Review of Red Dawn (2012) by Wade S — 31 May 2016

Red skies: Black books.

How far would you go to protect you and yours from an occupying army? Would you roll over in fear or fight back with a vengeance?

John Milius' fondly remembered 1984 cult classic centered on a scared yet heroic ragtag group of teenage guerrillas fighting Soviet-Cuban allegiance invaders in backwater USA. Reworked by first time Director Dan Bradley for a post-9/11 world, 2009's Red Dawn (delayed three years by MGM's bankruptcy and intervening national sensibilities) lacks the timely topical intensity and visceral justification of its predecessor.

When writing a remake review it is hard to resist harping back to the original, and for once I refuse to resist. The storyline is so simple detail is not necessary, but to understand the complete failure that is the remake, you must compare and contrast against the original.

As a student of history and military tactics, Milius' original (which was Guinness book of records holder for most acts of violence of any film up to that time) was a throwback to the cold war. With a genuinely propulsive sense of danger and urgency it resonated with young viewers as a case of do-or-die fight for love and country without any outside help or fromal training. Ex-Stuntman Bradley's remake employs ham-fisted plot modernizations and kinetic editing of incoherent visuals in an attempt to capture the same energy.

Not helping the situation is the hasty illogical post-production substitution from Chinese to North Korean aggressors (with Russian backup). In an attempt not to offend China's highly lucrative film market, details were digitally altered to the improbable invaders, giving skeptical viewers time to pick holes in the already thin plot and to ponder exactly how a country of only 25 million could overrun so many American cities that a small town football team could become a resistance issue.

Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen (in his film debut) were the original half-wild Ekert brothers, country boys in over their heads but looked on as leaders fought for no other reason that it was the right thing to do.

Chris Hemsworth and Josh Peck now take up the roles, the older Jed is an Iraq war vet while the younger Matt is an impetuous quarterback. Under threated in their own front yard by a parachuting army, they flee to the woods with team mates Daryl (Connor Cruise, also in his debut) and Robert (Josh Hutcherson) and a few others. The plucky rebel group decides to fight back for what is theirs no holds barred 'call of duty' style.

The verdict: Sadly this is yet another remake that falls short to the extreme disappointment of nostalgic fans. Although with the delay, there is now some market value in its ticketed names, the subject matter will not directly appeal to the obvious target audience.

Published: The Queanbeyan Age.

Date of Publication: 07/12/2012.