Review of Footloose (2011) by Marcdoyle — 16 Oct 2011
The new Wren is solid, but he's nowhere near as good as Kevin Bacon was. You can say the same thing about every actor in this film. Except Dennis Quaid, that is. I love him, but he was the weak link in this movie.
John Lithgow's scenes were so critical to the success of the original - his disapproving words toward his daughter, his messages to his congregation, and his decision to allow (or not allow) the dance carried so much weight in the original.
Quaid's performance is like a damp cloth - did zero for me. The biggest surprise for me is the new Willard - very different approach than Chris Penn's take, but it's fresh, fun, and interesting. Think of this film as a tribute band - you go to see it to celebrate the greatness of the original - not to accept it as a substitute or an "update" in any way.
In that respect, it did it's job (save for Quaid... sorry Dennis - I think I need to rent Breaking Away just to build you back up in my mind....
This review of Footloose (2011) was written by Marcdoyle on 16 Oct 2011.
Footloose has generally received mixed reviews.
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