A group of teenagers look to save their town from an invasion of North Korean soldiers.
John Milius’ absurdly macho gun-stroker updates into a war between American teens and invading Russians and North Korean troops. Warriors Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Josh Hutcherson (Hunger Games) are the reason for blowing the dust off this three-year-old flick.
A right-wing fantasy writ large, the premise would be intriguing if it wasn’t so patently absurd.
Long-delayed. Arguably not long enough.
This has to be the year's most pointless remake: a boring and badly acted reboot of John Milius's gung-ho red-scare actioner from 1984.
The action is generally well-staged, although watching teenagers building car bombs and cracking jokes about Call Of Duty feels like something to be endured rather than enjoyed. Then, out of nowhere, Jeffrey Dean Morgan turns up with a MacGuffin mission to give Red Dawn an actual ending. “I hate these kids,” he mutters, and you might find yourself nodding in agreement.
With any luck this will be the spanner that finally jams up the works of Hollywood’s dangerously overcranked ‘80s remake Wurlitzer.
The directorial debut of a well-known specialist in stunt work and second-unit action sequences, it is a foolish, ill-considered undertaking, the unexpected topicality of which makes it all the sillier.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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