Cinematic Releases: Red Dawn

This remake of the classic 1984 Red Dawn film starring Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen doesn’t have the same effect the original film did, but it still delivers some good entertainment.

After waiting three years for this film to finally be released, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. The film starts out quickly without a lot of set-up and continues on a steady action packed path. Chris Hemsworth plays the Swayze role well with a decent cast of young actors supporting him. I was disappointed in the lack of back-story and set-up for some of the characters. There was no real connection to any of the characters; instead I was too busy watching explosions left and right.

This remake stays pretty true to the original as far as plot, but the enemy is far less believable as a threat than Russia was when the original was released. This makes it hard to suspend disbelief for 114 minutes.

Hearing the iconic WOLVERINES! scream brought a smile to my face and the familiarity of the scenes (many filmed in Michigan) gave a real hometown feel and root for our guys attitude. Overall, was it as good as the original, no? But when are they ever really? I enjoyed the film and would recommend seeing it in the theaters, but only if you’re not a die-hard Red Dawn fan.

-Sara Joseph

Please check out: www.reddawnmovienews.com