Road House, 2024.
Directed by Doug Liman.
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, Joaquim de Almeida, Conor McGregor, Lukas Gage, Arturo Castro, B.K. Cannon, Beau Knapp, Darren Barnet, Dominique Columbus, Travis Van Winkle, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Bob Menery, Hannah Love Lanier, Kevin Carroll, J. D. Pardo, Jonathan Kowalsky, Catfish Jean, Adam Rivette, Chad Guerrero, Bruce Buffer, Megan Olivi, and Post Malone.
SYNOPSIS:
Ex-UFC fighter Dalton takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.
Whether it’s a remake of a beloved flick or not, modern Hollywood will attempt to go bigger, bolder, and louder using every technological advancement at their disposal. It is something fans of more traditional practical effects have been forced to swallow, but in the defense of filmmakers, there are plenty of examples of well-placed hidden CGI and undetectable green screen backdrops. Similarly, director Doug Liman’s Road House remake (from a screenplay by Anthony Bagarozzi and Chuck Mondry, with story contribution from R. Lance Hill, a writer on the Patrick Swayze-led 1989 original) misguidedly feels obligated to up the ante on spectacle. It’s a baffling creative choice when the majority of combat comes down to hard-hitting mixed martial arts fighting dished out by a beefy Jake Gyllenhaal, with a charismatically psychotic debut acting turn from UFC competitor Conor McGregor serving as the second-half arch-nemesis.
The fight scenes here are already somewhat disorienting, overly utilizing swirling camera movements and long takes that are shot too close-up to be effectively immersive, but the longer Road House goes on, the more it surrenders itself to elaborate, chaotic set pieces that are pulled off using digital wizardry. One could easily imagine this film, which is admittedly different enough from the original, being made a couple of decades ago with practical effects and stunt work prioritized, especially since, once again, the filmmakers have a physically committed Jake Gyllenhaal and a legitimate UFC fighter at their disposal to make this feel as real and visceral as possible. Fortunately, the final battle lets them loose, with brutal charging tackles, sweeping takedowns, and violent lacerations, but not without the occasional and obvious instance of digital trickery.
Perhaps this sounds like a condemnation and a prelude to a review ripping apart this modern take on Road House. It isn’t, because that would involve denying that there is fun here, with Jake Gyllenhaal’s take on Dalton, this time a disgraced UFC fighter seemingly with his rage under control to the point where he amusingly inquires that there is a hospital within the vicinity of the Florida Keys bar for someone to deliver rowdy troublemakers at following injured and broken limbs. There is a sense of humor here, painting Dalton as a kind and considerate guy who realizes that some of these goons are just goofballs mixed up in the wrong crowd (one of them eventually admits he never wanted to do crime and that he was just looking to join a motorcycle gang.)
However, in a search for putting a spin on this remake, the script never really musters up storytelling momentum or character dynamics worth investing in. The closest Road House comes in that respect is at a nearby bookstore of all places, where a young girl (Hannah Love Lanier) running the place with her father welcomes him, hands him a children’s book filled with knowledge about the area, and points out that his entire reason for being here – which is taking a security job at the titular Road House bar riddled with problematic, rambunctious patrons at night – follows the plot of a traditional Western. It’s enough to make one think that the script will deconstruct those tropes and potentially even the original Road House, except it doesn’t go anywhere. Worse, the narrative takes their bonding and uses it to inevitably bring out Dalton’s thirst for vengeance and rage in clichéd, contrived ways that the story doesn’t even have the guts to commit to halfway. It also doesn’t help that the filmmakers are afraid to make that tonal change, mostly keeping the comedic element to Dalton.
There is another medical love interest here, this time coming in the form of Daniela Melchior’s Ellie, who happens to be connected to some shady, powerful figures in town. It’s far less interesting material than her first interaction with Dalton, where she criticizes him for bringing violent goons to the hospital, which only serves as a distraction for well-intentioned good people who could use the medical attention more. Now, there is a clever idea to push into a character relationship that the filmmakers instantly abandon.
Meanwhile, smarmy career criminal drug runner Ben Brandt (Billy Magnussen) schemes with the henchmen to get rid of Dalton and take the bar away from its owner, Frankie (Jessica Williams), a Black woman who inherited the establishment from her no-nonsense father who fought tooth and nail to make something of the place during high racial tension (another idea worth exploring more), so that he can build a fancy resort for vacationing rich people.
Again, the plotting and characterization fall into a lull and aren’t engaging. Dalton has torturous nightmares of an unfortunate incident in a UFC octagon that derailed his life, trying to hide those details from his new associates here, which makes no sense since even this meathead should theoretically be aware that it’s a popular sport and that the Internet offers instantly accessible information. The people know but don’t seem to mind (which is odd behavior) since he is polite and teaches the other staff how to defend themselves and de-escalate situations brewing badly.
At a certain point, help is required to eliminate Dalton from the picture, with Conor McGregor’s first appearance as the unstable, aggressive Knox turbocharging excitement. Barring heaps of awkward line delivery, Conor McGregor indisputably has a magnetic IT factor onscreen presence, showboating his way through flashy (and literally flashing) material and antics that similarly align with his unpredictable, wild reputation in UFC. Conor McGregor’s onscreen debut in movies is inseparable from Logan Paul’s work in WWE; two guys one might not like as people but are unquestionably compulsively watchable stepping into other entertainment mediums. It’s actually maddening that the filmmakers looked at the final cut and thought it was acceptable not to introduce Knox until an hour into the film when interest and engagement have already started waning.
That’s another way of saying that dodgy visual effects across boat chases, hideously rendered explosions, disorienting cinematography, and an overall cartoonish final act save for one thrilling barroom brawl aren’t enough to nullify the excitement, intensity, and humor Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor bring to Road House. Those who battle a mostly flat first half will likely find themselves jolted straight up in their seat once Knox’s goofy barbarism livens the proceedings and proves to be a worthy antagonistic foe. Narratively, the filmmakers seem undecided on what movie they want to make, but Conor McGregor is an outrageously entertaining cyclone that fits into that messiness. It’s a bumpy, rewarding road.
And shame on Amazon for sending it to streaming without a theatrical release.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
