The Red Situation

The Red Situation
Directed by	Andrew Gillian
Produced by	Andrew Gillian Brian Jarvis
Written by	Andrew Gillian
Based on	Various animated series by Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon
Starring	Christian Bale Michael Caine
Music by	Mark Hannan
Cinematography	Charlie Wheeler
Edited by	Chris Dickens
Production companies	Paramount Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures Nickelodeon Movies Cartoon Network Studios Gillian/Jarvis Studios
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date	September 18, 2007
Running time	105 minutes
Country	United Kingdom United States
Language	English
Budget	$115 million
Box office	$356.4 million

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The Red Situation is a 2007 science fiction action film written and directed by Andrew Gillian, produced by Gillian and Brian Jarvis, and based on various animated series from Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. It stars Christian Bale and Michael Caine as two unsuspecting victims for two ecumenopolis planets in space, who use them to find out which side is better.

The film is the very first piece of media to feature both Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network characters in the same environment. British director Andrew Gillian took years to convince both studios to make a crossover with their animated characters. Gillian wanted to direct and write the film and have it at a PG-13 (a 12 in the UK) in order to attract a larger audience. As well as the crossover, the film also shows an extensive amount of action sequences involving cars and fighting, a first for a live-action/animated film. Gillian also had to convince the creators of the shows to get involved, which the majority did. The film was a co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States.

Both Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures released the film on September 18, 2007. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised its visuals, action sequence, balance of humour, whilst noting its dark humour, particularly at the end when Michael Caine's character John is left to die in CNC's dungeons.

Plot

Millions of light-years from Earth, two industrial ecumenopolis planets named Nicktoons City (NTC) and Cartoon Network City (CNC) in the galaxy of Toonation have been at war for many years. NTC robot scientist and superhero Dr. Jenny Wakeman discovers communication with Earth into the Milky Way via a portal through the Multiverse, with the documents of the discovery being leaked to CNC rival scientist Dexter. With both planets having access to Earth communication, they use the technology to create human allies in order to maintain their metaphorical strength. NTC contact an alcoholic and widower David Marshall, whose wife has just died of terminal cancer, by hacking his television in southern England. CNC then get a hold of London businessman and CEO John Murdock, who only agrees to join if he is paid a hefty amount of money. David joins them after finding no other purpose in life and also gives up drinking to focus.

Both sides briefly and silently agree to active the Red Situation, a period that indicates that tensions have dramatically risen between them. Dexter assigns John with murdering anyone who disagrees with CNC standards, with their number one suspect being David. NTC notice CNC’s assignments and tell David to find John and stop him before he kills anyone. John heads off to the quiet rural town of Leighmouth in Hampshire as it is one of the most densely populated towns in England. Meanwhile, crime in both cities rise as more attacks on bars and educational centres take a toll on the populations. One attack on a bar leaves many injured and one dead. A group, known as the Toon Force, convince the city council to give Jenny full control of the Multiverse project as she has more experience than the politicians.

David, in his car, is mysteriously pointed to Leighmouth by his GPS without his knowledge but follows it as it may give him a clue to stop John. Whilst driving there, he talks with Jenny, who tells him that she has pinpointed John to Leighmouth and as sent coordinates to his GPS. Jenny then implants a camera so she can see what he sees which can make her identify John. When David arrives, John takes refuge in the local pub after CNC contacted him and told him that David was coming. Searching the town, David doesn’t find John. When he enters the pub, he tells the bartender for the information of John, to which he lies, a lie that John told him to tell because of his influence. David heads to the back and eventually finds him, resulting in a shootout between the two. John attempts to escape the pub out the back, but David intercepts him and knocks him out. David takes him to his car and tells Jenny that he stopped John, but John wakes up, attacks David again, and escapes to his car.

Two engage in a brief chase into a local forest before David knocks John off the road, leaving John unconscious again. NTC approve of the attack, and call on CNC to give up, but they refuse. Because of this, both sides engage in military combat for the very first time. Whilst John is unconscious, Jenny transports David to her laboratory where a few other toons are looking over. She explains that both sides have a military twice the size of the US military and that now either him or John must die or else a definite winner of the war cannot be chosen otherwise. Dexter meanwhile transports John to his laboratory and tells him the same when he is awoken from his knockout. A bridge is created between the two planets and a set of armies from both sides engage in a duel. This ends with most of CNC’s armies falling off to their death.

During a tour, John and David spot each other again and engage in a fight, egged on by both Jenny and Dexter. John has the upper hand, bringing CNC back in power, but David overpowers him, giving NTC the overall win. David punches John through a window and is then transported back to the forest. He gets in his damaged car and drives off, but that’s before he is transported to a desolate highway surrounded by trees and rivers. Behind him, John is driving a new car with a sinister claw attached to it. David drives off and John follows closely, they engage in another chase which CNC and NTC think will decide which planet wins the battle. John comes close to killing David but when a viaduct up ahead is collapsing, David, who is in front of John, crosses the bridge before it collapses. This leaves John to fall into the river, trapped in his car but not dead. Despite this, the outcome is that NTC win due to David staying on the ground, unlike John.

NTC thanks David for his help and is awarded with enough money to pay off some incoming bills. John meanwhile is transported to the dungeons of CNC, never to be seen again and with a woman replaced as the CEO of his company.

Music

The Red Situation (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
📅 Released	September 30, 2007
🎙️ Recorded	February-April 2007
Studio	Atlantic Records
Genre	Score
⏳ Length	56:35
🏷️ Label	Soundtrack album by Mark Hannan
🤑 Producer	Mark Hannan

Buy this album The Red Situation or listen to it on amazon

The score was composed by English composer Mark Hannan and used a mix of fast orchestral tunes and electronic beats, which was to make the movie look more modern for the generation it was released in.

Track No.	Title	Length
01.	Opening (Toonation)	2:43
02.	First Contact	1:21
03.	David's Life	0:43
04.	John's Life	1:43
05.	The Hacking of the Television	2:04
06.	Broken Desk	0:14
07.	To Leighmouth	5:23
08.	Bar Attack	6:34
09.	The Head of the Project	1:32
10.	GPS Sender	0:32
11.	David Tries to Find John / In the Bar	3:16
12.	The Fight	3:42
13.	Near the Edge	1:13
14.	David in Nicktoons City	0:32
15.	John in Cartoon Network City	0:41
16.	Space Battle	7:52
17.	Bridge Conflict	3:16
18.	Another Fight	1:56
19.	David in the Nowhere Place	1:02
20.	Car Chase to Viaduct	3:47
21.	David's Prize	0:32
22.	Never Seen Again / New CEO	1:32
23.	End Credits	4:43

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