Red Dawn

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DanTheMan 2 Packing plenty of rabble-rousing ammunition that plays like a jumped-up, big-budget Cannon production, Red Dawn is undoubtedly a time capsule of Cold War tension, so entrenched in the political climate of its era that separating its messages on resilience and emotional turmoil from the hard-bitten camp and the jingoistic excess is often a line that most will obscure and confuse. The truth of the matter is that the film has managed to remain explicitly relevant in its depiction of the toll war takes on humanity and relationships, as well as the downsides of deciding to fight at all. We know what's at stake. We understand what people living through this war are thinking, feeling, and facing every single day. All of it feels eerily similar to events nowadays. What sets it apart from the other all-American patriot films, which it's often compared to, from around the same time, is the film's stark realism. The protagonists are not indestructible powerhouses capable of superhuman feats; rather, they are ordinary people who are quite vulnerable, and, by the film's end, little to nothing has been accomplished in liberating their homes. While the invaders are wrong, the film recognises them as human, while the violence is initially exultant, by the second half, it becomes brutal, horrifying and tragic. All of this is captured with an unconventional beauty by director John Milius, resulting in a hyper-budgeted B-movie mix of high-stakes action, heartfelt performances and a stirring Basil Poledouris score, that creates a film that's both thrilling and inspiring; all topped off by a ragtag cast of brilliance, which includes the likes of Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson and Jennifer Grey, with Harry Dean Stanton even getting a small but compelling role. Swayze is particularly inspired casting as he has both the charisma and physicality necessary to convince the audience that he can turn a bunch of high school children into a fighting force. Yet he can also project the sensitivity necessary to convey his character's turmoil as the grim reality of war grinds away at him. The scene where Swayze kills an invader up close for the first time is not heroic. Instead, he executes a wounded and terrified man. His anger overwhelms any mercy he might feel. It's an ugly and savage moment, and Swayze perfectly captures this. While other films of this nature may have us taking a bird's eye or journalistic view, almost detached from the lives lost and destruction around us, Red Dawn has us running and fighting alongside the protagonists. We also cry with them, grieve with them, and get a taste of where our anger and thirst for vengeance might one day take us. One that still resonates today. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/17/25 Full Review Jude G Best war movie ever watched Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/12/25 Full Review Kim B Loved this movie when it came out, and after watching it recently, I still love it. Fighting against fascism, as we should. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/09/25 Full Review Frank F It's not a perfect movie but I love the concept even if it's wild. It's a huge nostalgia hit. So many great young actors. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/31/25 Full Review j e It's aggressively trash. It has the energy of 32 car pile up, it just keeps getting worse. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 05/25/25 Full Review Exo S This is one of the most interesting movies to come out of the 80's. It is an important time capsule that all Americans should see. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/27/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Red Dawn

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