In the late 80s, Patrick Swayze cemented his status as an unlikely action icon with the cult classic “Road House.” Playing a philosophizing cooler named Dalton hired to tame a rowdy Missouri bar, Swayze brought an unexpectedly elegant physicality to the movie’s nonstop brawls and wanton destruction.
Over three decades later, Jake Gyllenhaal steps into Swayze’s well-worn shoes for a remake that lovingly resurrects the delightfully trashy spirit of the original, even as it struggles to transcend its B-movie trappings.
From the moment Gyllenhaal’s haunted ex-UFC fighter Dalton arrives at a ramshackle Florida roadhouse to be its new “cooler,” director Doug Liman makes clear his affection for the rollicking 1989 film. The narrative blueprint is followed slavishly – a nefarious businessman plays both sides against the middle in his bid to take over the town, with Dalton and his hired goon squad providing the sole resistance.
The fight sequences certainly deliver the highly choreographed, bone-crunching goods expected of the genre. Liman’s clever camerawork captures the frenetic melees in thrilling long takes. But the hyper-realistic visuals also expose the artificial sound effects and occasional digitally enhanced blows, temporarily shattering the film’s gritty illusion.
Bigger missteps occur with some of the broader updating efforts. Line deliveries veer uneasily between knowingly campy and outright cringeworthy. And while the original’s most egregious sexist excesses have rightfully been excised, the remake still can’t resist indulging in classic B-movie excess – whether it’s the painfully gratuitous appearance of a hungry crocodile or Conor McGregor’s boxer-baring, aggressively unclothed intro as the villain’s brutish henchman.
And yet, “Road House” still manages to be a ridiculous amount of fun, particularly whenever Jake Gyllenhaal is center stage. While he certainly looks the part with his hulking muscled frame, the actor smartly undercuts his menacing physical presence with flashes of vulnerability and darker psychological shading. His grizzled, thousand-yard stare hints at still-unresolved trauma from his fight club days that could erupt into violence at any moment.
The supporting cast delightfully leans into the anything-goes madness. Suicide Squad Daniela Melchior exudes a captivating mix of tough and tender as the doctor tending to Dalton’s numerous injuries. And Billy Magnussen (Aladdin) chews the scenery as the villain gets his kicks from pitting Dalton against a steady stream of hired goons.
While unlikely to jettison into cult favorite status itself, the “Road House” remake still lands enough bone-crushingly entertaining punches to qualify as a solidly fun modern homage to its much-loved predecessor. Much like the Swayze original, it revels in a boxing ring’s worth of gratuitous excess while still flashing surprising glimmers of substance beneath its rough-and-tumble exterior.
The Road House remake can be watched on Prime Video. The film’s theatre release has not been confirmed.
