Nordling here.
This one's got a steep hill to climb with me. John Milius's original RED DAWN is a watershed movie for me and my generation. For today's kids, they just won't understand - when RED DAWN came out, the movie felt like a distinct possibility. It wasn't until the Soviet Union collapsed that RED DAWN became a movie for its time.
Still, for propaganda, it was damn entertaining propaganda, and I have no doubt that Milius believed in what his movie was preaching. The original RED DAWN was the first PG-13 movie released, and I remember seeing it made us feel pretty grown-up. Who didn't imagine a scenario like that? All the high school boys across the country did. Hell, I still have a back-up plan percolating in my mind in case it ever does happen. Those commie bastards ain't gonna take me or my friends alive.
So now, we get the inevitable remake (three years late, but it's here), and I just don't see the patriotism and the earnestness that makes the original so special. Chris Hemsworth seems to be playing the Swayze surrogate here, but where's our C. Thomas Howell? Our Ben Johnson? Our Harry Dean Stanton? Plus, unlilke the original, these bad guys don't seem to have much personality to them. Even Milius identified with our invaders in that respect.
In short (too late), I'll come at this with my usual optimism, but mostly, I just want my RED DAWN Blu-Ray (coming in October). Until then, I present this trailer courtesy of Yahoo, with a hearty cry of WOLVERINES!
RED DAWN opens November 21st.
