“ROAD HOUSE” (2024) | Film Review

Reference to Jackie Chan: none available

“There’s something wrong with you. And with me.”

First things first: I’ve never seen the original film with Swayze. That’s why I’m not making any comparisons here, but giving my opinion on the 2024 version.

After what feels like the 100th US remake of a classic film, you inevitably wonder whether the filmmakers have run out of ideas. This is less likely to be the case, but rather the desire to build on a long-past success with as few resources as possible.

Did they succeed with ROAD HOUSE (2024)? Not in my opinion. After a defeat, a former UFC fighter tries to start a new life in Florida as a bouncer. But why he apparently only has this one path left from his teased tragic backstory remains as only his secret. Because DALTON’s motives are never really explained in depth.

Neither are the motives of his nemesis KNOX, played by the incredibly unlikeable Conor McGregor. Acted is actually too much, McGregor is an arrogant fop in the film as he is in real life. And the strong female characters are simply present and do their thing.

What could promise a good setting and great fights thanks to CGI support is cancelled out by unimaginative choreography and editing. If, like me, you are spoilt by Hong Kong action, this standard is difficult to achieve. But ROAD HOUSE doesn’t even try, because ROAD HOUSE doesn’t need to prove itself, because ROAD HOUSE has big balls.

ROAD HOUSE!

A show-off and redneck film for boys with a father complex that you won’t remember after watching it. Because no dialogue, no facial expressions, no editing is worth remembering.

Dialogues are gap fillers between scenes that simply last far too long and those punchlines rarely land. Not to mention jokes. Instead, the fists land. But mostly in the dark to conceal the lousy CGI. Incidentally, you can clearly see how McGregor, as a professional fighter, has to hold back so as not to spoon feed Donnie Darko.

I wonder who the target audience of this film is supposed to be and would spontaneously guess women. Well-trained men half-naked or at least bare-chested, strong women in leading positions – both professionally and privately – and an anti-hero who disappears just as mysteriously as he appeared. Dear ladies, do you feel addressed? Or is the target group more the UFC corner, which is at most mentioned here in boring flashbacks?

By the way, show me a man in his early 40s who can stay under 7% body fat like our hero of the film DALTON without 2 hours of hard training a day, no alcohol, enough sleep and a strict diet. But as I said, ROAD HOUSE has nothing to prove here!

Another Hollywood dazzle without substance, lovelessly realised like the marketing campaign. By the way, why did POST MALONE make another appearance at the beginning? Perhaps his first and last.

Well-meant 3.5 out of 10 stars

Original trailer | “ROAD HOUSE” (2024)

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