Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, Josh Hutcherson, and Isabel Lucas
Directed by: Dan Bradley
Screenplay by: Carl Ellsworth and Jeremy Passmore
I know what you're thinking: Josh Peck is in this film? I remember him from the TV show on Nickelodeon Drake and Josh too. You would probably only know this show if you are my age and watched that show as a kid. Those were the days.
Moving on... The North Koreans have invaded parts of the United States, causing panic and terror among residents in the occupied zones. So now it's up to a Marine (Chris Hemsworth) and a bunch of the town's young adults to stop the invasion in their town and rise up against their oppressors, the North Koreans. Will this newly formed team of "terrorists" (as they are referred to in the film) successfully fend off the invasion?
I will be blunt. This is one not one of the better concepts for a film I've seen this year. At least the North Koreans, fellow humans, are invading the city, and not aliens. We've seen that how many times? Too many to count. But this is essentially the same thing as those countless Sci-Fi spectacles.
The story focuses not one one character in particular, but a few characters. So while there isn't one completely central character to the story, there are multiple characters who are just outside of being central to the story. This tactic in filmmaking is used most often by director Steven Soderbergh. For example, two of his more recent films Contagion (2011) and Haywire (2011) follow this method of storytelling. But the difference between Soderbergh and Dan Bradley in this case is that Soderbergh makes good films and Bradley creates a film that isn't tremendously good.
We see not the development of individual characters, but characters on the group level. We see as the characters develop into the group they have become a part of that will end this threat that has befallen them.
The acting in this film is decent. The actors are strong enough to make us want to see the film for the special effects more than for their acting abilities.
The film is well paced, but at times it gets a little boring. The film may lose your attention a few times, which is problematic because in this film, if you blink, you're likely to miss something important, but not guaranteed to miss anything at all.
My biggest problem with this film is the ending. It literally ends in the middle of the scene which is rather unsettling as a viewer. But I see this in two ways. First, it's a terrible ending to a not wonderful movie. Second, it offers the viewer an opportunity to predict what happens next. Hopefully this does not mean there will be a sequel. A sequel to this film would make me wonder what the studio is thinking.
Overall, I would recommend skipping this film. There isn't a whole lot that is interesting in this film and there are far better films out there today that are much more worth seeing than Red Dawn.
I give Red Dawn a C.
Directed by: Dan Bradley
Screenplay by: Carl Ellsworth and Jeremy Passmore
I know what you're thinking: Josh Peck is in this film? I remember him from the TV show on Nickelodeon Drake and Josh too. You would probably only know this show if you are my age and watched that show as a kid. Those were the days.
Moving on... The North Koreans have invaded parts of the United States, causing panic and terror among residents in the occupied zones. So now it's up to a Marine (Chris Hemsworth) and a bunch of the town's young adults to stop the invasion in their town and rise up against their oppressors, the North Koreans. Will this newly formed team of "terrorists" (as they are referred to in the film) successfully fend off the invasion?
I will be blunt. This is one not one of the better concepts for a film I've seen this year. At least the North Koreans, fellow humans, are invading the city, and not aliens. We've seen that how many times? Too many to count. But this is essentially the same thing as those countless Sci-Fi spectacles.
The story focuses not one one character in particular, but a few characters. So while there isn't one completely central character to the story, there are multiple characters who are just outside of being central to the story. This tactic in filmmaking is used most often by director Steven Soderbergh. For example, two of his more recent films Contagion (2011) and Haywire (2011) follow this method of storytelling. But the difference between Soderbergh and Dan Bradley in this case is that Soderbergh makes good films and Bradley creates a film that isn't tremendously good.
We see not the development of individual characters, but characters on the group level. We see as the characters develop into the group they have become a part of that will end this threat that has befallen them.
The acting in this film is decent. The actors are strong enough to make us want to see the film for the special effects more than for their acting abilities.
The film is well paced, but at times it gets a little boring. The film may lose your attention a few times, which is problematic because in this film, if you blink, you're likely to miss something important, but not guaranteed to miss anything at all.
My biggest problem with this film is the ending. It literally ends in the middle of the scene which is rather unsettling as a viewer. But I see this in two ways. First, it's a terrible ending to a not wonderful movie. Second, it offers the viewer an opportunity to predict what happens next. Hopefully this does not mean there will be a sequel. A sequel to this film would make me wonder what the studio is thinking.
Overall, I would recommend skipping this film. There isn't a whole lot that is interesting in this film and there are far better films out there today that are much more worth seeing than Red Dawn.
I give Red Dawn a C.
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