By Andrew Marini ’13
THE ROUNDUP

“Red Dawn” – Starring Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck and Josh Hutcherson

7 out 10

When I saw that Chris Hemsworth was going to be starring in a remake of the 1984 film “Red Dawn” that helped propel Patrick Swayze into his stardom, needless to say I was excited.

The original “Red Dawn” circulated around a group of Midwest born teenagers who take up arms against a Soviet Union invasion of the United States.

The 2012 remake stuck to a similar plot line except the setting would be the Pacific-Northwest, particularly Spokane, Wash. and the invaders were North Korea.

Changing the invading force to North Korea primarily was due to the targeted market and even was thought to be China for a while until eventually dropped due to fear of lost revenue.

The film starts off with Jed Eckert (Hemsworth) who is home on leave from the U.S. Marines in Iraq, and his brother Matt (Peck) who is a high school quarterback playing in a playoff game.

Wasting no time introducing characters, nor letting the plot line take its course, the boys are awaken in the morning to explosions and paratroopers landing in their neighborhood.

After an action packed escape scene, the brothers hold up at their cabin with a number of students from their high school until their father, who is a prisoner, orders them to go to war against their invaders.

The boys decide to go American Revolution style and create chaos for the invaders by constantly blowing up trucks and stealing supplies from the soldiers.

All of this guerilla style chaos is also done while calling themselves “Wolverines,” which is coincidently their high school mascot.

The film carries on with action packed war scenes, as your connection to the characters as well as patriotism seems to grow.

Great special effects and above average acting make it an entertaining film to wrap up 2012.

As good as it was though it isn’t going to be a movie that leaves a very lasting impression on anybody.

The knocks on this film are that it has some cheesy lines that are only multiplied in their quirkiness when repeated over and over again, as well as somewhat repetitive action scenes.

Also holding the film back is that I typically only give 8 and 9’s to films that seem capable of earning numerous accolades, and as good as it was it won’t be taking home any Academy Awards.

If you want a good old fashion action movie that spurns the nationalism in your gut then “Red Dawn” is for you.