Red Dawn had a lot of potential. It's got a pretty great start that has all the ambition of human space exploration brought to the forefront with some pretty impressive special effects. However, after a while, things just sort of fall into a very typical Ice Warriors story. The sort of thing that's been done a lot before and especially with these characters.

I think the problem with the Ice Warriors is that they represent this sophisticated race that isn't simply villainous, and sometimes (too often in lesser Ice Warrior stories) the plots don't live up to that sophistication. And I guess I just want or expect these sort of stories to dig a little deeper than just shrugging our shoulders and wondering "can't we all just get along?" It's not a bad message, it just feels a little reductive, and Red Dawn makes things too easy for listeners by making the humans too over-the-top (or at least the one guy bossing everyone around) while the Ice Warriors are a little too bland and inoffensive. It's not even necessarily unrealistic - one bad faith actor can spoil delicate situations like this in real life, and a lot of politics come to mind to that end - it's just the sort of thing we see a lot in these sorts of stories. It results in a story where the conflict feels less organic and more forced.

I did appreciate Peri being in this story and Nicola Bryant's dedication to this role. Maureen Oakley wasn't too bad either. On the other hand, the Doctor doesn't really get to stand out much here. Overall Red Dawn was very uneven. Bristling with unused potential, competently made but very lacking in the writing department. I don't think I'd recommend it, but it is a shame as it feels like the talent behind the scenes went to waste, to a degree.