Review of Red Dawn (2012) by Scott A — 02 May 2013
I always thought the original 80's film was kind of stupid. This one was far far far worse.
I will get to the good first. Hemsworth is fantastic and the only solid character in the film. And most of the action scenes are pretty good too, if not mostly absurd.
The other main character, played by Josh Peck, is so awful. You want to see him get shot in the head from the very first second he's onscreen. Peck is an awful actor, and his character is such a selfish prick that he's actually smiling in the scene after he decides to break the plan and gets one of the Wolverines killed. His apparent love angle with Isabel Lucas, who is totally wasted here, never ever feels real.
The rest of the cast is pretty wasted. They may get a moment or two to do something, but basically just there to be extra bodies.
In today's age, where the hell was the USA armies??? In the first attack, we see someone shoot down ONE Korean plane, but that is it. Apparently only High School kids can fight??
And the film BEGS for an extra hour. It's all far too fast and rushed. These clueless kids learn how to kill in a one minute montage??? Like the scene after the dope rescues Lucas, she is right there attacking a complex seconds later???
The Koreans are played for total fools. If they were able to actually attack the USA...wouldn't they care more if a bunch of kids kept killing them all and do something about it?
And the ending was awful. In the original most of the kids died and it felt more real. Here most of them ride off in a station wagon?
This review of Red Dawn (2012) was written by Scott A on 02 May 2013.
Red Dawn has generally received mixed reviews.
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