Quartile rating: 5/10 · 1 rating
A city in Washington state awakens to the surreal sight of foreign paratroopers dropping from the sky—shockingly, the U.S. has been invaded and their hometown is the initial target. Quickly and without warning, the citizens find themselves prisoners and their town under enemy occupation. Determined to fight back, a group of young patriots seek refuge in the surrounding woods, training and reorganizing themselves into a guerrilla group of fighters.
The 2012 Red Dawn remake is a largely by-the-numbers action thriller that adds little to its 1984 predecessor. The plot is thin and riddled with implausibilities, the acting from its young cast (Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, etc.) ranges from serviceable to weak, and the cinematography is competent but unremarkable. Its novelty is genuinely low — it is a straightforward remake that swaps Soviets for North Koreans (a last-minute CGI change from Chinese) without reimagining the premise in any meaningful way. The ending resolves perfunctorily with a sequel-teasing setup that feels unearned. It sits firmly in forgettable blockbuster territory.