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I Watch Movies : Red Dawn
Dec. 1st, 2012 08:57 amOkay, it's a remake. The original came out when i was 10. It was the Cold War and it seemed possible that we would be invaded by foreign forces. Also at that age, the fact that me and my friends would fight off these forces seemed fairly plausible.
Red Dawn never tries to show the full characterization of say Band of Brothers or go for the emotional drama of The Walking Dead. Of course, it shouldn't, but the story in the movie is still even razor thin from that.
Nor does the cast much deviate from what you expect which is millennial angsters or what middle aged men think millennials act like. The one standout unsurprisingly is Chris Hemsworth (whose since proved his action chops elsewhere). For much of the movie, Hemsworth falls in the Keanu/Tatum Channing sphere of acting, but in other scenes, it's clear he's future leading man material.
The story gets a plausibility boost in that Hemsworth's Jed is an Iraqi War veteran and at other points, the plot seems a little bit better grounded in reality (We have obviously learned from our recent wars that it is hard to go in and 'win hearts and minds' and be 'greeted as liberators').
In any case, an occupation of America seems hopelessly outdated. There seems better ways to bring America down like that whole Fiscal Cliff thing (China could damage us more monetarily than anything they could do by leaving their country). Additionally, the threat that felt real in the 80s seems so small. I am certainly more worried about homegrown wingnuts, or quite frankly, Black Friday shoppers pose a bigger hazard.
(The whole 'Let's make the villains North Koreans so we don't lose that China box office money is interesting, but the point is moot, moviewise).
All that said, I don't really have much bad to say about it. You shouldn't expect much but a video game-style movie with a lot of over-the-top action and some obvious pathos. It gives you that and makes a perfect Sunday afternoon watch when it inevitably will be shown on TBS constantly.
So, yes, it's a remake, it has obvious product placement scenes, the acting isn't great (that mostly falls on Josh Peck), the story doesn't offer anything new (though I did like some of the tweaks and tribute to the original) some of the action scenes and editing draws away from the film, and Skyfall and Lincoln are on the theaters. If you can get past all that, yeah, I'd recommend it. Yeah.
(As an aside to one of the readers here, yes, I am aware that one of our mutual acquaintances was involved. That is pretty awesome)
Red Dawn never tries to show the full characterization of say Band of Brothers or go for the emotional drama of The Walking Dead. Of course, it shouldn't, but the story in the movie is still even razor thin from that.
Nor does the cast much deviate from what you expect which is millennial angsters or what middle aged men think millennials act like. The one standout unsurprisingly is Chris Hemsworth (whose since proved his action chops elsewhere). For much of the movie, Hemsworth falls in the Keanu/Tatum Channing sphere of acting, but in other scenes, it's clear he's future leading man material.
The story gets a plausibility boost in that Hemsworth's Jed is an Iraqi War veteran and at other points, the plot seems a little bit better grounded in reality (We have obviously learned from our recent wars that it is hard to go in and 'win hearts and minds' and be 'greeted as liberators').
In any case, an occupation of America seems hopelessly outdated. There seems better ways to bring America down like that whole Fiscal Cliff thing (China could damage us more monetarily than anything they could do by leaving their country). Additionally, the threat that felt real in the 80s seems so small. I am certainly more worried about homegrown wingnuts, or quite frankly, Black Friday shoppers pose a bigger hazard.
(The whole 'Let's make the villains North Koreans so we don't lose that China box office money is interesting, but the point is moot, moviewise).
All that said, I don't really have much bad to say about it. You shouldn't expect much but a video game-style movie with a lot of over-the-top action and some obvious pathos. It gives you that and makes a perfect Sunday afternoon watch when it inevitably will be shown on TBS constantly.
So, yes, it's a remake, it has obvious product placement scenes, the acting isn't great (that mostly falls on Josh Peck), the story doesn't offer anything new (though I did like some of the tweaks and tribute to the original) some of the action scenes and editing draws away from the film, and Skyfall and Lincoln are on the theaters. If you can get past all that, yeah, I'd recommend it. Yeah.
(As an aside to one of the readers here, yes, I am aware that one of our mutual acquaintances was involved. That is pretty awesome)
