Footloose (2011)

I was a teen when the original movie came out, and I also live near Lehi, Utah where it was filmed which made me think fondly of the movie whenever I drove by the Lehi Roller Mills. (Today it is a sprawling metropolis, resembling little of the sleepy little town like in the movie.) When I heard another pointless remake was coming out, I decided to give it the Redbox treatment instead of completely boycotting it.

After watching it with my wife who had never seen the original, I was able to say, "Not so bad, but pointless as a remake." Most of the original music (which I still love) was recycled into something recognizable but not lovable. The scenes played out nearly identical to the original but with different actors. The whole way through it, I had the feeling that the director was watching the original on a hand-held device, then turned to the actors and said, "I have an idea for this next scene." If I recall correctly, even the dialog where it wasn't modernized with MP3 players (instead of cassette players) and cell phones (instead of...what the heck did we have?) was word for word.

Usually remakes are for big block busters where today's technology and special effects can outshine the feeble attempts of the past and make a great story better by sucking the audience in. This movie had none of that, and in summary, became another pointless Hollywood rehash for quick cash. The only improvement I could acknowledge was a sub-plot that explained Ren's actions a little better, but it was still not an excuse to remake a classic.

My advice: watch the original. It's much better.

Fmovies: Despite being an enormous hit at the time, the original 'Footloose' is somewhat of a love it/hate it film.

To me, it wasn't a great film, did have issues with the story, some of the script and one dance sequence (the one in the abandoned warehouse). However, the immense appeal is definitely understandable and the original 'Footloose' still stands up as an enjoyable film for the soundtrack, dancing/choreography and the casting.

While there are definitely worse remakes out there ('Psycho' and 'The Wicker Man'), 'Footloose' (2011) is still, like a fair few remakes, rather pointless.

It's not all awful. The best thing about is Miles Teller, a great and instantly appealing performance that is every bit as good as Chris Penn's in the original, the only actor in the film to have that distinction. Some of the dancing is dazzlingly good, especially Willard learning how to dance. Plus the production values are beautiful.

However, while the soundtrack was unforgettable and toe-tapping in the original they are forgettable here, the more contemporary and country arrangements robbing them of their catchiness and charm. The songs themselves are not bad at all, far from it, but how they're arranged are very much so. There are some great moments with the dancing, but too much of the dancing lacks the finger-snapping quality and energy of the original's choreography.

'Footloose' further suffers from being too faithful, with a lot of the same material but with little to none of the nostalgic charm and fun. Nothing is done also to improve on the daftness, ridiculousness and schmaltz of the story from the original, instead those problems are actually amplified here, with lots of cheese and overwrought emotion, and hurt even further by pacing that feels like one is riding on the back of a snail.

Miles Teller aside, though Ray McKinnon and Kim Dickens are also quite good but aren't in it enough, the cast just don't cut it, and neither does the very uninspired direction. Kenny Wormald is an incredible dancer but a lousy actor, a bland presence throughout and he is never sure whether to overact or underplay because the performance is a mess of both. Julianne Hough is beautiful, but doesn't have the confidence, vulnerability or charm to match.

Andie McDowell feels out of place and, with the lack of engagement with her material, looks completely cost. Dennis Quaid gives a limp and sometimes over-compensated performance, and constantly looks ill at ease. There is little chemistry between the two of them as well, the dignity and gentle touch from the original's chemistry between the two characters is missed, replaced with a sense of being condemned throughout.

Overall, there's worse out there but there was really not needed and the execution on its own merits is severely wanting. 3/10 Bethany Cox

The only real reason to pay any attention at all to the new Footloose is to watch the music video for the terrific Big and Rich song "Fake ID." Other than that, there is little appeal in the film, as it shamelessly recycles almost every scene, event, and line from its original counterpart, and the ones it doesn't, it modifies for an audience that is questionably existent. If there's anything the film made me do, it made me seriously contemplate what a "remake" actually is and what their inherent goal is. To make the original material better? Make the story more current? Give it a stronger, more contemporary feel and look? If those questions were considered during the making of the Footloose remake, they weren't considered for very long. This is a stale, unimaginably boring picture, with its first real problem being it is trying to make an immensely dated story of music and dancing banishment current and relatable to teenagers of the present. In a time where vulgar rap by artists named "Chief Keef," "Juicy J," and "Wiz Khalifa" can be found on the iPods of teens in schools and they can get away with it, I highly doubt teens will be able to resonate with playing Kenny Loggins or Quiet Riot a bit too loud.

