Red Dawn 2010 rant!

[RN7]

The upcoming remake of the classic Red Dawn film of 1984 poses some reality problems for me, and an excuse to go off on a rant.

I could see a heavily armed Soviet Union pulling off an invasion of America in the 1980s with some help from Latin American commies, through launching a limited nuclear strike against America and then invading through Alaska and Mexico and the Carribean, but the Chinese doing it and ending up in Detroit?

How is a Chinese invasion of America going to work?

OK China is a nuclear power and a growing military and economic power. But China's nuclear capability is very limited compared with America's, and China would have a great deal of trouble invading Vietnam or Taiwan, yet alone projecting its military forces across the Pacific and defeating American forces which are far better equipped and trained, and then successfully invading and occuppying America.

I believe there is some Russian involvement in the Chinese invasion. Well OK the Russians are still a big nuclear power, and Russian naval and air forces could still give America some real trouble in certain locations if used and deployed intelligently. The Russians could still probably pull of a suprise but limited invasion of Alaska and the Canadian West and Arctic through airborne and marine units, before the Americans came after them with real force.

So what the premise? China with Russian help successfully defeats and invades America and is helped by a bunch of sleeper 5th Column Quislings?

So who's the 5th Column? Chinese-Americans, or maybe Russian-Americans, anarchists, white liberals with pinko-commie tendancies, ethnic gang bangers, black muslims, other muslims, Christian fundamentalists, survivalists, Mexican-American revisionists, anti-abortionists, American Indians, Mormons, seperatists, closet Nazi's?

Well there are a lot more Chinese-American around now than in 1984, but I think they would still barely make it into the top 10 ethnic groups in America today, and I dont think too many are pro-Communist or anti-American. As for the others, well if they coordinated a" revolution" against the "Man" they would probably be signing their own death warant. I mean an open revolt against heavily armed American government, military and police forces during an attack on America is only going to end one way, and it would bring all the "patriotic" Americans out of the cubbard and would probably give them the excuse than many have long wanted.

Cant wait to see the film next year all the same.

[headquarters]

I think filmmakers really have to work hard to get to a premise were the Americans are outnumbered and outgunned and still hope to retain a glimmer of realism.

But - I just decide to forget about that and enjoy the show .Its not like it pretends to be Syriana.

My bet on who is the 5th column : the banks

[Legbreaker]

I'm guessing they might use the current deployments in the middle east as a opening - less US troops around (including naval and air power) to resist.

Of course the whole thing is completely unbelievable, but isn't that one of the reasons we love T2K so much?

[Matt W]

The upcoming remake of the classic Red Dawn film of 1984 poses some reality problems for me.


You found the original version to be plausible? For years, I used to think it was perhaps the least plausible movie ever made.

Then I saw Harrison Ford in 'Air Force One'....

[jester]

Also,
We can throw in the military reduction and realignment and take it to extreme. Coupled with the forces aborad as was mentioned by Leg, and the whole financial crisis which history has shown can cause revolutions and disharmony which could be used by invaders to create followers <Lenin and WWI>

[pmulcahy11b]

You found the original version to be plausible? For years, I used to think it was perhaps the least plausible movie ever made.

Then I saw Harrison Ford in 'Air Force One'....

Jeez, they both had ridiculous premises! But both were lots of fun to watch!

If you really want to go silly-but-fun (which I love), watch CSI: Miami. Being a geek, I love that computer equipment they have -- stuff that's not projected to be technically possible for as much as 25 years in some cases...

[Raellus]

What about that tunnel under the Pacific the Chinese have been digging all these years?:o

Seriously, though, the OG Red Dawn worked because it appealed to the emotions, not the intellect. Course back then the enemy was an idealogical one. I don't like the idea of painting the Chinese as the bogeyman because it attempts to appeal to xenophobia and latent anti-asian racism. Not cool at all. There's already plenty of ignorance-induced fear and dislike here in the States. Last thing we need to do is perpetuate the idea that the Asian Hordes are coming to get us. You could say, "Well, they're both communists..." but that's not really true of the Chinese any more. It's pandering of the most irresponsible kind.

