The original Footloose was a little film with a debatable script and a little budget. But contrary to all expectations was quite successful across the globe and became with time a cult movie and that thanks to the infectious music, dance routines quite impressive for the time, but most of all to a brilliant casting, believable and very suitable to their roles. Same thing that happened to Dirty Dancing. So take the original cast, the music and the novelty of the dance routines away from the equation and what is left is a very forgettable film with very unmemorable music, very ordinary dance routine and with a cast that makes you miss the old one every step of the way. Who was the guy playing the main role? I can't even remember his face that much mediocre he was and what about the leading lady, with no depth what so ever, painfully bad actors both with no chemistry between them. Do we need to equal the tension between the unassuming sex appeal of Kevin Bacon in that role and the irresistibly attractive vulnerability brought to the role by Lori Singer? Was it a not intentional carrier suicide taking up roles that are so vividly embedded in people memories? Was it? Well, I feel I need to mention, the countryman friend role, that in the original was so adorably played by Chris Penn, the guy who played the same part is such a poor takeoff, a caricature and his girlfriend
a bubbly full of energy Sara Jessica Parker against a very dull actress there to fill space and nothing more. Even the original father and mother role (the preacher and his wife) were far more engaging at the point that you could see their point of view and sympathize, the original roles were played by John Lithgow and Dianne Weist, (believable even as a loving couple) in this new version played by Dennis Quaid and Andy MacDowell , that I usually really like, here they fell flat unable to be convincing in their role as troubled preacher and over concern but very tender and caring father and as the effectual moderator, sweet but strong mother as it was in the original. I'm sorry but would this film be an original it could be only regarded as a mediocre film, being a remake of a little delightful cult film is a very sorry version, terrible, not recommended unless you watch it on television and want something boring to doze off.
Review of Footloose
