Movie Review - Red Dawn

Red Dawn (2012)

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, Adrianne Palicki, Isabel Lucas, Josh Hutcherson, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Directed by Dan Bradley

As a conservative, I probably should be falling head over heels for the remake of Red Dawn, a jingoistic Republican fantasy with a rallying cry for American freedom.  Hell, there's even a line in the film about a lesser military spending leading to a weakened national defense thereby allowing the North Koreans to invade the northwestern corner of the nation (or maybe all of the US...that was never really made clear), run rampant over the local governments, and begin the process of forcing us Americans to our knees.  But the fact remains that Red Dawn is an awful movie.  Horrible dialog.  Disappointing acting.  Poorly edited.  You name it and it was likely pretty pitiful.

The biggest problem isn't with the overarching story of the North Korean takeover of the US, but with the insignificant and poorly explicated character relationships.  Right off the bat, we're supposed to feel for brothers Jed and Mack Eckert (Chris Hemsworth and Josh Peck) because Jed's been off in Iraq and has left Mack at home.  I guess the separation caused some issues to develop, but their dad (Brett Cullen) tries to bring the two boys together.  And, of course, the story forces them to bond and become best buds.  There are two incredibly tired and hastily perfunctory love stories thrown into the mix as well, neither of which are developed enough to provide even a modicum of reason for them existing.  [I won't even get started on actresses Adrianne Palicki and Isabel Lucas and their "acting" here...although I will ask the public if Ms. Lucas was trying to hide her Australian accent or if her character was supposed to be from The Land Down Under because that Aussie lilt more often than not made its presence known.]

The whole thing really is a mess with there being nary a technical or story-based aspect that truly shines.  The one bright spot of the film is that Hemsworth actually proves to be moderately adept at carrying a film.  I was somewhat impressed with his role in Thor and this proves that there may be some type of slight star quality present to carry a crappy action movie here or there in his future.  He's pretty much wasted here, however.

It's fairly obvious to see why this one was held in limbo for over two years and just finally found a release.  I think that the concept would actually permit a good movie to be made (maybe the 1984 original is solid -- I've never seen it), but the sun should've set on this version of Red Dawn before it even got off the drawing board.

The RyMickey Rating:  D

Movie Review - ATM

ATM (2012)

Starring Brian Geraghty, Josh Peck, and Alice Eve

Directed by David Brooks

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

In the same vein as 2010's Buried, ATM conjures up a claustrophobic feel by taking three folks and trapping them in an ATM vestibule with an insane killer watching them on the outside.  The three co-workers on their way home from an office Christmas party go through the expected emotional and plot-driven rigmarole -- fear, escape attempts, blame, anger, defeat, renewed fervor to break out -- only to conclude with an ending that can only be deemed a bit of a let-down.

Surprisingly, considering the limited nature of the film, director David Brooks does a pretty solid job of keeping the florescent lighting and boxy nature of the ATM booth visually appealing and he manages to conjure up some decent performances from his trio of three young actors.  Brian Geraghty is certainly best known for his work in The Hurt Locker (he landed on my Top Five Best Supporting Actor list that year) and I'm surprised he hasn't gained a little more traction from his role in that Academy Award-winning film.  Granted, he's not reinventing the wheel with his performance here, but he's definitely able to hold your attention throughout the film.  Josh Peck (a former Nickelodeon child star) is fine as a smarmy, egotistical, yet lovable SOB who has the misfortune of getting his friends into the predicament they're in.  Alice Eve rounds out the trio, but her role is too bland and one-note to allow for anything beyond acting jittery and nervous.  Still, the trio does a decent job running the gamut of emotions needed in a scenario like this.

Looking beyond the ludicrous premise, ATM is better than it probably deserves to be.  However, the silly concept coupled with an ending that feels incomplete can't help but knock this down a couple notches.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-