The retired and extremely dangerous spies of "Red" are back. Bruce Willis leads the charge on the action-comedy sequel directed by "Galaxy Quest" veteran Dean Parisot, with an all-star cast in tow: returning players John Malkovich and Helen Mirren, plus new marquee names like Anthony Hopkins and Cathereine Zeta-Jones.

But even with a star-studded array of talent, "Red 2" isn't a homerun for everyone. Critics are divided right down the middle on the sequel, its familiarity appealing to someone and repelling to others. If you're looking for more of the same, it sounds like you'll enjoy "Red." If not, well, you won't.

Read on for highlights from the "Red" reviews.

The Story
"Willis once again plays Frank Moses, a 'Retired, Extremely Dangerous' CIA agent who now mock-enthusiastically shuffles up and down the aisles at his local Costco in an effort to stave off the boredom of domestic anonymity. His girlfriend Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), who is decidedly less excited about accumulating enormous quantities of perishable goods, is thrilled by the prospect of some bona fide action after Frank's longtime pal Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich) shows up, insisting that Interpol is after them. But when Marvin's conspiracy theories prove true, the three of them set out to find who's been pursuing them and why, eventually reconnecting with former colleague Victoria (Helen Mirren) and Frank's ex-girlfriend Miranda (Catherine Zeta-Jones) as they simultaneously discover an international plot to set off a nuclear weapon in the heart of Russia — which they are going to be blamed for, if they can't stop it." — Todd Gilchrist, Read More →

A lot of artists like to say they do things their way. But if, or when Macklemore & Ryan Lewis take the stage to pick up some hardware at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards on August 25, they could truly make history for DIYers.

You see, with the exception of a few artists on independent labels over the past few years (Matt and Kim, Childish Gambino, Duck Sauce, Mims), nearly every nominee in the 30-year history of the VMAs has been on a major label or major affiliate. But, Mack & Lewis are not just on an independent label, they are the label, which puts them in a completely different stratosphere.

The Seattle duo are tied with Justin Timberlake for the most nominations this year with six each &#8212 a fact that gives Mack great pleasure.

"Technology is obviously changing music," he told MTV News, about what allowed the pair to release The Heist on their own Macklemore label and score three #1 hits and accompanying videos over the past year. "The availability for people to film their own music videos in 2013 is so much more advanced that it was 10 years ago. Fifteen years ago it was almost impossible to film your own music video without the backing of a major label. I think that that's the dope thing."

First, they scored a #1 with their massive hit whose low-budget video has been viewed more than 376 million times on YouTube on its way to scoring a nom for the coveted Video of the Year ...

After scoring a runaway hit with the gritty 2011 thriller "Drive," actor Ryan Gosling and director Nicolas Winding Refn are re-teaming for another synth-pop infused romp in

Set in a neon-drenched Bangkok, the film follows the drug-smuggling Julian (Gosling), whose unhinged mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) convinces him to avenge the murder of his brother. (A plot which Gosling told MTV News reminded him of a certain video game.)

Yet, while "Drive" sped into critical-darling territory following its debut at the Cannes International Film Festival, "Only God Forgives" seems to be stalled at the start. Check out what the critics have to say.

The Story
" 'Only God Forgives' doesn't have a script so much as a body count. Its characters, even the one played by Gosling (his name is Julian), don't pretend to be more than one-note abstractions. Julian's brother kills a teenage prostitute, and is then murdered for the crime, at which point his dragon-lady mother, Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas), shows up. The seedy, neon-lit Bangkok streets are depicted as a place of depravity and no mercy but also martinet control, in which Chang must restore order by taking vengeance on Crystal's war of vengeance." — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

The "Drive" Comparisons
"The last time the Danish director manned the wheel of a Ryan Gosling vehicle, the result was a near-masterpiece of genre hybridization. So it's more than a little disappointing to report that 'Only God Forgives,' the pair's second collaboration, is no 'Drive.' In fact, it sometimes plays like a grotesque parody of that 2011 triumph, with ...

