Title: Red Dawn<\/p>\n
Directed By: Dan Bradley<\/p>\n
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, Josh Hutcherson, Adrianne Palicki, Isabel Lucas, Connor Cruise, Jeffrey Dean Morgan<\/B><\/p>\n
The \u201cRed Dawn\u201d remake has had a cloud over its head ever since MGM\u2019s financial difficulties, the last minute enemy nationality change and the long delayed release, however, as a proponent of the 1984 original and a true believer that the story had major remake potential, some hope prevailed. I\u2019m allowed to be optimistically na\u00efve every once in a while, right?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a typical night in Spokane, Washington, Matt Eckert (Josh Peck) desperately trying to take down the opposing team in the final seconds of a high school football game. His tendency to take matters into his own hands and \u201ccowboy\u201d his way into the end zone doesn\u2019t prove effective and the Wolverines lose the game, however, that\u2019s the least of Matt\u2019s worries. Later that night, the town goes black and early the next morning, Matt and his Marine brother, Jed (Chris Hemsworth), wake up to North Korean bombs, fighter planes and armed paratroopers. Matt and Jed take to the mountains and hunker down in their family cabin with a few other escapees, but soon come to realize that there\u2019s no use in merely hiding out. They have to defend their friends, family and town.<\/p>\n
The original \u201cRed Dawn\u201d certainly isn\u2019t a masterpiece, but it packs enough of a punch to get you rooting for the Wolverines. The 2012 \u201cRed Dawn\u201d finds some similar success, but to a far lesser degree, as the material is far too manic and illogical to support any attempts at character development.<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s too bad because Peck and Hemsworth are charmers. Matt can be selfish and impulsive and Jed can come across as a bit too rough and tough, but Peck and Hemsworth find success in turning them into well-rounded characters. Matt\u2019s lack of concern for the group is juxtaposed by his desperation to rescue his girlfriend, Erica (Isabel Lucas), and while Jed is no-nonsense to the max, it\u2019s his strict policies that keep the kids alive.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a wonder how Josh Hutcherson manages to stand out as Robert. He\u2019s branded the group tech geek right from the start, but the designation fizzles out fast and is ultimately wasted. But still, Hutcherson does make for an appealing lead, someone you can sympathize with even though he\u2019s hesitant to kill a deer after<\/I> having killed some North Koreans. Sadly Adrianne Palicki doesn\u2019t get much to work with beyond the fact that her character has had her eye on Jed ever since they were kids. Connor Cruise has some nice moments as Daryl, but again, the juiciest aspect of his character, the fact that his father, the town mayor, is taken by the North Koreans and evidently turned, is cut off cold. As for Lucas, yet again, she proves she has the emotional range of a spoon. Oh, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan is in the movie, too.<\/p>\n
Most cast achievements are rendered almost entirely meaningless, as their story has zero structure. Yes, the film explains that foreign nations are in disarray and North Korea is more hostile than ever at the start, but it still doesn\u2019t justify the attack or the chain of events. Why does North Korean capture everyone and anyone if their intentions are to establish a new community under their rule? Why has the US government done nothing if some states are still free? And, perhaps most importantly, why is Subway still open for business?<\/p>\n
We find similar issues when narrowing down the view to the Wolverines\u2019 game plan. There\u2019s just no way Jed could teach them all to be top-notch fighters after a mere montage. Those kids look way too pretty to have been living in the woods all that time. How are they charging that cell phone? And then there\u2019s the ending. Without spoiling anything, the kids risk their lives for a big mission that ultimately amounts to nothing. Even worse, before the credits roll, \u201cRed Dawn\u201d opens the doors to another huge action sequence only to wrap the movie before the battle even begins. Not that \u201cRed Dawn\u201d should be any longer than it already is, but come on.<\/p>\n
Did we need a new \u201cRed Dawn?\u201d Perhaps we didn\u2019t need<\/I> one, but the idea did have potential, especially with a primarily solid cast. It\u2019s just too bad that the filmmakers trade emotion and relationships for nonsensical firefights. The heart is there, it\u2019s just drowned in an excessive barrage of bullets, silly dialogue and ill structured script.<\/p>\n
Technical: B<\/p>\n
Acting: B<\/p>\n
Story C<\/p>\n
Overall: C+<\/B><\/p>\n
![\"Red](\"http:\/\/g-ecx.images-amazon.com\/images\/G\/01\/imdb\/plugins\/rating\/images\/imdb_31x14.png\")