Rating: 
Summary: A classic Cold War movie that still packs a punch!
Review: One of the best action thrillers of the 1980s is now available to buy on DVD here in the UK, and it was well worth the money! I remember seeing this when it first came out. Amazing to see such an impressive cast that went on to bigger things - Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Charlie Sheen and Lea Thompson among others. The story concerns a sudden invasion by Russian and Cuban forces into midwestern US, which takes everyone by surprise. Enter some spectacular military action scenes up Main Street as US Army helicopters blast Russian tanks to pieces, then our young heroes head for the mountains and learn to survive and develop guerilla warfare skills. They begin with pump-action shotguns and it isn't long before they end up with antitank missiles and AK-47s. Plenty of action and explosions for gung-ho fans and the new resistance, the Wolverines, take on the Soviet and Cuban forces. But . . . in time, they are not only trying to save themselves and their families from the enemy's firing squads and interrogation camps(at the drive-in. loved that nice touch!), but from their own fears and insecurities as their own comrades gradually get killed in action. The second half of the movie shows that wars can affect people in different ways - notably Powers Boothe as a downed F-15 pilot. Overall, this is one not to be missed. Authentic Russian military hardware(except the obviously disguised French Puma transport choppers which are too big for Hind Mi-24 gunships), pulsating action, great sound effects for your DVD, plausible scenarios(the descriptions of how WW3 was fought and how Europe fared was also thrown in well) and good performances from the cast. An eighties classic which should be in everyone's movie collection!
Rating: 
Summary: Red Dumb
Review: This is one of those nonsensical flicks where the villians are depicted at first as being so incredibly competent they can invade America and come within a hairsbreadth of conquering us, but then, they can't find a bunch of sullen, surly and absolutely moronic children. Even when the kids stoll into town for a visit!
Here's the plot: Godless, murderous, commie Cuban paratroopers invade a Western farming community during WWIII in order to machine gun a history teacher, so a bunch of monosyllabic jocks take to the mountains to drink deer blood and become heroic freedom fighters. Patrick Swayze bullies himself into the lead over the wimpy intellectual (wait, that's redundant) in the group, and pretty soon the kids are calling themselves the "Wolverines" and wiping out Soviet armor columns. Eventually, Powers Booth parachutes in to help them and tell them how we should've listened to the John Birch Society and nuked the Russkies years ago.
The characterizations are marginal at best- all Commies are the purest evil (the only thing missing is "Ve haff vays off makink you talk!"), anyone who's remotely intelligent is a traitor, and anyone with a vocabulary of less than 10 words is heroic and manly- including Jennifer Grey. I was willing to meet Milius half-way on this movie- grant him the whole invasion thing and the Commies as the bad guys, especially given the era in which this movie was made- but then he goes out of his way to load this flick with outrageous anti-intellectualism and neo-fascism until the whole thing collapses under the weight of mindless jingoistic pandering. Okay, I'm out of ways to describe just how wrong-headed and misguided this laughably amateurish movie is. Hey- John Milius! In the future, stay away from politics, man! For that matter, stay away from filmmaking.
Rating:
Summary: litmus test
Review: I liked this movie in the 80's, and it is still good!! The same people who hated republicans and the second amendment then hate this movie now. It is a real litmus test for political view. The situations are reversed on "Coming Home" with Hanoi Jane.
Rating: 
Summary: Politics aside, this is just moronic
Review: The notion that someone would, because of their party affiliation, somehow overlook that this film is utter nonsense, from beginning to end, saddens me. Surely those who miss the good old days of the Cold War, or want to just wave the flag back and forth until their arm gets tired can find better than this: "Air Force One," a Tom Clancy movie, a John Wayne flick. "Red Dawn" insults the intelligence of anyone who understands the military, world politics or even basic geography. An America foolish enough to be invaded and taken over as happens in the movie (only to be rescued by a group of high school athletes ...) deserves whatever happens to it. Cut from the full version of the film: The commies softened the red blooded Americans by making them watch stupid movies until they became too dumb to be able to make any informed decisions on their own. This is a rental, at best. Honestly, any Tom Clancy film, "The Peacemaker" or a dozen other hairy-chested military wannabe films would be a far, far better choice for your entertainment dollar.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent movie
Review: Okay, the plausibility of the storyline is often attacked, but who said that movies had to be plausible? This movie simply asks you to suspend disbelief and ask what if? I think it does that quite well. The ensemble cast does an excellent job, and the score definitely helps to set the mood and move the story along. The most disturbing thing I've seen in the reviews that attack the movie is that it is overly patriotic. What is that? I can't believe that a resident of the USA could condemn something for being too patriotic...it just astounds me...