In a summer where most of the spectacle exists for you to watch it as wide-eyed as possible, "The Conjuring" promises to offer thrills that will have you squinting from between your fingers. Based on the real-life case files of Lorraine and Ed Warren, the film follows the Perron family as they move into a new home and find themselves terrorized by a supernatural menace. James Wan, who already terrified audiences with "Saw" and "Insidious," directs.

But how good is Wan at wringing thrills out of similar kinds of material after so many movies? And how scary is "The Conjuring" in comparison to other recent scary movies? MTV News assembled a cross section of reviews from web critics who offered their thoughts about Wan's work, the Warrens' story, and the prospect of wowing audiences as well as the next big blockbuster.

How Does 'The Conjuring' Compare To Recent Horror Movies?
""The Conjuring" scared me more than any other movie in recent memory. For full-on fear and dread, the kind that makes you start squirming at the beginning of the scene, because you know someone's about to open a door they shouldn't, this movie starts creepy and maintains a hold on your spine for the next 112 minutes." — Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

But What Sets It Apart From Other Haunted House Movies?
"A 'B story' is what prevents The Conjuring from becoming yet another basic but forgettable tale of creaky floorboards and mysterious whispers. You know the 'paranormal experts' who show up in virtually all of the haunted house movies? Well, in ...

SAN DIEGO — Holland Roden might occasionally sport copper-colored hair, but that doesn't mean the star is next in line to play one of pop culture's most famous redheads. Despite what the Internet might say, the actress tells MTV News that she's not planning on joining prequel as Mary Jane Watson.

"I got about five phone calls in one day congratulating me," Roden told us during MTV's San Diego Comic-Con live stream, but the well-wishes were premature since she hasn't even auditioned for the role. Shailene Woodley was originally cast as Peter Parker's love, but after the "Divergent" star shot her scenes, her role was cut from the film and rumors are flying that she will actually be replaced when MJ makes her debut in the third "Spider-Man" film.

Since it's unclear whether Woodley will still play the role, there's still a chance that Roden could snag the iconic part, but right now it's just a rumor that persists thanks to a well-meaning pal. "One of my very, very, very best friends didn't decide to consult me before he [talked about it]," she said. "We're both in the business but we don't necessarily talk about the business, so I think he just assumed it was true and he said it in an interview and then it spread like wildfire."

The actress wanted to clear things up on Twitter, but her publicist advised her that it would probably cause more confusion — which is probably true, judging from the reaction of several of Roden's "Teen Wolf" costars. Definitively, though, ...

Move over, Dave Navarro. Guys like the Jane's Addiction guitarist may have popularized nipple rings in the '90s and early 2000s, but if Tyler Posey from "Teen Wolf" has anything to say about it, the 2010s will be defined by nipple tattoos.

"I decided it's time, it's time," Posey said of his nipple tattoos, showing them off after MTV Geek correspondent Steven Smith asked about them during MTV.com's live stream from San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday (July 18).

The 21-year-old actor, who leads the darker/sexier television take on the classic Michael J. Fox movie from 1985, was flanked by giggling cast mates as he explained himself. "My nipples have been too bare for too long."

After he pulled up his shirt to reveal both his pecs and his "ink" live on the Interwebs, Posey's TV best-friend Dylan O'Brien (a.k.a. Stiles Stilinski) couldn't resist the urge to reach out and touch his pal, who did not enjoy it.

"I didn't like that at all. It felt weird," Posey said, with a laugh. "Aw, sorry buddy," O'Brien said, quite unconvincingly.

Posey then pointed to his arms. "I have the arm tattoos, too. Just gotta represent, man."

Of course, Posey's tattoos (and the replicas handed out later during the show's Hall H panel) don't require their recipients to endure any pain, save perhaps for the pain of embarrassment. That's because they are — surprise! — temporary tattoos, crafted and given away to promote season three of MTV's "Teen Wolf," which premiered in June.

