Road House

The original Road House is a cult classic. It was released in 1989 and was the story of Dalton, a Zen Buddhist bouncer from Los Angeles who is hired by a wealthy Missouri bar owner who wants to clean up his wildly violent establishment and restore its reputation. Directed by Rowdy Herrington and starring Patrick Swayze, with supporting turns from Sam Elliot and Kelly Lynch, this movie has excellent performances and a particular charm that has enabled it to survive the test of time.

The original movie features Canadian blues musician Jeff Healey in his one and only acting role. He also performs the song which plays over the film’s closing credits. His role is small, but it is very important in the context of the North American media landscape because those who provide us with our shows and movies still seem reluctant to include the disabled in the art they produce. This movie is a good piece of disability representation and, personally, I am grateful for it.

Swayze had previously received a nomination for Best Lead Actor for his role in the romance/dance film Dirty Dancing (1987), after which he found himself in great demand and consequently appeared in Road House. He received other Best Actor nominations for his roles in the paranormal romance film Ghost, which was the highest grossing film in 1990, and the road comedy To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! (1995) which starred Wesley Snipes, John Leguizamo and Swayze as three New York City drag queens who embark on a road trip. Sadly, Swayze died of pancreatic cancer in 2009 at the age of 57.

Older, successful movies are often remade for a modern audience, and Road House (2024) stands up pretty well. The best part of the remake is definitely Jake Gyllenhaal. He does a lot with the material he is given, playing Dalton as relentlessly charming, kind, patient and sensitive, but at the same time hinting at an inner darkness. He is essentially doing what Patrick Swayze did in the original film, except he improves on that very famous portrayal.

The director is Doug Limen, the person behind such movies as Edge of Tomorrow, Fair Game, the Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. He is a decent director, and he has made Road House into a decent action film, although it does have its flaws. It relies too much on CGI, the characters are not the least bit complex, and to a large extent it lacks the gritty atmosphere of the original. However, it includes enough action to please any fan of explosions and cinematic violence, and it is certainly a beautifully crafted film.

Road House 2024 takes place in Florida rather than Missouri. Along with Gyllenhaal it stars Jessica Williams as his boss and Daniela Malchior as his love interest. Billy Magnusson gives a really good turn as the movie’s main villain - a spoiled, small-time gangster involved in real estate corruption. Also featured in the film is mixed marital artist Conner McGregor who plays one of the gangster’s henchmen. Unfortunately, McGregor is terrible in the role.

There is no doubt that while Road House has its flaws, it is still a very entertaining film.

Two thumbs up. You won’t be disappointed.