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Red Dawn (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review

4K views 26 replies 22 participants last post by  yadfgp 
#1 ·


The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )

Film:


Extras:


Audio/Video total rating:

( Max score: 100 )
92





Studio and Year: 20th Century Fox - 2012
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 93 minutes
Genre: Action

Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24


Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Josh Peck, Adrianne Palicki, Isabel Lucas, Connor Cruise, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Directed by: Dan Bradley
Music by: Ramin Djawadi
Written by: Carl Ellsworth & Jeremy Passmore
Region Code: A

Blu-ray Disc release Date: March 5, 2013
"Welcome to the home of the brave"


Film Synopsis:


Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games), and Isabel Lucas (Immortals) deliver a full arsenal of pulse-pounding excitement in this explosive action-adventure! The unsuspecting citizens of Spokane, Washington, wake up one morning to the shocking sight of foreign paratroopers dropping from the sky in a surprise attack on the United States. Soon the entire city is under enemy control, but a group of courageous teenagers has decided to fight back, waging an all-out war against the invaders, to take back their town – and their freedom!

My Take:


In Red Dawn, Spokane Washington awakens to the surreal sight of foreign paratroopers dropping from the sky – shockingly, the U.S. has been invaded and their hometown is the initial target. Quickly and without warning, the citizens find themselves prisoners and their town under enemy occupation. Determined to fight back, a group of young patriots seek refuge in the surrounding woods, training and reorganizing themselves into a guerilla group of fighters. Taking inspiration from their high school mascot, they call themselves the “Wolverines”, banding together to protect one another, liberate their town from its captors, and take back their freedom.


Red Dawn is a re-boot of the 1984 box office cult-classic hit film that made stars of Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, Lea Thompson, Jennifer Grey, C. Thomas Howell, Darren Dalton, Brad Savage and Powers Booth. The innate theme of the original, fighting for what you believe in and protecting your homeland, is the same here. Home on leave from the Marines, Jed (Hemsworth) and his brother Matt (Peck) fight back when their suburban town is attacked by North Korean soldiers. They, along with their friends form an insurgent group and take the fight to the invaders in an attempt to save their homes, and take back their freedom.


I remember seeing the original “Red Dawn” in the theater back in the day. For some reason that film, that time, those actors, worked really well. Much of the same preposterousness, shallow storyline and thin characters pervaded but it was easier to get caught up in it. As I sat and watched this reboot I didn’t have that same feeling and too often found myself rolling my eyes. Perhaps with a better crafted script, deeper development of the characters/relationships and a sharper directorial eye this would have amounted to a better effort.


I did enjoy some of the action set pieces and the cast as a whole is about what you’d expect and are fine. In the end removal of one’s thinking cap and suspending belief isn’t enough as Red Dawn comes up short and fails to effectively draw you into its already foundationally shaky realm. Luckily at 90 minutes it moves fairly quickly and has enough action to qualify for a below average popcorn movie.


Parental Guide:


The rating is for sequences of intense sequences of war violence and action, and for language.



AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65

**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**


Audio: 94

(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)

  • Dynamics:

  • Low frequency extension:

  • Surround Sound presentation:

  • Clarity/Detail:

  • Dialogue Reproduction:




Video: 90

(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)

  • Resolution/Clarity:

  • Black level/Shadow detail:

  • Color reproduction:

  • Fleshtones:

  • Compression:


Red Dawn comes to Blu-ray Disc from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 38 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 4 Mbps.


This is an excellent Blu-ray offering from Fox that looks terrific in high definition. The video is sharp with a slightly edgy but otherwise pristine quality that is visually pleasing. Detail rendering is spot on with lucid visual acuity and fine articulation that brings forth lots of subtle detail in the images onscreen. Colors are delineated with slightly oversaturated primaries and warm tonality that make them pop nicely. The palette of secondary hues and earth tones appear vivid and warm. Flesh tones are natural with varying degrees of complexional separation among the cast. Boldly applied contrast and consistent black levels provide excellent balance during bright scenes containing mixed content. Shadow detail is strong which brings out plenty of discernible texture in low/uneven lighting and dark backgrounds.


