Jake Gyllenhaal’s Road House is finally out on Amazon Prime Video and the action film seems to have gotten positive responses. The film, which is the remake of Patrick Swayze’s 1989 classic film of the same name, sees Gyllenhaal face off against UFC champion Conor McGregor as the antagonist, who makes his feature film debut.
While Gyllenhaal’s film reminded fans of the original, many seemed to have forgotten the straight-to-DVD sequel. Road House 2 featured none of the original cast and was written by Johnathon Schaech, who also starred in the film. The film was panned by critics at the time, with many calling it a mess.
Jake Gyllenhaal’s Road House Remake Opens To Positive Reviews
Jake Gyllenhaal starred in the remake of Patrick Swayze’s classic ‘80s action flick Road House. Directed by Doug Liman of Mr. & Mrs. Smith fame, the film was released on Amazon Prime Video and saw the Nightcrawler star trade blows with UFC champion Conor McGregor. The remake follows Gyllenhaal as an ex-UFC fighter who encounters the criminal world when he becomes a bouncer at a club.
The film was in the headlines for the wrong reasons when director Doug Liman decided to boycott the film’s premiere at the SXSW in a silent protest against Amazon Prime Video’s decision to give it a streaming release. Liman mentioned in an editorial published in Deadline that he was upset that Amazon did not give the film a wide theatrical release after buying MGM Studios.
However, the director seemed to have changed his mind and attended the premiere of the film at SXSW. Liman had mentioned that it was the best work of his till date and it seemed like critics and audiences felt the same. Road House opened to positive reviews with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 62%, marking the film fresh.
Many critics praised the performances and action sequences of the lead stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor. Reviews mentioned that the film stayed true to the soul of the original as it leaned into the campy and cheesy style of the ‘80s action film. Some criticisms were aimed at the janky CGI in the film.
Road House Remake Reminds Fans Of A Forgotten Sequel
With Jake Gyllenhaal’s Road House skipping a theatrical release in favor of the streaming giant, Patrick Swayze’s original stands to be the only film in the franchise to have opened in cinemas. And it is a franchise. Years ago in 2006, MGM decided to make a sequel to the action film but sadly, it did not feature any of the original cast.
Road House 2: Last Call was written by Johnathon Schaech, who also starred in the film as Shane Tanner, the son of Swayze’s James Dalton. After the death of his father, Tanner goes to his estranged uncle’s bar to be a ‘cooler’ there just like his dad. There, trouble ensues and he has to protect his uncle’s bar from unrequired elements.
The film was released direct to DVD and was reportedly panned by critics at the time. IndieWire, which got a hold of the sequel mentioned that the harsh criticism was warranted as it felt like a studio’s attempt at a cash grab with a B-movie sequel. The film reportedly leans into the violence but does not feature the same charm as the Swayze original.
According to People, Patrick Swayze was actually approached for a mentor-like role in the sequel but he probably declined. The actor reportedly passed away the following year due to pancreatic cancer. The film remains an unwatched and forgotten sequel that only recently resurfaced due to the popularity of the Jake Gyllenhaal remake.
