‘Road House’ May Be a Remake, But It Is Worthy of Your Attention

It feels strange to call Jake Gyllenhaal’s Road House a “remake.” It feels like just its own version of Dalton’s story. Directed by Doug Liman, the film is action-packed, charming, and very much a product of its Florida setting, but Gyllenhall is what makes this take on Road House work.

Patrick Swayze (the original Dalton) and Gyllenhaal do not have the same energy. Yes, they’re both handsome and charming, but their power lies somewhere else in their performances. Gyllenhaal’s performance as Elwood Dalton harnesses his comedic timing and his wit to the film’s advantage. If you go into Road House and leave your ideas about the 1989 movie behind, you’ll find that Liman and screenwriters Anthony Bagarozzi and Chuck Mondry have made this movie entirely their own.

For the first half of the movie, we’re getting acquainted with Dalton as he ends fights just by walking into a room. It’s how he meets Frankie (Jessica Williams), who hires him to help her manage the rough crowd at her Road House.

Through moments when Dalton befriends a young girl who runs a book store (Hannah Love Lanier) or how he teaches one of Frankie’s waiters how to fight (played by Lukas Gage), we get to understand who Dalton is. A former UFC fighter, he is just simply someone you don’t want to mess with, and the patrons of the Road House quickly learn that. But it also makes waves with those trying to run the town.

A crime boss named Brandt (Billy Magnussen) is trying to keep his power in the Florida Keys, but with Knox (Conor McGregor) being sent to handle Brandt, there are lots of moving parts that never feel overstuffed. Instead, it makes this take on Road House stand on its own.

A fighting, fun flick

Did I think that we needed another Road House? No, but I was pleasantly surprised by how different and fun this take felt. It did completely boil down to how Gyllenhaal approached Dalton, and look, maybe there is something to be said that his name is Elwood Dalton and not James (like Swayze’s), but whatever the reasoning behind that may be, it makes his version feel like one that stands on his own.

Road House is far from perfect, and there are moments when you’re wondering why this movie is two hours long, but there is still so much to love from Liman’s vision. The love story between Dalton and Ellie (Daniela Melchior) has some of the most beautiful scenes, providing lighter moments in the midst of the fighting.

But it still gives us those moments we do want from a film about fighters. We have the McGregor/Gyllenhaal showdown and get to see just how powerful Dalton is, and everything about Road House that feels like too much doesn’t really matter because it’s a lot of fun to dive into the world of Frankie’s Road House and just go along for the ride of it all.

(featured image: Prime Video/MGM)