Road House

Razzie nominated my ass!

Is there something I'm missing with this movie? Cause I skimmed through some reviews and I kind of felt personally attacked at the bashing this movie took. Yes, Road House is by no means cinematic gold or one of the finest movies ever, it's an action flick. And I got news for you sunshine, every action movie is a dumb movie, even the amazing ones. Granted there is a thin layer of cheese to this movie but it does nothing but enhance the enjoyability of this movie for me. So after Patrick Swayze won hearts over Dirty Dancing, he shifts gears to breaking knees as a bouncer called in to clean up the most trashy bar I've ever seen in movie history, and clashes with the most powerful and influential man in town. It is a very simple story but nevertheless highly enjoyable, I feel people kind of do a disservice to the movie by saying it's pure action. That's just not true, there's quite a bit of fighting in the movie but it doesn't go on for long and unlike say John Wick isn't the majority of the film. It takes a bit of time setting up this small town, getting to know a few people in it, there's downtime to the bar room bashing, and it never feels dull. The movie has a good sense of humor and the character interactions are half of the fun. I really like our cast, Patrick Swayze is kind of the ultimate dream goal for men as Dalton, he's intelligent, well read, can take pain without even flinching, good sense of humor, and of course some formidable training in hand to hand combat, plus he has some hardcore charm that even I was falling a bit for. Everyone crushes on Patrick Swayze, don't lie to yourself! Sam Elliot is the best side character as a mentor to Dalton and again his charm and personality are what makes him incredibly lovable and fun, he's just a great guy. Kelly Lynch is a nice romantic interest, and I do kinda like the fact they don't entirely hook up at the end, it's a nice relationship regardless and she does do good work. Though shock of all shocks, I crushed on the cutie pie bartender played by Kathleen Wilhoite waaaay more than the blonde babe, I'm a sucker for bangs and a southern accent so sue me. Ben Gazzara though man, f***ing Jackie Treehorn is an asshole in this movie, I mean he fits that 80s action movie villain like absurdly well but he is so easy to just hate. And don't tell me that is not Jackie Treehorn before he moved out to L.A., he has friggin' wild parties with half naked girls and treats objects like women man. I will say though the fights are well done, I mean Swayze just mops the floor with these fools though we do get a pretty damn good one on one fight near the end, it's not super flashy or highly choreographed it's just hard hitting, bloody, crude fistfighting 90% of the time but it works! I very much enjoyed this movie, though it was a box office disappointment and was shredded by critics, the video sales and cable showings made this a cult classic and I'm very much a fan of it. Yeah, it slips into those 80s tropes in the last 20 odd minutes but I can forgive it because of the fun characters, the really good action, and the decent story. If you're just looking for a fun and entertaining total dude flick, Road House is right up your alley. Don't let the naysayers assuage you, watch it for yourself and have a blast. Perfect movie for a watch party with friends, booze, and snacks. Warrants that R rating and it's cult status for sure.