Posts tagged Lea Thompson

“Dumb, but Emotional”

“Hotshots” looks at a movie!

Red Dawn was shot in 2010, but studio problems delayed its release until two years later.

And whenever a film is delayed, that usually means that it is not too good, which is also the case with this one.

It stars Chris Hemsworth and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, although when he filmed it, Hemsworth had not yet become “Thor” in some other movies.

Also, the delay allowed the filmmakers time to change the invading army troops from Chinese to North Korean, so that the distributors could sell the film in China and not face discrimination.

So, if you want to see a film about a group of American teenagers who fight an invading army from a foreign country, I recommend that you see the 1984 version instead, which stars Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen in his first feature film, Jennifer Grey, Ben Johnson, Harry Dean Stanton, and Powers Booth.

And whenever a film has plenty of star power, that sometimes means that it is better than good, which is also the case with that one.

The story in the first one takes place in Colorado, instead of in Spokane, Washington, which is where the story in the new one takes place.

Okay, a widespread blackout occurs in the northwest corridor of the United States, and a TV news report warns, “Don’t go outside unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

The next morning paratroopers land in town and invading troops take over the town and kill and capture its citizens.

Jed is a Marine visiting his family between tours of duty in Iraq, and Matt is his brother, who is in high school. Jed senses the danger, and he and Matt take off for the family cabin in the mountains, along with some of Matt’s high-school friends, and they start training with Jed’s leadership to form a resistance army and fight the invading North Koreans.

So, the film consists of lots of fighting, lots of explosions, and lots of destruction and dying.

Even though they get some support from a very few real soldiers, there are just too many unanswered questions and holes in this movie.

Red Dawn is dumb, but emotional, and once again I say if you want to see a better version of this movie, see the one that came out in 1984.

I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”