I was never a fan of the original 1989 film starring Patrick Swayze, and a recent rewatch didn’t change that feeling. Thus, this remake of Road House had several elements in its favor: a cast led by one of my favorite actors of today, Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler), as well as the current greatest Portuguese actress, Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad); a narrative open to multiple changes for the better; and a significant cultural, technological evolution in the stunts department, which carries much more weight in today’s industry.

Road House follows the basic premise of the movie it’s based on: a former UFC fighter, Dalton (Gyllenhaal), is hired by the owner of a bar to control the constant violence and damage to this popular spot in the Florida Keys. The main difference lies in the fact that instead of Dalton bringing bigger problems due to firing the son of someone dangerous, the archipelago itself already had serious complications with a local mafia boss. Dalton is tasked not only with saving the bar but also the island community that has welcomed him so well. Directed by Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow) and written by Anthony Bagarozzi (The Nice Guys) and Charles Mondry (debut), the ingredients for a pleasant home movie night were on the table…

Road House Critique

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And the basic entertainment requirements were met. The narrative changes in the remake are clear improvements, particularly the introduction of new characters – as well as the greater personal and emotional connection between them – who bring a magnetic energy to an admittedly generic, thematically superficial story – there’s room to explore past traumas, turning them into learning moments about accepting our flaws to become better human beings, but Road House never intends to be that kind of heavier flick.

It’s a light viewing session focused on action and driven by charming actors, inevitably contributing to commendable chemistry among the cast – the press tour has been a lot of fun to follow. Gyllenhaal is predictably fantastic as Dalton, delivering a more subtle performance than Swayze – the latter exuded more of a cool vibe – but with the same power to grab the viewer’s attention, even bringing a certain mystery about what the protagonist really thinks and feels about his work and the people around him. His romance with Ellie (Melchior) contains the necessary levels of intense passion but suffers from a lack of further development, unfortunately falling into the trap of making the female character look like a formulaic “beautiful woman who falls for the hero” and even, in some cases, a “damsel in distress” – Melchior deserves much, much more than these types of roles.

However, the highlight of Road House goes to Conor McGregor in his feature film debut. Over the last decade, we’ve seen several WWE superstars transition to Hollywood with great success (Dwayne Johnson, John Cena, Dave Bautista), but they all came from an entertainment space where, for all intents and purposes, they were already actors. McGregor, on the other hand, is one of the biggest UFC fighters of all time and comes from a seriously violent environment where missing a single punch or kick isn’t expected, to a place where he has to… pretend to get into several bar fights. The now-actor surprises everyone by amusingly portraying a genuine psychopath, Knox, who doesn’t care about anything other than brawling. McGregor’s known penchant for constant trash talk also helped him incorporate part of his professional experience into this role of a lunatic, highly elevating the adrenaline levels of the movie.

Regarding the action sequences, I feel mixed about their treatment. On one hand, when the camera focuses on the choreography of aggressive, bloody fights, even with a mix of quick pans and somewhat inconsistent CGI, Road House manages to be engaging and exciting. On the other hand, some excessive stylization of these set pieces leads to occasional visual confusion, sometimes “hiding” the phenomenal work of the stunt team. Overall, it fulfills its main purpose of entertaining viewers without ever making the mistake of trying to be too serious – several sequences fall into the realm of “dumb fun” which fits this film like a glove.

Final remarks for the… interesting song choices to accompany the action, as well as the gorgeous location where Road House was filmed. Considering the increasing dependence on visual effects in today’s blockbusters, there’s a special pleasure in watching a movie where everything around the actors is real, with sets built from scratch and an environment where, surely, it was tremendously fun to go to work.

In Conclusion

Road House keeps the screenplay superficial and formulaic, but the narrative changes and more captivating new characters make the remake a more satisfying watch. The cast led by a Jake Gyllenhaal in excellent form – in every sense of the word – possesses enviable chemistry, with the surprising highlight falling on Conor McGregor’s debut, infusing the movie with intense, truly crazy energy. The action sequences suffer slightly from some excess stylization but serve their basic purpose. A more significant focus on character development, especially in the central romance, would have been welcome, but it remains a pleasant home viewing experience.

6/10

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