In an era when Hollywood can only churn out a few unique ideas, there is something to be said for a remake that freshens up a cult classic without being overly committed to the script.

“Red Dawn,” the remake of the ‘80s classic, received a high-octane facelift that is very, very different from the original.

It’s not without faults, but “Red Dawn” keeps its foot on the gas pedal and presses the pace. The result is a pretty good action flick that ties together neatly at the end.

(Minor spoilers beyond this point)

Both “Red Dawn” films are about groups of teenagers who repel invading forces on American turf. The ‘80s version focused on the Red Scare, which was good for its time, while the remake is more a commentary on the two wars in the Middle East. That said, while the original was a conservative, survivalist xenophobe’s wet dream, the remake is mostly apolitical.

“Red Dawn” has moments, both good and bad, where it pays heavy fan service to the original. The pop-up manhole traps and the unique twist on the deer blood drinking scene are both fantastic. But other key moments paying homage to the original film feel rushed, and at 90 minutes, the whole movie feels rushed.

That leaves very little time for any real character development. Jed (Chris Hemsworth), Toni (Adrienne Palacki), Robert (Josh Hutcherson) and Daryl (Conner Cruise) each get small character moments, and that was enough to give their characters meaning. Hemsworth puts in a surprisingly solid performance despite Red Dawn being filmed before he broke out as Thor.

But wow, Matt (Josh Peck) is a terrible, whining, cardboard character. Seeing Peck (the fluffy half of Drake and Josh) in an action role, or really, any role at all, nearly ruined the movie for me. He is that poor of an actor.

Peck really removes viewers from a key scene near the end of the movie where he copies a speech given by Hemsworth, word for word, from earlier in the movie. When Hemsworth gives it, you can hear fireworks and the Star Spangled Banner playing while Babe Ruth eats apple pie. Perfect ‘murica moment. When Peck gives it, it sounds like he’s proposing to Drake Bell.

What really lifts “Red Dawn” is slick editing. If you’re going to mostly forsake character development and decent dialog, this is how to do it.

The shaky-cam effects feel dated, reflecting that it was filmed almost six years ago. But quick cuts and a pace that never lets up make this arguably the best action movie remake yet.

As an artistic piece of cinema, “Red Dawn” is awesomely bad. It’s the right way to make a bad movie. But as a solid piece of star-spangled-awesome action, it’s worth seeing.