Movie Review New Dawn 2012

I saw the original Red Dawn several times and have enjoyed it every time, and interestingly the TV was running it, so I taped it and watched it again this morning, before writing my review of Red Dawn 2012 version. 
It is hard to watch a remake of a movie and not compare, especially as I have just watched the original again. But, I will endeavor to give this latest version its credit and then make a comment or two. There is no doubt the line up of actors for this movie is impressive. Chris Hemsworth as Jake the older brother who is the leader of the group is his stalwart self. Josh Peck as the younger brother, and then Josh Hutchinson (from Hunger Games), Adrianne Palicki as the older girl, who holds a torch for Jake and Isabel Lucas as the younger and Connor Cruise making his first (I believe) appearance in a movie in a pivotal role.
There is a lot of big bangs as things get blown up, loud music and empty buildings throughout this movie. There is more shots in the town, it seems, than up in the mountains (although where the mountains are outside of Spokane I'm not sure. I've visited there often years ago and I don't remember mountains being that close. But perhaps my memory does not serve me well.
The question I always ask myself. Did I enjoy the movie? Yes I enjoyed it for what it is, a blow things up, with young children being the rebels fighting the cause. Was it great? No, not great, but still entertainment if you like this genre of a movie. It held its own.
Was it better than the original? I don't think so. I did not feel the emotional connection, which I did with the original cast, in this movie. I laughed a few times, but I did not feel emotionally connected, except when Jake gets it at the end. I felt emotionally attached when they get shot at, or shot, in the original. I felt much more range of feeling in the original. Was this new version worth seeing? Yes, it was. Do I need to see it again? No.
I need to mention the story line was changed North Koreans instead of Russians and Cubans (the enemy has changed) Chris Hemsworth plays a marine, so not much emotion there. Whereas Patrick Swayse plays the older brother just out of school. John Peck's part was more irrational, than is counterpart played by Charlie Sheen. It was like they were wanting this to be a love story as well, as a action adventure story. The older gal, Adrianne Palicki, holds a torch for Helmsworth and I don't think that was necessary. In the original how the group bond was a lot of the story.
At the end of the movie I thought 3 out of 5. Its definitely not a 2 1/2, but a light 3.
If you go see, enjoy it, but watch the original one again. Its worth it.