Dawn Comes Again

When "Red Dawn" debuted in 1984, it's plot was probably a bit of a stretch. It's plot was about the Russians invading the United States of America and a group of Colorado teen repelling them.

Of course, the film came out during the height of the Cold War. People lived in fear of World War III beginning, and "Red Dawn" sort of capitalized on that sentiment. It's not that it was totally believable, it's just that it wasn't totally unbelievable.

But the world is a lot different in 2012. We have smart bombs, unmanned drones, and the biggest threat to our nation isn't another superpower, but rather terrorist attacks. Yet it is into this world that studios have attempted to inject a new version of "Red Dawn."

I already critiqued the film in yesterday's post, so I won't go into that again. This is more of a critique of the idea, which seems a little too far-fetched today.

Setting aside the ridiculously inconsistent secret weapon used, or the fact that North Korea would have first had to attack South Korea (and our base there, kicking off a war) before coming to the United States. What's least believable to me is the fact that I just don't think it would work.

Let's ignore the organized resistance — like the police, military, and National Guard. In the film, there is a reference to all of California and the East Coast being captured.... by paratroopers... I don't think so.  I've seen "The Wire." I watch all these crimes shows. People in urban America — especially on the East and West Coast — are packing. What army could overcome that?

Anyway, it's a nice piece of nostalgia, but believable? Not for me.