Rating:
Summary: Freakin Great
Review: There's lots to love about this movie: 1) the classy cast of first stringers with impeccable track records who went on to achieve legendary film status, 2) the Shakespearean quality dialogue, 3) the utterly plausible and realistic portrayal of the Soviet/Cuban/Nicaraguan alliance that, in a matter of days, completely disables the American nuclear arsenal, launches a successful ground invasion of the US, crippling both the US army, airforce and the national guard, and then gets stopped in the rockies by the high school football team (with help from the cheerleaders), 4) the portrayal of the infinite, all-consuming and unfathomable evil of the commies who make Charles Manson seem like a naughty boy scout, 5) the first rate production values 6) the completely innocent and noble intentions of the filmmakers to make a great action flick rather than a repugnant paranoid piece of hysterical propaganda designed to further the priorities of the Reagan administration 7) the subtle and tender soundtrack. Highly recommended for brown pipe engineers and other plumbers who come in through the tradesman's entrance.
Rating:
Summary: Great Music, Great Film
Review: It seems as if the other posted reviews missed the chance to comment on the great soundtrack this film has. The movie was scored by Basil Poledouris, who is responsible for the soundtracks of Farewell to The King, Conan The Barbarian, etc. It's fully orchestrated, with the accompaniment of a synth occasionally, but the result is suprisingly natural. The music is very effective at emphasizing emotion in a film with rather sparce dialouge. From the main theme playing while soaring through clouds in the introduction, the random shots of seasonal landscape accompanied by variations on the main theme shown after the changing of each month, or the climactic anthem that builds as Robert is attacked by helicopters; Red Dawn has very atmospheric music. The brother's final scene is particularly moving, and a perfect example of how subtily powerfull the score is. Also notable is the use of native Russian and Spanish for the Soviets and Cubans, all of which is subtitled. There are several insightful scenes with a Cuban officer that gives depth and emotional perspective to his charactor. The Russian tanks and helicopters had a very authentic look as well. I've observed that many of the opinions posted here are very politicized, so if you are closed minded to "what if" senarios or lack imagination you probably will not like this film (nor many others I imagine). Rent it or buy it and keep your ears open.
Rating:
Summary: Even Fascists Will Fall Asleep
Review: All politics aside there are movies the right-wingers love that are good entertainment ('Walking Tall') and movies that appeal to left-wingers that are good entertainment ('The Grapes of Wrath'). And then there is the crap on both sides of the aisle. There is simply no way this movie can be enjoyed on any level. It fails as a war movie, an action film, a drama, or a young persons movie. Teenagers in the American West find themselves in the middle of WWIII when before the end of class one day Soviet paratroopers descend from the sky and off their teacher. Soon the local drive-in theater is a re-education camp and the Mayors car is in the hands of the Reds. With a little help from a downed American pilot, and using what skills they remember from deer hunting vacations and history class lessons about unconventional warfare, the teenagers become a formidable fighting force. The dialogue is embarrassing to say the least. The characters absolutely unlikable and the acting dreadful. The film is almost impossible to watch and ranks with John Wayne's 'Jet Pilot' as one of the all time worst. If you're looking for an action yarn with an anti-Soviet backdrop keep looking, you'll get the reactionary politics here but you won't get any entertainment.
Rating: 
Summary: SOVIET INVASION of The United States
Review: This movie is one of my favorite War movies, the first move that depicts a World War on "American Soil". I thought the Action was good and well directed. When I first saw it, it made me think, was it possible for my Country to be Invaded by the USSR and it's Allies, where the west was under Soviet Control. I do think though, the US would have better defense that would have prevented them from invading. overall it was a good action movie with a good plot.
Rating:
Summary: If I could give this movie no stars, I would.
Review: This is a typical flag-waving piece of American paranoid garbage from the mid-80s in which Cuban and Russian military commanders are made to look like fools by a bunch of ragtag, redneck small town U.S.A. teenagers. Yeah. Right. That'll happen.
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