All in all, a RD remake is a very bad idea.

[pmulcahy11b]

What about that tunnel under the Pacific the Chinese have been digging all these years?:o

Seriously, though, the OG Red Dawn worked because it appealed to the emotions, not the intellect. Course back then the enemy was an idealogical one. I don't like the idea of painting the Chinese as the bogeyman because it attempts to appeal to xenophobia and latent anti-asian racism. Not cool at all. There's already plenty of ignorance-induced fear and dislike here in the States. Last thing we need to do is perpetuate the idea that the Asian Hordes are coming to get us. You could say, "Well, they're both communists..." but that's not really true of the Chinese any more. It's pandering of the most irresponsible kind.

All in all, a RD remake is a very bad idea.

The tunnel's not under the Pacific; it goes straight through the center of the Earth. The Chinese have this myth about "Upside-Down US"... (OK, you really have had to have been a little kid in the US in the 1960s to understand that one.)

As far as working on the emotions more than the intellect -- that's what most good fiction does.

And most remakes suck, anyway.

[jester]

Paul, did you and your neighborhood freinds ever try to dig your way to China? Or, all get together and jump in an attempt to shake them up? :D

Hey the Chinese digging a tunnel under the Pacific! What was that movie? I do remember one from the 60s/70s with that premis, and please don't anyone even mention that movie "Core" where they kinda had it too.

[Caradhras]

I am not really a big movie buff, but I am more and more disillusioned with the mindless dross produced in the last few years on the big screen. It seems it is all about CGI and explosions, charachters and storylines with any depth are a thing of the past. So much so, I have been taking to watching classics like The Searchers, Seven Samurai and 12 Angry Men etc.

As other posters have said, the original plot of RD was tenious at best - the new version I expect will follow the pattern of CGI/action to the expense of anything of any substance.

I still look forward to being proven wrong though :)

[kcdusk]

How is a Chinese invasion of America going to work?


Isnt this sort of thinking the kind that got the USA in trouble in WWII (it cant happen)?

Anyway, i thought if it was a remake it meant they were re-shooting an updated Red Dawn (same script, new actors) as opposed to making a sequal or new invasion (yikes!).

[headquarters]

to put Southern Comfort in there with the rest ..

listening to the Balfa bros. Soundtrack now- kicks a** !

I am not really a big movie buff, but I am more and more disillusioned with the mindless dross produced in the last few years on the big screen. It seems it is all about CGI and explosions, charachters and storylines with any depth are a thing of the past. So much so, I have been taking to watching classics like The Searchers, Seven Samurai and 12 Angry Men etc.

As other posters have said, the original plot of RD was tenious at best - the new version I expect will follow the pattern of CGI/action to the expense of anything of any substance.

I still look forward to being proven wrong though :)

[jester]

to put Southern Comfort in there with the rest ..

listening to the Balfa bros. Soundtrack now- kicks a** !



Southern Comfort! Oh lovely movie! It is almost Deliverance except for National Guard.

[James1978]

Paul, did you and your neighborhood freinds ever try to dig your way to China? Or, all get together and jump in an attempt to shake them up? :D

Hey the Chinese digging a tunnel under the Pacific! What was that movie? I do remember one from the 60s/70s with that premis, and please don't anyone even mention that movie "Core" where they kinda had it too.
Was it Battle Beneath the Earth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Beneath_the_Earth_(1967))?

I remember watching it on cable on some Saturday afternoon when I was a kid. Chinese laser-boring machines and everything!

IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061387/

[headquarters]

Fighting communists these days seem like using the navy for hunting whales..

I mean - the Red Scare isnt all that frightening anymore ?

But a good war movie is a nice hour and 45 mins to zonk out I guess.

Still the whole portraying of someone else as the enemy is a bit worrying too...

[Muti]

I believe there is some Russian involvement in the Chinese invasion

That's true! Just visited the page for Red Dawn on IMDb:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234719/

The brief synopsis says: "A group of teenagers look to save their town from an invasion of Chinese and Russian soldiers."