The lossless DTS-HD Master Audio surround mix does a superb job rendering the film’s soundtrack. Dialogue has excellent intonation and clarity which allows even subtle changes in vocal pitch to be appreciable. This is a well balanced audio presentation that engages the entire system. Dynamic range is excellent and the soundstage has an open expression that allows its elements to extend well into the room. Rear channel activity is abundant as the film’s active elements provide an enriching level of immersion which is generated by a seamless sound field. The action is empowered by near field sound effects, and robust dynamics that energize the room. The LFE channel is frequently active and reproduces extended lower bass frequencies that hit hard and reward with palpably rich extension.

Bonus Features:

  • Bonus DVD

  • Digital Copy

  • Ultraviolet Digital Copy




Final Thoughts:

Red Dawn is a re-boot of the 1984 film that brought together a winning combination that made it a cult-classic favorite. This film uses a similar thematic and cinematic approach but spins its wheels failing to capture the rewardingly raw essence of the original. It comes to Blu-ray from 20th Century fox Home Entertainment in a bare bones offering that contains no bonus material. On the bright side its technical presentation is a strong one that features excellent high definition video and rocking DTS-HD Master Audio sound. If you can put aside the poorly crafted story the presentation on Blu-ray makes this worth checking out.












Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews





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14
#3 ·
Yeah Im sorry but I couldnt get into either the original or this one, the original was just soo boring for me, I mean really like an hour goes by before any real story or action takes places and this well was just another shoot-em up style movie although it does hit closer to home with recent conflicts with the North lol but still it was so so.
 
#7 ·
Not a great movie by any means but I enjoyed it--lots of action and I found most of the characters interesting. Not one I would ever buy but I enjoyed watching it on my ATV via iTunes. It was worth a watch for me.
 
#8 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by stepyourgameup  /t/1462254/red-dawn-blu-ray-official-avsforum-review#post_23056759


I have an idea. Let's remake every movie from the 80's so we won't have to waste time being creative.

Name the last original idea in the last 20 years of film. Ideas have been recyled since the time of the Roman Empire.
 
#9 ·
I could tell from the commercials this was going to be a poor re-make mostly counting on action scenes and special effects to pull it off. I do like the original.
 
#11 ·
I'll buy the original and wait for the price to go down to $7.99
 
#13 ·
What pushed this over the edge from 'really want to see' to 'don't really care' is when they changed the plot, reshot sequences, and digitally changed the final print to make the invader North Korea instead of the original China. The thought of North Korea ever being in a position or having the manpower to physically invade the US is laughable.
 
#14 ·
The original Red Dawn is one of my favorite movies on which to pontificate! But I will resist the urge. Sort of



The original was actually a pretty good examination of strategies used to put down insurgencies and the issues with each one.


The original was mocked for the idea that a rag tag teenage led insurgency could cause havoc for an invading army. In 2013 we now know the horror that insurgencies can cause an invading army.


The original taught us the problem with "gun registration".


Haven't watched the remake.


Tom
 
#15 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tenthplanet  /t/1462254/red-dawn-blu-ray-official-avsforum-review/0_100#post_23058865


Name the last original idea in the last 20 years of film. Ideas have been recyled since the time of the Roman Empire.
Throwin one out there... the Matrix?

i enjoyed your review Ralph, looking forward to the next one!
 
#17 ·
Yep, the decision to change the invaders from Chinese to North Koreans was ridiculous. Just how many movie tickets did they sell in China to warrant this change?


That said, the original Red Dawn was terribly cheesy, but pretty significant in an era of NATO vs. Warsaw Pact that had everyone on edge. As Star56 says, we lost in Vietnam and the Soviets got their asses handed to them in the occupation of Afghanistan. The question of what to do while invading and "liberating" an unenlightened country full of partisans (or terrorists, or freedom fighters) was at the top of people's minds.


Fast forwarding to a hypothetical North Korean occupation in a movie released in 2012 just doesn't seem in any way plausible. Blech.
 
#18 ·
When the original came out I was 14, a US military brat and in Jr. ROTC. The thought of the Russians invading and kids my age having to fight back was really scary and it made the original work. I haven't seen the reboot yet but I already know N. Koreans invading Spokane is not going to have the same effect.
 
#19 ·
Dumb movie of the year. Watched last night. Some nice dynamics and bass, however... but the premise was beyond ridiculous.
 
#21 ·
I tried to watch this last night but had to quit about 20 minutes in or so.


I'm usually very open minded to overlooking alot of stupid and implausible things in lieu of everything else a movie might have going for it, but it was just so ridiculous overall I couldn't handle watching another minute of it.



