Red Dawn **½

Dan Bradley directed this War Drama. Watch Preview. Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, Josh Hutcherson, Adrianne Palicki, Isabel Lucas, Connor Cruise, Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense war violence and action, and for language. Running time is one hour and fifty-four minutes.

An American city awakens to the surreal sight of North Korean paratroopers dropping from the sky; discovering the U.S. has been invaded and their hometown is the initial target. A band of local teens join together to fight them and liberate friends being held prisoner.

The fist time I saw this film was in 1984, and it had a much better cast than this remake. Twenty-eight years later the North Koreans are the villains instead of the Russians, although you would think the Chinese would be more probable. The story is virtually the same although technical improvements make the battle scenes seem more realistic this time around. Younger action fans won't be aware of the first film and I suspect this version will be just fine for them. This is a film you will forget about shortly after leaving the theatre, but it will provide some excitement for a couple of hours.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. A large screen and good sound will add to the film's impact. Theatres/Times.