Red Dawn - C-

Rated PG-13, 90 minutes

Chris Hemsworth

This version of “Red Dawn” a vapid, unsatisfying effort

“Red Dawn” is the new action-thriller and remake of the 1984 hit film about the survival of a group of young people following the invasion of the United States. Filmed in 2009 but sitting on the shelf a few years due to studio (MGM) financial problems, this version is sillier and badly acted, though peppered with a few decent action set pieces and explosions.  A town in Washington State becomes the initial target of a foreign invasion. Under the enemy occupation, the town’s citizens are taken prisoners. A group of young people who dub themselves “The Wolverines” after their high school mascot, band together, train and organize themselves into a group of guerilla fighters to help liberate their town. This mildly entertaining but empty, bland version, designed to appeal to the young set, features “Thor’s” Chris Hemsworth, “Hunger Games” star Josh Hutcherson and “Ige Age’s” Josh Peck, all of whom were relatively unknown at the time the film was shot 3 years ago, lacks the originality and tautness of the 1984 John Milius film upon which this is based. It doesn’t that the film relies heavily on explosions, which are indeed sublime here, instead of characterization or a sense of power or mystery to the narrative. “Red Dawn” exploited the 1980s Cold War hysteria somewhat effectively, yet this version lacks that chilling verve, which now utilizes North Korean forces instead of Russian forces. The Milus film wasn’t a great film, except it shows what could happen with the invasion of foreign sources on U.S. soil and it also utilized the late Patrick Swayze to good effect. Hemsworth, Hutcherson and Peck, not to mention Tom Cruise’s son Connor, have a sense of bland or naïve ruggedness that’s appealing but doesn’t do much to add substance to a film that’s lacking it considerably. While mildly entertaining, “Red Dawn” is largely unsatisfying and unmemorable.

Wes’s Grade: C-