Red Dawn (1984)

Movie review by Charles Cassady Jr., Common Sense Media
Red Dawn (1984) Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 13+

Controversial, bloody 1980s WWIII film with teen heroes.

PG-13 1984 114 minutes
Rate movie

Parents say

age 13+

Based on 8 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 19 reviews

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate movie

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Red Dawn is a controversial what-if war film that has a lot of shooting, with frequent bloodshed (though little of what would be considered gore) and explosive mayhem. Many characters die, including young heroes, as well as villains. Characters swear ("s--t" and "goddamn" are heard), and there's a suggestion that two underage characters might have been raped or molested. Hunting and killing of animals, for food as well as part of a ritual, is shown. Both the invading and Wolverine forces feature White, Latino, and multiracial characters; the Wolverines also have women fighting on their side.

Community Reviews

langston W.
langston W. Adult
July 9, 2020
age 14+

Violent, But Fine For Most Teens

Though this 80's movie is surprisingly violent at times, most teenagers could probably handle it. Nevertheless, expect a ton of shooting, explosions, and somewhat uncomfortable scenes. In fact, the most graphic scene occurs when one of the Wolverine's choose to execute a traitor in their midst. This scene includes a point blank shooting of an unarmed individual, with the victims body falling over the shooter, leaving a large, bloody smear across his uniform. There are numerous other scenes of people being shot, sometimes with accompanying sight of blood, but rarely any, if any at all, injury detail. There are also 3-ish uses of the s-word, along with SOB, though its far from gratuitous.

This title has:

Too much violence
Cornelius O.
Cornelius O. Adult
November 4, 2017
age 12+

An American Classic!

Although violent at times, Red Dawn is a feel good patriotic movie that promotes a message that no matter what the odds, a small group working together can achieve an outcome thought impossible!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In RED DAWN, the former USSR and sympathetic Latin American countries launch a full-scale invasion of the United States. This Third World War is shown from the vantage of Calumet, Colorado, which is suddenly occupied by Russian paratroopers. Many captured citizens get herded into the local drive-in movie theater, now a mass internment camp and propaganda center, while the town mayor (Lane Smith) cooperates with top Communist officers to keep the community going peacefully. But a group of high school students -- including prominent players on the school football team -- have escaped into the mountains. Refusing to surrender, they form an armed resistance squad, striking back against the enemies, using their former gridiron team name, the Wolverines.

Is It Any Good?

When this overly self-important film premiered in the 1980s, U.S. critics were divided along political lines. Left-leaning ones hated Red Dawn, while the right-leaning ones (especially those whose newspapers supported President Ronald Reagan) loved it. Now, with the USSR a thing of the past, this "what if?" movie feels more like a mixed bag. On one hand, stiff action sequences make the brave high school heroes smashing the Red Army look like some kind of kiddie park ride. On the other hand, the seemingly absurd concept of 1980s American teens turned armed partisans is treated with seriousness -- no music videos, no worrying about whether Marxism will outlaw dancing at the prom -- and a scene where the Wolverines consider executing one of their own is electrifying.

Despite his sometimes clumsy filmmaking and dramatics, the conservatism of writer-director John Milius goes deeper than it seems, with the movie raising questions about sacrifice and which side has the moral high ground after all. Milius' ambiguous ending is both a frustrating cop-out and strangely appropriate.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the 1980s and the Cold War. How has Hollywood depicted the era? What has changed in the world since?

  • Do you think Red Dawn realistically depicts what an invasion and occupation is like?

  • Red Dawn was made by right-leaning filmmakers. Do you think right- and left-leaning politics are equally represented in movies?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate