Road House (2024)
Directed by: Doug Liman
Written by: Anthony Bagarozzi, Charles Mondry
Starring: Arturo Castro, B.K. Cannon, Beau Knapp, Billy Magnussen, Conor McGregor, Daniela Melchior, Darren Barnet, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jessica Williams, Joaquim de Almeida, Lukas Gage
The guy who once played Donnie Darko….kicks ass, in this high actioner reboot!
With much publicity surrounding this remake of a beloved 80’s action film, that starred the much missed Patrick Swayze, with fans of the original not happy of the idea of it being redone and now the director himself, Doug Liman, openly admitting he is unhappy that the film went straight to streaming and bypassing the cinema screen, it’s safe to say that much eyes are on this AMAZON PRIME Exclusive, that will no doubt be getting an incredible amount of viewing over the next few days.
Fans of the ludicrous 1989 film that is a perfect example of a “Guilty Pleasure” can relax and may not feel the need to go to their nearest bar and take out their anger at the frustration of this offering, as while it’s a massive step up from the much forgotten 2006 sequel, it doesn’t harm the memory of Swayze ruling the roast in his own road house and, like many remakes, it doesn’t improve on what we have seen before but, most importantly, it doesn’t leave a bitter aftertaste in which many fans have had, having seen their own reimagining of their personal favourite movie.
A ridiculous beefed up Jake Gyllenhaal, looking like a guy who if he was sleeping in bed and a jet engine came crashing through the roof, he’d catch it with one hand and throw it away with ease, plays the 2024 version of Dalton, this time an ex UFC Champion with a chequered past, his reputation meaning that many will not fight him in underground bouts, gets offered a job as a bouncer in – yes a road house, a rough joint where fights are regular and drinkers love to carry a knife. It’s also being targeted by some bikers, running for the local crime king Brandt (Billy Magnusson) who wants to get his hands on the place, to knock it down and build some land – the usual cliché villain motive we’ve seen countless times before.
Dalton, with a smile on his face constantly, yet fists that even Jack Reacher would be proud of, does his best impression of The Rock’s Walking Tall and decides to stand up and fight, not just for the bar, but for the residents around it and yes, there are plenty of fisticuffs and high-octane scenes to have action junkies beaming with delight, even more so when MMA superstar Conor McGregor makes his movie bow, looking like he has just walked in from playing a typical bad guy in a Fast and the Furious flick and no doubt walking away to a future of “hire a bad guy roles” – in which I expect him to end up in one of the never ending Rise Of The Footsoldier sequels that are becoming quite the norm.
McGregor’s Knox is a formidable foe for Dalton and unsurprisingly Liman, after dealing with Jason Bourne, is more than capable of turning the camera into a full fight frenzy, with Gyllenhaal more than holding his own when it comes to the blows. As the film rockets towards a climatic boat chase, it does dip its toes into more darkness than its predecessor offered, with crocodile attacks and deaths aplenty, but as blood gets spilled, you’ll find yourself rooting for the 2024 version of Dalton, as while the plot is nothing but simplistic, it carries enough punch and a decent lead in Gyllenhaal that when the final credits roll, you’ll may be surprised at how much you enjoyed the guilty pleasure on show – much like its original then!
Rating: 
2 out of 5. At a push.