Road House (2024) - Needs A Different Title

 

Streaming on Amazon Prime

    The original Road House from 1989, starring the late Patrick Swayze, is regarded by some, myself included, as a seminal classic in cheesy modern western action bags of cinematic candy. It's a film that only demanded a little from the audience and utilized the inherent talents of its star almost perfectly. Probably the most infamous aspect of the film is how some fans prefer to stop the film before the last 20 minutes for various reasons, not the least of which is the unfortunate departure of Sam Eliot's character, who has become a legend in his own right. Or that some people prefer to not watch the movie star rip out a guy's throat with his bare hands; that might also have something to do with it. 

    Then, as if we needed further proof of Hollywood's story crisis and ongoing creative implosion, MGM Studios (owned by Amazon) released a shiny new remake of Road House starring Jake Gyllenhaal and directed by Doug Liman, late of The Bourne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow, and Locked Down. On the surface, it seems like another desperate attempt from the dying Hollywood system to cash in on a recognizable I.P. with little effort put into making a compelling experience (filmmaking by accountants, if you will). 

    And yet, the film is genuinely okay. Despite the film suffering an unnecessarily unfair disadvantage by being an in-name-only remake, not to mention yet another case of a creative boycotting their creation after getting screwed over a theatrical release, taken on its own merits, the film is pretty fun. It has a decent individual spirit that deserves to stand independently rather than be forced to mascarade as a remake. Make no mistake, it is technically a recreation of the same general plot as the classic, as mentioned earlier, and it's a plot that has served as the basis for many classic Westerns and Martial Arts movies made before (and the film makes multiple references to that notion throughout the runtime). However, it might have been received more favorably if it had not been for the copied/pasted title. 

    Much like the original, the story follows a modern vagabond named Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal), who is hired by the owner of a bar called The Road House to serve as the new head bouncer. The place is regularly terrorized by a bunch of aggressive and entitled muscleheads who turn out to be part of a sinister scheme to drive away the business for some big bad guys' evil schemes. Dalton won't have any of it and just wants to do right by the little guys getting trampled on by the big evil meanies. That is, assuming he can also outrun his dark past. 

    One of the most significant differences between the two films is the protagonist, Dalton. In the original, he was primarily the strong & silent type who enjoyed making a decent living as a bouncer, having been professionally trained and treating it as an underrated, admirable profession. As portrayed by the late Patrick Swayze, Dalton has an air of Samurai-like calm & nobility that further contributes to the classic new sheriff-in-town motif the film emulates. It is a character synonymous with Swayze's screen presence and abilities as a performer that no one in their right mind would ever try to top. 

    In the remake, Dalton (as portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal) is a down-on-his-luck former MMA fighter with a death wish trying to escape an unfortunate event from his past. Plus, Dalton in the remake is less of a stoic Samurai type and more of a witty, legally insane goofball type who behaves as cordially as possible while kicking your ass. A character type that is similar to the original but very much its own thing, which I mostly appreciated. 

    In all seriousness, Jake Gyllenhaal carries the entire movie! He successfully handles the action beats with as much commitment as he puts into line delivery and character embodiment. Gyllenhaal has landed himself as an enjoyable character actor who easily handles the needs of a leading man. It's not easy to play a role in such a way that makes you feel safe and slightly terrified at the same time. Furthermore, he delivers a performance that is clearly his own thing without attempting to recreate the iconic previous portrayal, which I greatly appreciate. 

    Overall, the film does a decent enough job of delivering a fun and cheesy piece of action schlock that would be expected of any given movie that utilizes the classic "stoic warrior comes to a troubled town" plot seen in nearly every other action movie that tried to capitalize on the Kung-Fu craze of the 1970s. Suppose you look past the in-name-only aspect of the title and distance this movie from the classic it pretends to remake. In that case, you'll be in for a fun ride with decent action scenes (albeit with occasionally questionable bits of execution), fun performances (including a scene-stealing villain performance by Conor McGregor, whom I hope gets more roles after this), and enough of its own charm to sway you into justified enjoyment. 

    Don't consider this a remake; it's an in-name-only homage! 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.