7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 3.4 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
In the heartland of the United States of America, a group of teenagers band together to defend their town, and their country, from invading Soviet and Cuban forces.
Starring: Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen, Darren DaltonWar | 100% |
Teen | 61% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.84:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
French: DTS 2.0
Portuguese: Dolby Digital Mono
Italian: DTS 2.0
German: DTS 2.0
Russian: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 2.0
Czech: Dolby Digital Mono
Thai: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
It is World War III down there. People are being killed.
That's a pretty succinct description of what awaits in Red Dawn, Director John Milius' controversial but powerful and extremely effective
filmed
envisioning of World War III on American soil and the rebellion that follows. And isn't it funny how the passage of time can so drastically alter one's
perspective on a film and the
story inside. No doubt that for many youths of its day, Red Dawn was the quintessential rah-rah Action flick, a fantasy come to life, a tale of
living off the land, of good friends, of danger, and killing some commie baddies. The movie still evokes a sense of togetherness and is quick to
entertain with
its well-designed action scenes, but the passage of time and life experience sure does give the movie a far more harrowing, emotionally wrecking sort
of
feel. The film's core remains even if the threat of Cold War-turned-hot Communist invasion from a defunct Soviet Union and smaller Central
American/Caribbean nations
has obviously
lessened. Through the prism of its era-inspired action, the picture champions ideals of freedom, self-sufficiency, awareness, preparedness,
resourcefulness, and
moral courage to stand up for ideals
and a way of life, even in the face of unrelenting terror, murder, and long odds. No doubt the film remains politically divisive considering both its
subtle
and obvious conservative actions and libertarian ideals, but no matter one's opinion there's no denying the movie is far deeper than the
superficialities
of its shoot-em-up elements and far more emotionally involved, gritty, and well-made than its reputation perhaps suggests.
Hard choices in harsh times.
Red Dawn drops onto Blu-ray with a fairly good, well-rounded 1080p transfer that's certainly flawed in places but generally pleasant for a low-cost catalogue release, even one that's been on the Blu-ray radar since the format's inception. The image is speckled over the establishing shots, and they remain throughout though not quite so thickly. The opening title flyover appears pasty, but definition, sharpness, and clarity improve drastically when the action shifts to the ground. The image isn't going to dazzle, but its stability on large screens and general crispness will satisfy longtime fans. Details are quite nice, whether clothes and faces or rocky terrains and dense foliage. There are some softer shots, but such are the exception. The image displays a moderate grain field and rarely shows signs scrubbing. Colors are steady and accurate, never too bold nor too reserved. From bright white snow to darker apparel, the palette is such that it goes largely unnoticed, which means its effective in reproducing clothes, objects, and the film's various seasonal vistas. Blacks are adequate and flesh tones never drift very far from the natural. Perhaps the image's greatest drawback is the presence of unwanted edge enhancement. It's not excessive but is enough to distract in some shots. Otherwise, this is a fair presentation; it should have been better, but considering the low price point it's hard to argue too much with what is a good, not great, end product.
Much like its video counterpart, Red Dawn's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack isn't going to be mistaken for a new, explosive Action presentation, but the older, somewhat stale ingredients are nevertheless mixed together to passably good end results. The opening theme proves quite impressive; though perhaps a hair muddled, it enjoys a very strong, robust listening environment presence, nice spacing, fine surround usage, and a noticeably fine sensation to the electronic elements within the music. Gunfire sounds rather muffled and not too terribly aggressive in terms of volume, but the basic sonic signature does remain true to older home video presentations. Automatic weapons fire does hit hard with some more potent bass in chapter fourteen. Tank shells and RPG projectiles often whiz through the stage to fine effect, seamlessly zipping from one end to the other and all but making the audience dodge. Distant gunfire effortlessly drifts through the stage at times while natural woodland ambience, the background audio propaganda heard at the imprisonment camp, and other assorted ambient effects easily set the stage for several crucial scenes. Dialogue remains clear and focused up the middle. This is a good track that mostly disappoints with that muddled gunfire, but overall it's definitely a step up from older presentations. Longtime fans who know the movie inside and out should appreciate the track's benefits but also recognize the room for improvement.
Red Dawn features several older supplements. No top menu is included; all supplements must be accessed during film playback.
Red Dawn often seems misunderstood as a one-sided pro-war picture when, indeed, it seems to evolve into something of an anti-war picture by film's end. The seeds are there throughout and they sprout slowly, even through all of the go-get-em and shoot-em-up "Wolverines!" elements that wrongly define the movie beyond the superficial. Red Dawn is a far deeper picture than those run-and-gun action visuals suggest. It's a potent Drama about the terrors of war and coming of age in a world suddenly shattered and drastically altered in the blink of an eye. Without question, it also overtly and subtly alike constructs and champions ideas both as they relate to the hardship on the body and the survival of the soul in war, and it's through those elements that the movie finds its real purpose as a story that's not against war in a completely blanket sense of the term but that certainly speaks out as a warning to what happens in war. Red Dawn may certainly be enjoyed, or despised, as a goofy and implausible 1980s Action flick, but understanding the movie's deeper thought processes and not just watching its violence turns the experience into something else entirely and shapes it as a classic movie that's strongly acted and one that's better than most in its ability to paint both dire and hopeful pictures almost simultaneously. MGM's Blu-ray release Red Dawn features decent video and audio. A few old supplements are included. Red Dawn has never looked or sounded better for home viewing, even with its technical faults. Considering the price and the likelihood that this is it for the foreseeable future (even with a remake on the horizon) this release comes recommended.
1984
1984
1984
Collector's Edition
1984
Collector's Edition
1984
1984
Collector's Edition | Includes Poster+Pins
1984
2011
1988
2012
1985
Forces spéciales
2011
2018
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