Red Dawn trailer resists the invasion

FilmDistrict has released the first trailer for its upcoming speculative, war-fantasy remake.

Red Dawn depicts the story of a group of Americans resisting a foreign invasion after waking to a surprise assault. The plot basically reads like an argument for private gun ownership rights, but found a strong audience when the original film was released in 1984. It launched the careers of Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, and Jennifer Grey, while becoming a classic of modern action filmmaking.

The new film stars Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, and Adrianne Palacki in the same respective roles as Swayze, Sheen, and Grey. Though none of them are in real need of a career kick-off, Peck and Palacki could use help getting away from television if that’s where they want to take their careers.

Of course the new film has higher production values than the first, considering the amount of time which has passed. Also expect a more modern pacing and for a few of the themes to switch up a bit with the changes in social issues since the mid-80’s. For example, the first film uses the phrase “World War III” a lot, and that idea isn’t really in the zeitgeist anymore.

Here’s the official synopsis:

In Red Dawn, an American city awakens to the surreal sight of foreign paratroopers dropping from the sky – shockingly, the U.S. has been invaded and their hometown is the initial target. Quickly and without warning, the citizens find themselves prisoners and their town under enemy occupation. Determined to fight back, a group of young patriots seek refuge in the surrounding woods, training and reorganizing themselves into a guerilla group of fighters. Taking inspiration from their high school mascot, they call themselves the Wolverines, banding together to protect one another, liberate their town from its captors, and take back their freedom.

Red Dawn invades theaters on November 21, 2012.