Movie Rental Review: Red Dawn (Eighties Version)

I had long wondered about this movie, being one of the few people, or at least one of the few guys, that I know who had never seen it (much like I had never seen the Rambo movies).

            Not that I was obsessed with it. Far from it, in fact. But the movie was mentioned prominently in lyrics for a Dead Kennedy song (Rambozo the Clown), and when it came on recently, a fellow coworker of mine strongly recommended the movie, claiming it was excellent.

            So, I made a point of watching it, finally.

            All I can say is, I was not impressed. All that hype, and the movie was just a sad series of clichés, one after the other. Kind of makes me wonder why they decided to do a remake of it for 2012.

            It does in fact reinforce stereotypes about weak Europe, with no will, and the strong but hopeless, dogged determination of the island nation of Britain, the only power strong enough to stand up to an enemy on the European continent (Germany during the real life World War II, and the Soviet Union during this fictional World War III of this movie).

            For that matter, the Soviets are seen as absolutely monstrous, essentially. They are seen as inhuman monsters, literally starting the movie by senselessly killing defenseless people, including high school age kids. The takeover is supposed to be frightening, but it is hopelessly unrealistic, with the Soviets and their allies seemingly flying deep in American skies almost completely unopposed, and the Soviet military taking over and occupying with an incredible level of ease. I can suspend my level of disbelief to some extent, but this seemed more an insult to one's intelligence.

            Obviously, it also reinforces the American sense of exceptionalism (the whole world has essentially fallen to Communism, but not in the United States), and the Americans sense of themselves as the last great bastion of hope and freedom in the world (although it really is neither, certainly not at this point).

            The script is bad and cliché, targeted to an ignorant, chest thumping, American centrist (or perhaps supremacist is the word) audience that likes to lump other nationalities into narrow stereotypes. Not impressive, but a definite sign of the times when the movie was made, to be sure.

            The acting was not all that great, either. Patrick Swayze usually seems better, more animated than he did in this one. Charlie Sheen is….well, Charlie Sheen. I am not sure that he is really well known for quality acting, especially at this point in his career. None of these characters are very deep or realistic, so it really is hard to gauge the acting based on these roles.

            Overall, despite this being a movie that was (and apparently still is) very hyped (and I remember it being so when it first came out), it just is not a good movie, and serves more as a testament to an era of rising propaganda and nationalism, than an exciting or well crafted movie, let alone one that explores any serious or plausible material. I was curious about this movie, but frankly, wish I had not been. A waste of two hours on my end, but don't make it a waste of your two hours.