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SALT LAKE CITY — The remake of "Red Dawn" has sat on the shelf for over two years now and it has finally hit theaters. I had the chance to see "Red Dawn" about a month ago and have been able to sit back for a while and think about it, which may not have been a good thing.
As I've mulled the movie over again and again I've finally come up with a list, a very short list of why you should or should not see the movie. So here are three reasons the "Red Dawn" remake should never have been made and one reason it should have.
Reasons it Should Not Have
Let's just approach the elephant in the room right off the bat.
For those who have seen the original, Peck takes over the role of Matt, made famous by Charlie Sheen. While all of the trailers for Dawn would make you believe superstars Chris Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson are the main focus of the film, it's actually Peck who is the backbone of the movie.
You may recognize Peck from his Nickelodeon days on the show "Drake & Josh." While I give Peck a lot of respect for shedding a lot of weight from his Nick days, he's just not a great actor.
He's not bad as a supporting character, but his performance seems forced and a bit obnoxious as he tries to play against Hemsworth who is a much superior actor.
Abandoned Plot Lines
The film boasts a large amount of characters and therefore several different story lines. For a writer that can be a tall task, keeping everything straight, but this one seemed to be too much for the writing team of "Red Dawn."
I won't give away any of the abandoned characters or plots, I want you to experience the frustration all on your own, but it hurts the story and makes it difficult to keep your attention where it's supposed to be.
Dramatic Moments
For those who don't know much about "Red Dawn," the basic premise is that foreign armies invade the U.S. and a group of kids have decided to fight for their town.
This is a war movie, plain and simple, but instead of the soldiers being trained Marines or Army Rangers, they are high school kids who have never held a gun. Add in the fact their families have been made P.O.W.'s or been killed, there are a lot of opportunities for dramatic moments, and most of them in the movie fall short.
The acting plays a factor at times, but it's also the direction. You see most of these moments coming from a mile away and that seems to take away from the surprise and emotion. While many of the dramatic moments fall flat, there are a few that can actually give you a lump in your throat.
Why They Should Have Made It
As I stated earlier, this is a war movie and war movies are usually filled with action and this is no exception.
At times the movie is like a punch to the gut and this is where the real emotion comes.
The action is tight, well shot and effective. As an action movie "Red Dawn" is fantastic, but the film was supposed to be more than just an action movie and that's what makes it disappointing.
I am not suggesting that that "Red Dawn" is an all around terrible movie, but the way it's delivered makes it seem like an unnecessary remake.
If you check the film out you will be entertained for the most part, but you'll walk out of the theater wanting more, or at least longing for the original.
"Red Dawn" is rated PG-13 for violence and action. The violence can be pretty intense at times and the language, while brief, can be very strong. The PG-13 rating is very appropriate.
