Talk of a Road House remake had been thrown around for years, with reactions to the news decidedly mixed. The consensus was that no modern reboot could quite do justice to the 1989 original, and that Swayze’s leading man charm will forever remain unmatched. Still, of Hollywood’s many talented actors, Jake Gyllenhaal is certainly one of the few with the screen presence with the potential to live up to Swayze’s memory.
Gyllenhaal leads the film’s eclectic cast as Elwood Dalton, a former UFC star turned drifter who finds employment as a bouncer. Brought in to help manage the violent element drawn to a lively Florida roadhouse, Dalton uncovers a shady small-town cabal and fights to save his employer’s business. Alongside Gyllenhaal, Road House‘s cast features Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad), Billy Magnussen (Game Night), Jessica Williams, Joaquim de Almeida, and unlikely appearances from Post Malone and Conor McGregor.
It goes without saying that the bar set by the original is incredibly high. The Swayze movie is an ’80s classic, and the loose remake set itself a sizable challenge in attempting to recreate the magic of its predecessor. However, with a number of key changes to the story, characters, and setting, 2024’s Road House gently sets itself apart.
Road House Fails To Live Up To The Original, But It’s Still Fun
Weighing up Road House‘s pros and cons first requires deciding how you want to examine it. If it’s being compared to the original, then it’s essentially inferior in practically every sense. Judging it on its own merits, however, offers a more favorable outcome for the 2024 movie, as it does a passable job of bringing its story to life.
Gyllenhaal brings the expected dark energy to his leading role, with an impressive physical aspect to go alongside his edgy and occasionally hollow warmth. He’s a perfect casting for the role of the layered and complex protagonist. McGregor’s role as the unhinged villain of the piece is also well-cast: partly due to the exposure it offered the movie, and partly because he takes his acting debut to a decidedly weird place. The fighter’s larger-than-life persona spills over onto the screen, making for a compelling and distinctly ridiculous showdown between the contrasting characters.
The Road House remake is a patchwork film. Its setting offers atmospheric visuals, and Gyllenhaal brings a level of experience to the movie, but the rest of its cast feel as thrown-together as its piecemeal plot. For all that, it still works on some level, as it’s tied together by the narrative threads (and the reputation) of its far superior predecessor.
Rating: 65%
Summary: Road House‘s homage to the original is good enough to be appreciated, but it’s exactly what was expected: it can’t hold a candle to Swayze’s 1989 movie, but it entertains in a similar fashion.
Highlight: The ridiculousness of Conor McGregor’s performance is mesmerizing, as he takes his villain to bizarre levels that go above and beyond the necessary.