Red Dawn Directed by: Dan Bradley Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, Josh Hutcherson Rating: PG-13 Release Date: November 21, 2012
TRAILER SCORE: 5/10
Thoughts by TSR: America! Sure, a remake of Red Dawn doesn’t necessarily make a lot of sense considering the Cold War has been finished for, you know, a couple decades. Who cares? Woo hoo! America! Changing the villain to Chinese undetermined Asian invaders who are probably North Korean certainly seems like a really good idea too. Go America!
Yeah, it feels like there are some severe issues with this one at a fundamental level. But that doesn’t mean it is all bad! For one thing, it has a fun cast. Chris Hemsworth’s accent wasn’t all there back in 2009, but he has a natural charisma that makes him believable as a leader. Another thing that is nice is that the Wolverines have an actual goal to work towards. That should help provide the film with some forward momentum. What really shines, however, is the action. First-time director Dan Bradley clearly put his background as a stunt coordinator to good use, and that will only benefit the picture.
This one has been sitting on a shelf gathering dust for three years. I’d love it if Red Dawn follows in the footsteps of the oft-delayed The Cabin in the Woods (also featuring pre-Thor Hemsworth) and proves to be great. Unfortunately, this trailer leads me to believe this will be little more than a misguided remake with some well-shot action. Solid action and nothing more might be enough in the early part of the year, but with its release set for the holiday season, this is a film I’m in no hurry to see.