GamesRadar+ VerdictRoad House 2024 misses the grungy vibe of the original, and the plot is bang average, but Gyllenhaal rocks and McGregor’s presence has bite.
GamesRadar+ Verdict
GamesRadar+ Verdict
Road House 2024 misses the grungy vibe of the original, and the plot is bang average, but Gyllenhaal rocks and McGregor’s presence has bite.
Road House 2024 misses the grungy vibe of the original, and the plot is bang average, but Gyllenhaal rocks and McGregor’s presence has bite.
Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy.
Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy.
At one point in Doug Liman’s reimagining of the 1989 Patrick Swayze punch-up, the musclebound Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) growls: “No one ever wins a fight.”
Sleeping in a car and without even a mobile phone to his name, he’s at rock bottom - until, that is, bar owner Frankie (Jessica Williams) implores him to come down to her joint in the Florida Keys to clean up the scum and villainy that is currently ruining her business.
After a near-death encounter with a train, Dalton takes a Greyhound coach to the Sunshine State – arriving with a suitcase on wheels, bizarrely – and he’s soon donning a floral shirt and showing just how handy he is with his fists. An early encounter with some goons is particularly amusing: after beating them all to a pulp, he then generously drives them all to the nearest hospital.
Indeed, for a film that isn’t exactly the most sophisticated work you’ll see this year, Anthony Bagarozzi and Chuck Mondry’s script comes blessed with some funny lines: “What are you whittling?” says one brute to another, as he carves out some wood with a knife. “A stick,” comes the reply. “What’s it gonna be?” says the first thug. “A smaller stick.” It’s a random exchange, but an enjoyable one.
(Image credit: Prime Video)
Despite his lack of previous screen experience, McGregor is charismatic enough to go up against Gyllenhaal. He’s funny, too, picking up a golf club at one point and yelling, ‘Been a while since I’ve been clubbing!’ as he takes out multiple opponents.
Sadly, Liman’s Road House doesn’t have the same easygoing vibe as the original (much of which was down to Swayze’s laconic turn). Instead, it relies on some big-scale stunts. Some are impressive, like the moment Dalton is scooped up in the back of a pick-up and thrown over the side of a bridge and into the water below. There’s also some major speedboat action, which Liman orchestrates with real aplomb.
Unfortunately, the film’s connective tissue isn’t that engaging. Dalton befriends the owners of a local book store under threat, including youngster Charlie (Hannah Lanier), but it’s hardly thrilling. Likewise, his relationship with local medic Ellie (Daniela Melchior) – echoing a plotline from the 1989 film – doesn’t exactly set the pulse racing, even with her character’s connection to the villains.
From End of Watch to Ambulance and The Covenant, Gyllenhaal has frequently proved how good he is in action movies, and he’s typically watchable as ‘the world’s most notorious fighter’. It’s just a shame the script is as robust as soggy tissue paper; Brandt’s desire to shut down Frankie’s bar is anything but compelling, while Dalton’s traumatic backstory lacks any emotional heft.
In the end, Road House is a solid actioner, a frolic that Liman marshals competently. This is a fun Friday-night fight-fest, best enjoyed with a few bevvies – brash, loud, knockabout and liable to leave you with a cauliflower ear or two.
Road House is streaming on Prime Video from March 21.
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