'Red Dawn' rises from the dead

Josh Hutcherson looked about 12 years old. Chris Hemsworth was not yet Thor. The year was 2009 and “Red Dawn” was being filmed in Detroit.

Then “Red Dawn” disappeared. The remake of a 1984 film that had Russia invading America got caught up in the financial swirls surrounding MGM and never made its Nov. 2010 release date.

But now Chris Hemsworth is Thor, and one of the stars of “Marvel’s The Avengers,” the year’s highest grossing film and the third biggest ever worldwide.

And Josh Hutcherson, who can easily pass for 15 now, was the male lead in this year’s second biggest movie, “The Hunger Games.”

So how surprised are we that “Red Dawn” is actually scheduled for release on Nov. 21, 2012? Not very.

FilmDistrict bought the movie, which has now digitally replaced the invading Chinese army with a more politically correct North Korean army. Seriously, North Korea? They seem about as likely as Italy to be able to pull off an American invasion.

Anyway, the movie was made in Detroit — and looks it by the trailer — so we’re supposed to be supportive, like we are of all movies made in Detroit. By the way, the 1984 “Red Dawn” was pretty bad: High school students fighting an army. Right.