Octoberist
point blank
- Joined
- May 13, 2005
- Messages
- 46,465
- Reaction score
- 17
- Points
- 33
Nah it's more than that. Even a fun movie has to be done well.
Exactly over-acting was a staple, but in a story such as this? That utterly ruined several scenes for me. The acting in the remake was far more believable, it never took me out of the story or the situation.
WRITEN BY. And forgot he also directed it, but still think with a better director it would have felt more grounded. John Hillcoat - 'The Road.'
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Imagine the same script, but with a darker and dirtier palette and approach to the woods and surrounding areas with more subtle acting. That's why I'm saying the acting and mis-en-sen of the original is what made the film corny and not the script itself.
Nobody's saying John Hillcoat worked on it. What I am saying is that the original script for the original Red Dawn, to me, isn't what made that film cheesy - it was it's lack of regard for mis-en-sen and acting regarding the situation. It was too far over the top and really light. It took me out of it. Basically the direction was flawed and while it fit with the times, with a modern eye - it seems like the burger king version of what would happen albeit still an entertaining film. With a better director, such as Hillcoat (capturing the same kinds of surroundings) it would have come off much better and perhaps have been the better film. BUT, as it stands - the remake is leagues better to me because while the remake script may not be as good everything else surrounding it is better and more realistic in exception to the invading force.
Dude, it may have been something to you. But, as said, I'm looking at this objectively. I would NEVER give a film a free pass because of the times. I'm not going to say "oh yeah, it's an 80s film so it should get a free pass and get called the better film" when I honestly don't think it is. It comes off like a burger king commercial due to the mis-en-sen when the script is anything but, which is distracting. The original film didn't want me to cheer and holler "wolverines" while the remake does (both wars I'm unconnected by, original because I wasn't there and new because there's no threat from it other than similarly in the movies to me) So, as I said again, remake 8/10 original 7/10 to me. Sometimes the remakes can make leaps and bounds where the original faltered and to me this one did.
ET
BLADE RUNNER
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
THE TERMINATOR
SCARFACE
BACK TO THE FUTURE series
ORDINARY PEOPLE
RAIN MAN
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH THE THIRD KIND
etc.
The crying in the original 'Red Dawn'... people complained about Tobey's crying in SM3? It just felt forced during what SHOULD have been the most raw and poignant scenes.
And charl, I know you absolutely hate that I have my own opinion - otherwise you wouldn't be constantly trying to sway me (unsure why this is continuing on) - but my opinion stands as do the reasons why.