Thursday also saw the debut of a brand new midseason trailer, as the action ...

Shailene Woodley does a lot of jumping in the first trailer for "San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday (July 18), giving the cavernous Hall H glimpses of Beatrice Prior's transition from a quiet, selfless teenager to daredevil heroine in a future Chicago where society is divided into groups based on personality traits.

Much like the trailers for another dystopian YA novel adaptation, "The Hunger Games," the footage focuses on the beginning of Tris' journey as she and her fellow initiates catch the train to their new home. As any book fan knows, it's not a typical train trip — the train doesn't actually stop.

The clip shows a plain-looking Beatrice, clad in multiple shades of grey (not sure how many, didn't have time to count), as she volunteers to be the first to blindly jump off of a large building and enter her new home. It isn't until she lands on the net at the bottom (surprise! not dead!) that she meets her sexy new mentor/love interest, Four (Theo James).

We see Tris and the gang begin their training, learning how to fight and do other assorted tough-guy things. Despite the fact that we didn't actually see much of Tris and Four interacting, their chemistry was evident. Tris and Four's relationship begins much like many other great love stories, with Four yanking her off a safety net, adjusting her form while fighting and throwing knives at her face.

There are brief clips of some of the film's other action — the initiates crowd-surfing in the Dauntless mess hall, the needle injecting Tris ...

SAN DIEGO— Aside from a few stills and MTV News' own visit, only a handful of people have seen anything from the set of "

When MTV News' Josh Horowitz sat down with stars Shailene Woodley, Theo James, author Veronica Roth, and director Neil Burger, he noticed something about one member of the group that was different during his visit to the set.

James, who plays the fierce Four in "Divergent," was speaking with his normal English accent on the Comic-Con livestream, different from the American one he used on set while talking to Josh. He explained that using the accent all of the time made acting with it easier.

"For me, I think I find it easier to just be in the space all the time, so it becomes second nature because if I'm switching back and forth suddenly you're going to get a weird Cockney Four," James said. "Because I'm obviously a Cockney. I hope [Shailene] thinks I'm a Cockney."

Burger joked that James' dedication to the character went even further than his voice. "He stayed dressed in his costume the whole time, 14 weeks," he said.

The group was admittedly a "little loopy" from having to jump into the promotion machine of Comic-Con just two days after finishing filming. James jokes that he has had a hard time letting go of his character's more dystopian tendencies. "I just killed someone outside actually," he said. "I didn't mean to. He asked me where the toilet was, and I just smashed his throat."

He wouldn't confirm nor deny the return of Han Solo, nor would he submit to our request for a Chewbacca impression, but Harrison Ford was game to discuss what makes J.J. Abrams the right guy to assume the "Star Wars" mantle.

" 'You talkin' to me?' " Ford quipped during MTV's live stream from San Diego Comic-Con, adopting a mild impression of Robert De Niro's famous "Taxi Driver" line when confronted with questions about his iconic galactic smuggler.

Undeterred by Ford's impersonation, MTV News correspondent Josh Horowitz pressed on. "I'm not prepared at this time to have an in-depth conversation about — what did you call it again? — 'Star Wars,' " he said slyly. "I can't talk about it."

Despite descending upon San Diego to talk about "Ender's Game," the 70-year-old actor did finally give in a little bit. When pressed to discuss some aspect of the forthcoming "Star Wars Episode VII," he lavished praise upon Abrams, the man entrusted by Disney (the proud new owners of LucasFilm) to pick up where 1983's "Return of the Jedi" left off.

"I think he's a great storyteller," he said. "He's developed an enormous filmmaking skill. I think it's a daunting project and he's the kind of guy that can take on huge challenges and deliver... He's an awful nice guy."

Abrams (under his Bad Robot Productions banner) was a producer on Ford's 2010 comedy, "Morning Glory." But the pair first crossed paths much earlier. Abrams wrote "Regarding Henry," which came out in 1991 when he was just 25.

What More 'Star Wars' News Can ...