle of the night, he realises that his phone must have been tapped, meaning that Sarah is also at risk. He then hits the road, heading off to Kansas City in an attempt to protect his phone friend. Although far from being willing to tag along, Frank has no other choice than to take Sarah with him, as the pair set off in an attempt to uncover why he’s suddenly a marked man.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, as his road trip sets off a strong whiff of nostalgia as he crosses the paths of many of his elderly peers, who are all up (knees pending) for helping him out. Frank’s happy to see that the old gang still have fight in them, but he still has to work out who it is they should actually be fighting.

Loosely based on a three-part mini-series comic of the same name by DC in 2003, RED (Retired, Extremely Dangerous) is a fun OAP romp with a great cast. Not only does it have Willis at the helm, but it also includes John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren and Brian Cox. Sadly however, the premise is more engaging than the execution.

Although Robert Schwentke is no stranger to directing (his CV includes Flightplan and The Time Traveller’s Wife), he appears a little out of his depth with the action genre. Regularly throughout the film he has the tendency to over direct scenes; not only is there no subtlety in their delivery, but their implementation is also heavily laboured. He makes a Michael Bay film look like a work of art.

On top of that, he has no idea how to handle a soundtrack. It’s as if he’s got a double album on a loop throughout, over-punctuating already cluttered action scenes in the process. Some of it is actually pretty good, particularly the more jazzy numbers, but someone should have told him that he wasn’t making a musical.

And then there’s the story itself. Most of the time it’s not altogether clear not only who Bruce and the rest of the gang are running from, but why. Don’t be surprised if you feel exactly the same way as the end credits roll. It shouldn’t be complicated, but in Schwentke’s hands it is. It’s difficult not to feel that with a more competent director on board, RED could have been something a bit special.

Thankfully Schwentke doesn’t completely run it into the ground. There’s a great vibe between Willis and Parker, and Malkovich especially appears to really revel in his comic moments. And although Freeman’s character is a bit of the gooseberry in the equation and a tad redundant, Cox manages to yet again put in an enjoyable performance.

If you’re a fan of the BBC show New tricks – about a bunch of old police farts with a bit of life in them yet – this is the big screen equivalent, albeit one with guns and chase scenes, as well as a superior cast. It’s a great idea, just let down by its own clunkiness.

With a sequel recently announced however, there’s a slight chance that there may be something to look forward to in this cast’s old age.