That is not to say that this flick isn’t a blast to watch because you just cannot get any more earnest than this film. When the invasion first happens (with the fantastic opening shot of enemy troops parachuting down into a high school football field) you have a shot of a bumper sticker on a car that says “You can pry this gun from my cold, dead hands” and then it pans down to a literal dead guy’s hand holding a gun. You just can’t write a more compelling scene! But, seriously, there are a moments from time to time that are quite poignant and heartfelt, even though it's covered in a layer of ‘80s cheese.
The so-called "Wolverines" consist of Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen,
Lea Thompson, Jennifer Grey and some lesser actors who didn’t get popular. That’s
like some sort of guerilla-style Brat Pack going on and they definitely take everything
super serious. I can’t fault them because at the time it did feel like the
world could end at any minute in a flash and a boom. The cinematography is actually
pretty damn good and for the most part everything is well filmed, especially the
action set-pieces. At the time it was released, Red Dawn was considered the most violent film by the Guinness Book of Records with a rate of
134 acts of violence per hour, or 2.23 per minute. That’s a whole lot of
explosions and dead commies! When I saw this film as a child I didn’t pick up
on the jingoistic and nationalistic overtones but upon rewatching it, it’s definitely
a relic of the Reagan era for better or worse. Overall, it’s so campy now
that it’s just fun to watch as a guilty pleasure nostalgia piece.
Video and Extras: The transfer for this film looks fantastic
and it’s clean and crisp. There is a slight amount of film grain present and
this is the best I have seen the film look ever. If you like behind-the-scenes
stuff there are plenty on here with a brand-new one unique to this set.
Disc Features:
-NEW "A Look Back At Red Dawn" – A 70 Minute
Feature Including Brand-New Stories From Co-Star Doug Toby, Casting Director
Jane Jenkins, Production Designer Jackson DeGovia And Editor Thom Noble
-Archival Featurette: "Red Dawn Rising"
-Archival Featurette: "Training For WWIII"
-Archival Featurette: "Building The Red Menace"
-Archival Featurette: "WWIII Comes To Town"
-Michelle Kisner