I had seen the original Red Dawn, and personally thought it was terrible if slightly interesting. I vaguely remember wondering what I would do in that situation, and coming up with the conclusion that I wouldn't wear such tight jeans into the woods. Ya, I probably waited too long to watch it. So, I went into the remake with that benchmark in mind.
I, personally, thoroughly enjoyed this film. Yes it had cheesy dialog. Yes it was predictable. And yes it was violent. It's an 80s remake. If you can set aside your agenda, muzzle your politics, and let your imagination fill in for some directing, casting, and dialog issues; you will find an enjoyable, completely plausible depiction of an alternate future for the US. What would you do? Are you prepared for something like this, or even something as small as the power grid going down for months? How would you work, how would you bank, where would you get your food, what would happen if you got sick, who would keep the peace? You play this game all the time with zombie flicks, disaster movies, and even superhero films. Why do you so quickly reject something like Red Dawn? Are you afraid to analyze that situation? Does it conflict with your opinions or challenge your beliefs on the cost of war, or the cost of apathy for that matter? Does it start you down a conspiracy rabbit hole, wondering if a coordinated effort could cause financial collapse, world-wide unrest, disarming of American citizens, and the demilitarization of domestic troops?
So let's talk about the plot without giving a way too many spoilers. You have your All American small town, All American family, that is swiftly and suddenly overwhelmed by the North Koreans. Insurgency style resistance ensues. At face value, there's little here other than a cheap thrill. But, I think there are some hidden gems of wisdom if you look.
But let's dig a little deeper (minor spoilers in this section).
First up, I'm a little shocked at how critics are treating this film. They didn't just dislike it... they LOATHE it. Check out a site like rotten tomatoes and compare the "professional" critics reviews to their posts about something like Green Zone. I would say their politics is influencing their job.
There is some legitimate gripe about Josh Peck's performance. He and Chris Hemsworth might pass as step-brothers (why wouldn't they cast Liam Hemsworth... that could have made a big difference). Plus Josh sounds like he's talking with a mouth full of mush... had to watch with subtitles on.
Maybe the most common complaint about the movie is that the North Korean threat to America is "implausible/impossible/stupid". North Korea has nuclear weapons, a fanatical population base, and the US has deployed only 50% of adequate missile defense systems (ABC News). A single nuclear missile, detonated at 35 miles, could destroy the electronic systems for half the US. Even if key military infrastructure was shielded from this, the panic caused to the affected population would provide ample opportunity for the plot of this film.
Without a doubt, America is sliding further and further into an economic quagmire. As the US goes, so will most of the western world. The forces that currently check powers like North Korea, China, and Russia could become impotent as they struggle with unemployment, homelessness, crime, and poverty. Without the promise of a firm and swift retaliation, as we had in the Cold War era, the events in Red Dawn become more and more plausible. Imagine if the western world was in a crippling economic recession, our military, reserves, and National Guard we deployed overseas, military budgets have been demolished to fund social programs, and the Pacific Northwest were invaded by a foreign army. Would the Federal Government write them off? You had to think about that for a few seconds didn't you (unless you live there). You realize that means the sovereignty of the USA is already beginning to crumble?
That brings me to another common complaint, the "cheesy patriotism". Let's put politics aside for a second. Our patriotism has nothing to do with our support of social programs, or gun clubs, woman's rights, or marriage laws. Our patriotism is the foundation of our national sovereignty. And that is what protects our rights to establish multiple political viewpoints. How many political parties exist in North Korea, or China for that matter? Our patriotism reminds us that while we may vehemently disagree on some issues, we are all Americans, we are responsible for one another, and we are an example to the World. Our patriotism binds the will of the people into a tangible force, with the power to change the planet for the good. Without our patriotism we are easily divided and controlled. I can't believe we're even seeing this dialog. Who are you people?!
It wasn't long ago when the very existence of the US was threatened (ask your grandparents if you're too young to remember). Why do so many Americans believe they're safe now? Why does it seem like rest of us believe we need to maintain a presence in foreign countries?
