A recharged, re-energized, (and ridiculous) PG-13 reprise of the 1984 star-making classic, this time with more, more, more (guns, blood and explosions)! We have a gang of Spokane, Washington high-school classmates (The Wolverines) who take it upon themselves to save their country from a scourge of......North Koreans, who have the technical know-how to get past the US Navy, the US Air Force, the US Army and (some of) the US Marines. One of the teenagers has a big brother who is a Marine; he conducts a brief training class for this handful of fugitives, on guns, knives, martial arts, explosives and other survival skills. Yeah, riiight!

Opening shots feature news clips of President Obama, Vice President Biden, Secretary of State Clinton and familiar faces from the networks, all trying to placate an increasingly alarmed citizenry. This is supposed to provide authenticity.

These are the current players:

• Chris Hemsworth ("Thor") in Patrick Swayze's old role of Jed, Marine military skills instructor and miracle worker.
• Josh Hutcherson ("The Hunger Games") is the new C.Thomas Howell as Robert, the geek who understands electronics and becomes the explosives expert (Spoiler Alert! He drinks the blood).
• Josh Peck ("Drillbit Taylor"but mostly voice work) has Charlie Sheen's old role: Matt, irresponsible, impulsive and rebellious.
• Conner Cruise ("Seven Pounds") is Daryl, the role formerly played by Darren Dalton. Yes, Conner is Tom's son. His character has the most wrenching twist.
• Jeffrey Dean Morgan ("The Courier") is one of the Marines who comes to the Wolverine's camp looking for help (!?!).
• Adrianne Palicki ("Elektra Lux" and lots of TV) has Jennifer Gray's old role of Toni.
• Isabel Lucas ("Immortals") is the new Lea Thompson as Erica.

I could go on, but you get the idea. The less well-known the actor, the more likely he or she is to die early.

Expect endless scenes of urban warfare, with vehicular mayhem, firefights and blowie uppie stuff. The young men in the (target) audience were enthralled, the rest of us...not so much.

This is actually an argument against gun control: a well-armed populace doesn't take foreign invasion laying down!