Red-blooded America runs deep in 'Red Dawn' - film liberal critics love to hate (WOLVERINES!!)

WND ^ | November 25, 2012 | Drew Zahn

[Perseverando]

Out of curiosity, I took a look at how film critics from other newspapers and publications reviewed the new “Red Dawn,” a remake of the 1984 cult classic about teenagers taking up guns and defending America from communist invaders.

You’d think from the critics’ condescending sneers that the remake is utter garbage.

“Preposterous,” said one critic of the remake’s premise that North Korea could invade the U.S. today. “Outdated,” said another, suggesting the plot line be relegated to the ancient Cold War and the once-upon-a-time Red Scare.

The only thing that’s “preposterous,” however, is the speed at which these obviously liberal critics leaped to dismiss the movie. I honestly, without hyperbole, wonder if some of them even watched it.

For starters, the movie explains that North Korea doesn’t invade without “help,” and that they used a cyber attack on the American financial system and an electromagnetic pulse weapon, or EMP, against the U.S. infrastructure. Furthermore, North Korea only invades the Pacific Northwest, while other enemies attack elsewhere. It’s not really that implausible.

Besides, the original film cast Cuba as the invading force – not the Soviet Union, as is commonly reported – so don’t talk to me about “preposterous.”

And as for “outdated,” the Red Scare is far from over, as many Americans outside the leftist worldview recognize. It’s just that the threat of communism in the U.S. now comes from our own public universities, instead of Moscow.

So politically biased bashing aside, let’s look at the film a little more honestly, shall we?

“Red Dawn” is indeed a remake, provoking many of the same themes and even revisiting some of the same scenes as the original (“The chair is against the wall; the chair is against the wall,” drinking deer blood, “Wolverines!” and so on). It tells the story

[Greysard]

The film is a silly idea. The communists have already taken over, without firing a shot.

The movie is a misdirection. Americans are sent to bark up the wrong tree; it's a classical diversion. While the people are distracted, the real action is happening in smoke-filled back rooms. Those guys are anything but amateurs; they do it methodically and carefully, with science and math and technology. Growing a whole new generation of voters is not too slow for them.

[beelzepug]

“North Korea only invades the Pacific Northwest”

Why bother to invade? All they need to do is sail into Seattle and tie-up at the first pier they come to. They’ll be welcomed with open arms.

[gundog]

Amazon. Got it a few weeks ago.

[Gritty]

At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it?-- Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!--All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years.

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.

- Abraham Lincoln, Address Before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois, January 27, 1838

[Hugin]

Has anyone tried to rent or buy the original 1984 Red Dawn? It is like the film does not exist.

They play it about 50 ntimes a month on cable. It was on last night.

[ansel12]

I believe this was the opening description in the first one.

—SOVIET UNION SUFFERS WORST WHEAT HARVEST IN 55 YEARS.
—LABOR AND FOOD RIOTS IN POLAND. SOVIET TROOPS INVADE.
—CUBA AND NICARAGUA REACH TROOP STRENGTH GOALS OF 500,000. EL SALVADORE AND HONDURAS FALL.
—GREEN PARTY GAINS CONTROL OF WEST GERMAN PARLIAMENT. DEMADNS WITHDRAWAL OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS FROM EUROPEAN SOIL.
—MEXICO PLUNGED INTO REVOLUTION.
—NATO DISSOLVES. UNITED STATES STANDS ALONE.

[gop4lyf]

It was on Netflix a few weeks ago. May still be.

[ansel12]

And the Chinese were the “good guys” in the first one.

They were nuked by the Soviets, but I don't think that they were good guys.

[napscoordinator]

You must have been the only one. It did dismal this weekend. I guess everyone is a Twihard....lol.

[History Repeats]

I own a copy of it on DVD and I see it in all the video stores and rental places I go.

Where the heck do you live? LOL

[6ppc]

Actually there was a decent crowd for 1:30 the Friday after Thanksgiving. The movie is worth seeing...probably on Netflix rather than the theater. I went because I needed to get out of the house for a while and I knew my wife wouldn’t be interested...LOL!

[Hot Tabasco]

Saw it over the weekend. Better than the original, but still a stretch.

I view movies such as this as just entertainment, not real life scenarios. If it's well made then all the better.

As a side note, there are several scenes that I've been told were filmed at a now closed down manufacturing plant on Detroit's east side where I used to work. I don't know for sure if there were actual scenes taken there but there were several vehicles from the movie parked on site at the time these photos were taken.

Here's a couple photos taken from one of our guys who visited the plant after closing....

Notice the "Spokane Police" emblem on the car

A Humvee or whatever parked on site:

Another photo of the emblem on the police car.....

Another photo of the humvee riddled with bullets....

The now vacant press shop which used to be filled with several hundred ton presses.....

This photo is the area where Line 1 was located. Line 1 was the stamping process where most of your Ford van roofs were produced.......

I know most of you really don't care about these photos but this facility is where I spent almost 35 years of employment and if it's included in a B rated film, then at least we're preserved for history........

THE BUDD COMPANY

[driftless2]

I saw the original and thought it was preposterous. The idea that in 1984 the Soviet Union could somehow transport millions of military people into the U.S. without being detected was so obviously ridiculous that I have to question the intelligence of anybody thinking it was possible. Similarly, the idea that N.Korea could invade us is just too cringeworthingly stupid. Some people are just too gullible.

[driftless2]

"plausible"

Far more plausible than these ridiculous "Red Dawn" flicks.

[driftless2]

Yeah, like U.S. intelligence would never intercept gigantic movements of Soviet troops and materiel numbering in the millions of persons and tonnage. Utterly preposterous. Any attempted takeover of Mexico by the Soviet Union in the eighties, and with Reagan as president, would have been met with proportional force. Absolutely no way.

[Excellence]

If you have an Apple TV, you can rent it directly from that. Otherwise, you’ll have to download it to your computer. We have an Apple TV, but I have also hooked my laptop up to the TV and played a movie that way. The rental is good for 24 hours after the first view and you have about a month to first view it. The most recent Apple TV only allows HD purchases, and they’re in the cloud, but I just rent the cheaper version on my computer.

[chae]

Its available at our Wal Mart.

[PapaBear3625]

Yeah, like U.S. intelligence would never intercept gigantic movements of Soviet troops and materiel numbering in the millions of persons and tonnage. Utterly preposterous. Any attempted takeover of Mexico by the Soviet Union in the eighties, and with Reagan as president, would have been met with proportional force. Absolutely no way.

In the 80's, sure. The premise at the beginning of the first movie is that the dominoes had been falling for years.

Look at Venezuela. See any action at overturning that dictatorship? Look at our own government -- any sign of serious roll-back of socialist measures? Look at Europe -- see any sign of mass deportation of Muslims?

At each stage, an incremental victory for the Communists would be achieved, with them threatening total war at any attempt at roll back. Eventually they would be close enough.

[RightOnline]

Oh heck yeah it’s available. Just bought it on Blue Ray at Target, matter of fact.

Saw the new one over the weekend. Loved it...but weak ending.

[driftless2]

Look amigo, how can millions of troops and materiel get transferred from one country to the next without being detected? Even if you could accept the absurd premise about the entire U.S. intelligence system being disrupted, there’s just no way a huge movement of military might could be transported without being noticed by larges amounts of people. I realize movies are exercises in suspension of disbelief, but the “Red Dawn” flicks strain that that belief to the outer limits and beyond.