I did like the original overall. It may have been due to only being around 14 or so when I saw it. But this new 1 just really sucked bad. It may have gotten better but I didn't want to stick around to find out.


Did anyone else have an issue with the opening invasion scene? The 3 dudes in the back of the pickup truck going at least 50 mph, slamming into another truck going at least 50 mph, and both trucks getting smashed up, but the 2 kids walked away like nothing happened????? Come on........!


i was gonna put spoiler tags on that but I think I may have done some of you a favor by not putting em there.
 
#22 ·
Wow! Some rough critiques lol! The original is one of my all-time favorite movies. I think me being 13 at the time and it being the very first PG-13 movie that I saw in the theater played some role in that too probably.


As another poster mentioned; I was at an age where it really put me in the perspective of those kids in the original and I spent a lot of summers on my grandparents farm hunting, etc. which lent to me feeling a kinship to the characters. The Cold War Era of the 80s was pretty scary and I distinctly recall the rhetoric my parents used to instill into me the evils of the Soviet Union vs. the virtues of the United States.


My father being a FBI Agent probably heightened my sense of what they said coming from some enlightened insight. How the citizens in the Soviet Union were eavesdropped upon by the government and if they were critical of the government they would be shipped off to Siberia. They had their lives dictated to them and they were told what their occupation was going to be. They weren’t a free people, etc.


Anyway, so, I was pumped to see this remake and saw it in the theater. I’m glad to see it reintroduced to a younger audience personally. The recent ramped up threats from North Korea added to my experience watching it again last night. However less reality based an actual invasion might be from North Korea vs. the Soviet Union of the 80s (I believe the revamp does make a link to the North Koreans not going it alone in their invasion).


The original inspired a sense of standing your ground and fighting for your freedom when challenged, etc. and regardless of how this remake stacks up against the original – it still embodied the essence of the original’s spirit enough for me to enjoy it and see it be reintroduced to a younger audience.


Great review btw. Looked great at home on Blu-ray - I see it was shot on film and the color seemed to reflect that at home for me. Sound was just what you would expect from this kind of movie too. Glad I gave it a rent to see it again.
 
#23 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fastfwd  /t/1462254/red-dawn-blu-ray-official-avsforum-review/0_40#post_23163954


Wow! Some rough critiques lol! The original is one of my all-time favorite movies. I think me being 13 at the time and it being the very first PG-13 movie that I saw in the theater played some role in that too probably.


As another poster mentioned; I was at an age where it really put me in the perspective of those kids in the original and I spent a lot of summers on my grandparents farm hunting, etc. which lent to me feeling a kinship to the characters. The Cold War Era of the 80s was pretty scary and I distinctly recall the rhetoric my parents used to instill into me the evils of the Soviet Union vs. the virtues of the United States.


My father being a FBI Agent probably heightened my sense of what they said coming from some enlightened insight. How the citizens in the Soviet Union were eavesdropped upon by the government and if they were critical of the government they would be shipped off to Siberia. They had their lives dictated to them and they were told what their occupation was going to be. They weren’t a free people, etc.


Anyway, so, I was pumped to see this remake and saw it in the theater. I’m glad to see it reintroduced to a younger audience personally. The recent ramped up threats from North Korea added to my experience watching it again last night. However less reality based an actual invasion might be from North Korea vs. the Soviet Union of the 80s (I believe the revamp does make a link to the North Koreans not going it alone in their invasion).


The original inspired a sense of standing your ground and fighting for your freedom when challenged, etc. and regardless of how this remake stacks up against the original – it still embodied the essence of the original’s spirit enough for me to enjoy it and see it be reintroduced to a younger audience.


Great review btw. Looked great at home on Blu-ray - I see it was shot on film and the color seemed to reflect that at home for me. Sound was just what you would expect from this kind of movie too. Glad I gave it a rent to see it again.

Ok I'll give you that! as we all felt that cold war tension back then as I was around 14 as well, and I do believe its something the current young generation should see


Good write up
 
#26 ·
I didn't think it was that bad of a movie. Yes the opening part where the kids were In the back of the pickup truck and crashed at like 50 is rediculas

Also no way could some kids cause that kind of retaliation against a whole army, however I didn't like the audio a lot and I thought the bass sounded great and very realistic (esspecially on my rythmik:)) and the action was enough to keep me intrested.


Unrealistic yes

But good movie..? I'd say so just nothing great


I think the critics were a little rough on this one but idk just my opinion
 
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