With the fall of the Soviet Union back in 1991, Hollywood screenwriters lost something really valuable: a believable villain for any kind of action film featuring international conflict. The Soviets were the cinematic yang to our yin, the perfect counterbalance to the baseball, Mom and apple pie credo Americans love to embrace. Better yet, they were every bit our equal in terms of world-destroying capability. We had a giant army and nukes, but so did they. If you were a screenwriter in the '80s and needed a good villain, the Soviets were basically your go-to guy.One film that really benefited from the fear-inspiring power of the Russians was 1984's 'Red Dawn'. That film found the Soviets teaming up with Cuba to invade an unsuspecting America. A band of teenagers (including Patrick Swayze and the always-in-the-news Charlie Sheen) became freedom fighters in hopes of stopping the terrible red menace.
MGM finished filming a 'Red Dawn' remake last year (which was then kept in limbo thanks to the studio's financial situation), and when the film was first announced many wondered who the invading force would be in light of the fact that the Soviet Union no longer exists. The answer was China. We say was, because that's now changed.
Hit the jump for more on who's invading America and why.
