WOLVERINES!!!!!!!!!!!

The things I do for my son. If this is the worst thing I have to do for a few years then so be it.

We went to see the Red Dawn remake....and....well it was a film based on a beloved memory of my bygone youth.

Thor and the kid from Zathura vs. evil North Koreans?

Similar story with different results is all this is. Where the original was super awesome, and still is, this one really isn't. I was not surprised.

1984 in all it's glory!!!!

The original film was a great bit of "what if...." meets 80's fear of the great Russian bear. if you haven't seen the original Red Dawn, the for shame! Go watch it over the holiday weekend. It has a great cast, action and story that scream 80's!!!!!!!!!!!

Original

Russian invasion of U.S.

Takes place in Colorado

Spans fall and into late December

High School gang of freedom fighters

"WOLVERINES!" as battle cry and used a lot

Lots of action,violence and blood

1st PG-13 movie: lots of death, violence, blood but light on swears

Pretty grim message about war

Swayze crazy!

Fun as a kid....great guilty pleasure now

After months of guerrilla warfare the gang looks haggard.

Remake

North Korean and remnants of Russia invade U.S.

Takes place in Pacific northwest

Spans....what feels like a month? 

High School gang of freedom fighters

"WOLVERINES!" as battle cry a few times

A slow burn to get to the wanted shooting and explosions

A mission to retrieve secret Korean technology to win the war

Still PG-13, but without the blood and a single F-bomb thrown in to prove a point

An unwanted love story thrown in

Not so grim dark tale on war and a "happier" ending

Well Thor was in it...is that.a plus?

No real fun...and rent only if super bored 

These guys do their business in a matter of weeks and barley look tired.

I walked in expecting drek and pretty much left that way. There were some fun nods to the original film, but that only made me want to watch the 1984 version. Red Dawn doesn't really work today. It originally worked due to the era of the scary Russians, Reaganomics, the anti-violence campaigns of the time, nuclear proliferation, and fear of a World War III. 

This new Red Dawn just doesn't really work. Evil Koreans and a handful of Russians (since they still try to be what the Nazi's are in film, awesome bad guys!) just don't seem that scary. There is no real reason for the events to happen in this film, it just does. Maybe since the original army was Chinese and not Korean is why. The studio bailed on the big red army for some reason, like a few million ticket sales, and opted for a wacky little country with a need to conquer Washington state. 

Anyway..........this is another pointless remake of a fun movie from the not so distant past. Will it be embraced by the youth of today as the original was by we truly awesome few? Maybe? Will it become their guilty pleasure? 

My son had fun and that is all I am taking away form this film experience. Now to go dig a pit in my yard and  recreate the best part of Red Dawn with the neighborhood squirrels and kids!