Red Dawn

Directed by John Milius, Red Dawn follows several high schoolers, including Patrick Swayze’s Jed, Charlie Sheen’s Matt, and Lea Thompson’s Erica, as they’re forced to become soldiers after their small town (and most of the USA) is invaded by Russians. Filmmaker Milius, armed with his and Kevin Reynolds’ screenplay, does a terrific job of immediately capturing one’s interest and attention, as Red Dawn opens with a spellbinding (and unexpectedly brutal) opening stretch that effectively depicts the aforementioned invasion – with the compelling atmosphere heightened by the proliferation of familiar faces within the stacked cast. It’s disappointing to note, then, that Red Dawn‘s grip on the viewer is slowly-but-surely loosened as it progresses into a sluggish and increasingly uninvolving midsection, and there’s little doubt, certainly, that the absence of fully fleshed-out characters, coupled with Milius and Reynolds’ propensity towards laughably overwrought episodes and instances of dialogue, paves the way for a second half devoid of engaging attributes. By the time the far-from-satisfying third act rolls around, Red Dawn has confirmed its place as a disappointingly half-baked actioner that often feels like it could (and should) be so much better.

** out of ****