Pauls Valley, Oklahoma — One of the absolute truths people of any nation can count on is a certain segment will always fear what the guys who don’t like us will do if they get mad enough. Being the historically meddlesome kids we are, the United States has no shortage of enemies who would prefer we either did not exist or just leave them the heck alone. The original movie with this title was perfect for those of us old enough to at least remember paranoia from part of the cold war, but with that political climate slightly different, we needed someone to slap in there in order to justify a remake. Thankfully for those wishing for blockbuster gluttony, communism is still sort of out there and though fearing it has become no more than a corny pastime, it works at least well enough for a couple hours of giggles. “Red Dawn,” while not 100 percent an impossible transition to reality, is nothing more than a harmless popcorn flick and will entertain with properly lowered expectations. Set in Spokane Washington, the story begins as US Marine Jed Eckhert (Chris Hemsworth) returns to his hometown after serving his latest tour overseas. Things aren’t so good with the family who has not seen much of him since he bailed after his mother passed, the biggest rift apparent with his high school football star of a younger brother Matt Eckhert (Josh Peck). Unfortunately there’s not much time to smoothly patch up the relationship as they quickly discover the country is being invaded and taken over by North Korea. As they attempt to evade their foreign captors, including the enemy leader Captain Cho (Will Yun Lee), they are forced to decide if their home is worth fighting for and what it means to sacrifice for the group as a whole. The pace is pretty decent even if there seems to be pretty big gaps in the story outside of the one skirmish after another and as long as you don’t want to know what’s going on with the bigger picture it’s not too hard to follow. However, for all the information one has to juggle with a project of this magnitude, it is at least worth checking out for those desperate for a classic action flick. I wouldn’t recommend this so much for the youngest kids, but those teenage and up might actually find it tame set up next to the latest Call of Duty or “Halo 4.” The characters are decently chosen for their respective age groups and even the heroes one may not like are easy enough to root for by the time it is over. I suppose the only thing that would have made it even better is if Thor had shown up and hammered the bad guys to their makers. As a result, I’d say “Red Dawn” deserves three out of five Jong-Uns.
Arts
Related Photos
-
Poster for "Red Dawn," now in theaters. United Artists, FilmDistrict.
Discussion
- Arts
-
-
‘Warm Bodies’ a fresh munch on romantic comedy
When it comes to a list of the world’s easiest jobs, I’d have to place coming up with dialogue for zombies near the top of that list.
-
‘Escape from Planet Earth’ crashes on planet bland
For all of the classic adventures we’ve rooted for no less than a thousand times in all the familiar fables, I never tire of an attempt to try and flip the roles of the characters in a slightly different twist.
-
‘The Last Stand’ worth sitting down for
Admiration for acting may always be heaped in plentiful supply on those who manage to pick the year’s best films to be a part of, but there are certain personalities who regularly carry any project whether it is a box office smash or bomb.
-
‘Epic’ almost, but not quite
As an avid film buff who often favors animation over live action, 2013 has so far been a year barely pinging the radar.
-
‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ enterprises on improvements
Despite an overall dismissal and thumbing of the nose of science fiction by the major award circuits throughout the history of film (and beyond if you throw in years of geek bullying from print or radio), one element that has not been denied ultimate glory quite as often is the musical force behind them.
-
‘Silver Linings Playbook’ finds structure in mental script
Only in Hollywood magic land can the stressful and never hilarious situation of dealing with violently mentally ill family members be turned into one of the most beloved comedy creations ever.
-
‘Iron Man 3’ proves nothing is sacred with fresh twists
In a time when God-like status is granted to those who can obtain the franchise tag for a film series, the true test of creative power is not falling flat when that third or later chapter is born.
-
‘Oblivion’ starts off vague, but delivers constant thrills
There may never be a day where science fiction is fully given the attention and praise it deserves from the highest and mightiest of award shows, but for moviegoers it continues to deliver some of the most celebrated moments in cinematic history.
-
‘Olympus has Fallen’ a perfect fix for action addiction
Gone may be the era when moviegoers could freely revel in an overtly cheesy patriotic action fest without being accused of having a political agenda.
-
‘The Host’ under-appreciated at the box office
For all the hype and worship expressed over the past several years for a certain glittery nightmarish treatment of vampires, it doesn’t make much sense that the same audience wouldn’t break down theater doors to see an example of the same author’s next work, especially with actual talent from the lead actress.
- More Arts Headlines
-
Raw: Baby White Rhino Debuts at Australian Zoo
Time Lapse: Rebuilding Bridge Post-collapse
Ohio Woman Accuses 3 of Holding Her Captive
Hunt for Ex-Teamster Boss Hoffa's Remains Ends
Aug. Trial Set for Ohio Man in Triple Kidnapping
Car Crash in NYC's East Village Injures 8
Obama Renews Call for Nuclear Reductions
Raw: Car Jumps Curb in NYC, Injures 8
Unusual Heat Wave Bakes Alaska
Raw: German President Welcomes President Obama
Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles
Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park
Kid Couture: Spending Big Bucks on Babies
