Of all the campy and ridiculous action movies released in the 1980s, Road House (1989), starring Patrick Swayze, might be the craziest. It’s a film that perfectly set the stage for the high-octane and unbelievably insane action movies that ruled cinema in the 1990s, like Demolition Man (1993) and Face/Off (1997). The reason why these movies work so well is because of the charm and charisma that their leading actors possess. Swayze, aided partly by an off-the-charts charming performance from Sam Elliot in a supporting role, elevated Road House. He helped make it a cult classic that people still adore and talk about 35 years later when it could’ve easily lived and died as an action movie nobody remembers.
By remaking Road House, Amazon MGM Studios runs the risk of delivering audiences the movie they could’ve gotten instead in 1989 had an actor like Swayze not starred as Dalton. Jake Gyllenhaal should have easily been up to the task, but he and the film don’t quite deliver.
Road House (2024) follows Elwood Dalton (Gyllenhaal), a former UFC fighter with a checkered past who lives in his car going bar to bar, taking on underground fights for easy cash until he gets a job offer from Frankie (Jessica Williams). Frankie inherited a dive bar called The Road House in the Florida Keys, which, funnily enough, happens to be located closer to a beach than a road. The Road House is notorious for its brash clientele. She wants to turn the bar into a place where anyone can attend without fear of being struck with a beer bottle and believes Dalton is the guy who can get it done.
Right off the bat, Road House does very well modernizing the basic plot in a way that makes sense and even improves the original. Whereas in the 1989 version, Dalton was just some bouncer who was so good at his job that he was somehow recognized worldwide as some sort of legend, it makes sense that people would view the character as a celebrity in the remake because he is one. The fundamental qualities of the character remain the same, but this change of origin makes the far-fetched story more believable, if only ever so slightly.
A second aspect the film delivers on is that the story of Road House is inherently that of a Western. Its hero is a mysterious drifter hired to clean up a town overrun with criminal activity. This idea is even cleverly referenced several times by Charlie (Hannah Love Lanier), a character whose relationship with Dalton slowly becomes the most endearing part of the movie. Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of Dalton is in check with the strong yet silent type of Western hero, most similar to the kind made famous by Clint Eastwood. Dalton tries to avoid a fight as often as he can, but when people threaten those he cares about, he can’t help but let the beast from his past out to dispatch thugs with extreme prejudice.
The criminal element that Dalton inadvertently takes on the task of defeating is a gang of thugs who work for Ben Brandt (Billy Magnussen), the son of a local crime lord who still manages to pull the strings over his son’s head from prison. As Ben struggles to take care of his father’s business of destroying the Road House and building a luxury resort, he eventually hires the unpredictable Knox (Conor McGregor).
If any actor delivers a substandard performance in Road House, it’s McGregor. As an acting debut, McGregor doesn’t make the best first impression as the heavy in this film. When Knox enters near the halfway point, he adds a chaotic element almost immediately, setting a striking first impression. From the moment he appears on screen, it becomes clear that Knox is a character who is crazy enough to do just about anything.
McGregor gets the job done with his physical portrayal of a psychopath, essentially playing himself in several ways. However, when it comes down to moments when he has to speak, it’s understood why he hasn’t acted before. Even though his performance is less than stellar, watching him go head-to-toe with Gyllenhaal was one of the highlights of Road House.
As an Oscar-nominated actor partly known for his unwavering charm, Gyllenhaal has no excuses for delivering a frankly uncharismatic performance. Road House bears a snarky comedic element that he should have easily nailed but disappointingly doesn’t. When the first significant fight scene happens, and Gyllenhaal delivers his first couple of quips, the realization quickly dawns on viewers that he is no Patrick Swayze.
The only performances in Road House that are worth praising come from actors most known for their comedic roles in other projects. Williams and Magnussen are both terrific. Williams doesn’t have as much to do but delivers a welcome dose of wit during quieter moments. It almost would’ve made more sense for her character to be Dalton’s love interest than Daniela Melchior’s, considering the two characters develop a charming dynamic very early on. Magnussen chews up the scenery from the second he appears as a self-righteous and smug crime nepo-baby. Arturo Castro is a scene-stealer as a jarringly modest member of the intimidating group of gang members. All three actors delivered camp that should satisfy the fans of the original Road House.
In terms of action, director Doug Liman has proven himself as an innovator in the past with movies like The Bourne Identity (2002) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014). In Road House, Liman plays with the idea of shooting the action in different styles. There’s some shaky cam packed with quick cuts, reminiscent of the Bourne movies. However, an element that he brings in for this film that had the potential to be invigorating is having the camera placed almost on the shoulder of the protagonist during the action sequences. It’s a style that makes some fights almost feel pulled out of a video game like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. The idea is refreshing in concept, but it mostly fails in execution because of the frenetic way Liman chooses to shoot all of the action.
When push came to shove, most of the action was difficult to follow. Specifically, during a scene where a fight is interrupted by flashbacks that impede their way into the action. If the action had been filmed more fluidly in a more consistent manner and he threw in an old-fashioned throat rip or two, Limen could’ve pulled off what he was going for and provided some inventive action sequences.
Road House didn’t have to be great. At the very least, it had to be so bad that it ended up being good, similar to the original. It’s a film that’s fun enough but doesn’t deliver on its potential, which is an even bigger shame since it does a fair amount right. It’s the type of movie viewers can watch and constantly feel like something is missing. To each their own, whether it’s better performances, less nauseating action, or something else entirely. In its current state, it’s doubtful that Swayze himself could’ve elevated Road House to where it needed to be. If the film is successful, perhaps Liman can take another swing at it with the sequel he sets up during the credits, so long as he’s promised a theatrical release from the get-go.
Review Courtesy of Evan Miller
Feature Image Credit to Amazon MGM Studios via Scraps from the loft
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