Review of Red Dawn (1984) by Adam F — 25 Nov 2012
"Red Dawn" does a good job setting up it's somewhat fantastical scenario but it's very much a product of its time and might not ring the same way it did when it was first released. The special effects are good and to someone that would be genuinely fearful of an invasion by the soviets this could be both a dream come true or a really frightening scenario.
The film also does a good job portraying the long passage of time and the changes that happen to the characters as they become more accustomed to guerilla warfare. Where the film doesn't work is in the character development and towards the end where characters make decisions that feel out of character and downright stupid.
The story also somehow doesn't feel as fleshed out as it should be and sometiems feels more like a video game than the epic storyline on which all of the United State's hopes lie. If you can suspend your disbelief (and the film does take the time to set itself up as a possible scenario so it shouldn't be too hard) and put yourself in the mentality of the red scare you will get a kick out of this, though you might leave wanting more story and character wise.
(VHS, November 21, 2012).
This review of Red Dawn (1984) was written by Adam F on 25 Nov 2012.
Red Dawn has generally received mixed reviews.
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