By Alexander Wood

It’s a usual day in small town America as rival football teams face off and millions of people go about their daily lives. The idyllic picture seems to be the epitome of normal, of course lulling the viewer into a false sense of security; one which is only shaken when sweeping blackouts darken most of the nation. What super villain could be behind such a devious plan to turn off all the lights? You guessed it, the combined powers of North Korea and Russia, that soon parachute from the sky in droves with designs on taking over the country.

Thankfully, Jed Eckert (Chris Hemsworth) is on leave from the Marines and manages to muster a team of guerrilla freedom-fighters that call themselves the ‘Wolverines’. Accompanied by his brother Matt Eckert (Josh Peck), the group of unlikely heroes setup a defensive stance while honing their abilities to disable the enemy and restore the nation to its former glory. If this story sounds familiar, you might have seen the original ‘Red Dawn’ that was released in 1984. A number of shots harken back to the original while managing to capture some of the elements of the film 28 years its senior.

Although, there is little to differentiate this movie from the many other generic action films out there, it’s entertaining for any viewer who wants to see the battle of good (America) vs. evil (Russia, North Korea) a tale as old as time itself. However, this battle is played out with some modern technology including a high-tech EMP weapon that disables the militaries’ defenses.

The underlying message of the film resonates considering that American borders have never been breached by invading forces, making an attack from old enemies of ‘US of A’ quite entertaining. In the remaking the Cubans were swapped for South Koreans (keeping up with current fears) and the old Cold War sentiment still rings true with Russian special forces hindering the Wolverines’ resistance efforts to restore hope and liberty in their homeland.

In terms of cinematography, there is little that captures the magic and technical handy work of most quality action films brought forth in recent years (Bourne, Bond). Shifting from the framing to the music, the only notable tune included in the soundtrack is CCR’s ‘As Long As I Can See the Light’, which fuels the rebels resistance with a little classic rock and roll. Although, most of the characters display little emotion and characterisation throughout the film, if you are watching it with the ‘Hey, I’m just here to see some stuff go boom’ mentality then this should be a moot point.

The narrative is farfetched, but after all, it’s an action movie and should be considered fodder for popcorn eating rather than a piece of unique cinema. So if you’re a fan of the original movie or like a little filmic escapism from time to time, grab a bucket of popcorn, turn off your brain and enjoy.