I couldn't stand it. The premise was straight up BS, with a Russian civil war, a Russian war in Georgia, a new war in the Middle East (or is it the same one as today?), new fighting between North and South Korea, so to solve all of these conflicts the enemies EMP the U.S. and invade.
Somehow, North Korea, which is outnumbered by South Korea by at least 2-1 odds and doesn't even have an economy remotely close to its southern neighbor, is able to fight them and the U.S. while contributing to a concerted invasion of the mainland U.S. Hell, even the intro was confusing, it was like they were describing the set-up of a shooter videogame. First it was all about Russia, then a little bit about the Middle East, then a big giant pan-Eurasian alliance, then all of a sudden the shift focuses on North Korea like they were the main villain all along.
Plus the plot straight-up sucks. The bad guys EMP the U.S., and it's like all of a sudden the entire U.S. military's strategy hinges on one field telephone a mid-level NK officer carries around with him so that the U.S. military can communicate with each other. Number One, the U.S. already has devices that can protect electronics from the blast of an EMP. Number Two, let's say that preposterous concept is true. Just because the U.S. military gets that one phone, doesn't mean they'll be able to communicate with the other military units because THOSE ONES DON'T HAVE PHONES THEMSELVES.
Then there's all the subtexts that Red Dawn was supposed to have. Like the way being a guerrilla fighter tears away at people, and how regular kids becoming guerrillas slowly drives them insane. Then there's collaborators, which the new film couldn't even touch upon. Instead of the dad being a power-hungry bastard who sold out his son, the mayor became "don't shoot my son!" while the son gets unwillingly tagged by the Spetsnaz and decides to give himself up.
Hell, if anything this movie glorifies the life of a guerrilla fighter because everything works out fine and dandy for just about everyone, there's no psychological toll on any of them, they don't execute wounded or prisoners, blah blah blah. All the worst parts of war are basically glossed over, it's like a kid's war movie.
Can't be too careful with all those weirdos running around.
reply
share