The original Footloose at least had the benefit of being a film with a contemporary issue to its time and the appeal of its lead, Kevin Bacon. Granted watching it now is like dusting off a C-grade vinyl that barely functions, it at least had the ability to give the student body a voice and a personality as they tried to keep their freedom to play rock music (please say this out loud) alive and well. The new Footloose, however, is like that guy randomly wearing acid-washed jeans in public in 2013; random, out of place, and questionable beyond belief.

The story hasn't changed at all; we center our sites on the small town of Bomont, Georgia, that has been musically silenced since reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) pressured the city council to ban music and dancing after loud music "resulted" in the deaths of five teenagers driving late at night. I say "resulted" because the cause of death was more of teenage stupidity. The pop music blaring on the radio at the time had little effect.

Ten years after this horrendous legislation, Bostonian teenager Ren McCormack (Kenny Wormald) waltzes into town and experiences a culture shock when he realizes that, hey, not only do people who live in other towns have different lifestyles than himself, but music is frowned upon in this tight-nit community. However, that doesn't stop Moore's rebellious daughter Ariel (Julianne Hough), who can often be found batting her bubbly blue eyes and shaking her bouncy backside in no mans land areas deep in the outskirts of town along with dozens of other teens.

Right off the bat, Moore isn't fond of the way Ren behaves. His attitude is smarmy and purposefully instigating, and the thought that he is a teen with something to say unnerves him greatly. The remainder of the film amplifies this conflict between them, as well as trying to make a bold statement that teenagers are supposed to be reckless, dumb, and the driving force behind many mistakes.

This conflict between Ren and "the man" leads all the way to the city council, where Ren tries to use Bible verses to sway the entire council (including Moore) to allow music and public dancing to be etched back in Bomont's society. He states that people in biblical times

Footloose fmovies. This movie sucked big time! They remixed all of the songs from the original for no reason and it sucked so bad! I almost wanted to throw up after seeing it. The dancing is just so embarrassing and it basically craps all over the original. I'm so appalled that this movie has a rating higher than a one. It sucks so bad it should of been rated the worst remake in the history of remakes! I would much rather see somebody suffering a horrible death than ever watch this film again. I feel embarrassed to be called a human being because this film shows how stupid we all are! We let this happen and now there's no hope. If aliens come down from space and see this movie they will probably look at us as if we are the dumbest living thing on the planet! This movie is the reason an apocalypse should happen! Overall the film sucks so bad I rated it a -1,000,000,000,000 out of 10 because it is the absolute worst movie ever made!

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 girlfriendÂ…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.

I enjoy bad movies, and enjoy bad remakes even more. So when the opportunity to get advanced passes to the atrocious looking remake of Footloose came, I pounced on them just out of the sheer will to see what kind of monstrosity Craig Brewer and company came up with. The film had gone through a number of changes, and had plenty of room to improve on the original. Sadly, I do not think there was ever any hope for it.

After a horrific accident takes the lives of five high school seniors, the town of Bomont, Tennessee outlaws a number of activities for the teenage populace including dancing. Enter Ren McCormack (Kenny Wormald), a city kid and distinct outsider to the close knit Bomont townspeople. He is confused by the bans, and after making a few new friends, sets out to get them abolished.

While the nostalgia factor may cloud the memories of some people, the original Footloose is really nothing more than a fun diversion packed alongside an absolutely infectious soundtrack that is still great even today. It is a fairly silly film really, but with the help of Kevin Bacon's 1984-era charm and charisma, the film remains a wildly enjoyable film. Yet somehow, in remaking the film for an audience in 2011, it seems like the filmmakers missed more than a few steps along the way.

Now I will be the first to admit that this new remake does have a handful of fun scenes and astonishing dance choreography. The trailers do a good job of showing off just how great some of the dance moves are from this new cast, but what it does not let on too much is that most of these scenes come when they are replicating scenes from the original film. I basked in the glory of hearing Kenny Loggins blasting, while watching the various pairs of feet dancing to the beat. And seeing Willard (Miles Teller) learning how to dance is one of the highlights of the film, much like it is the original film. A key dance sequence late in the film is also significantly better than I could have ever predicted.

But that is where the enjoyment ends.

The rest of the film that surrounds these scenes is dull and lifeless, moving at a snail's pace and just going through the motions. There is very little fun to be had, and should someone venture into the film without having seen the original, they may wonder why anyone wanted to remake it in the first place. Instead of trying to improve and make the plot line less ludicrous, the filmmakers left the entire crux of the film the exact same. They merely changed a few character traits around, shuffled in some racy dialogue, and took out the tractors and added in school buses. They sucked out all the fun, and what is left seems like a mere project that was cranked out with little to no thought for what audiences may actually perceive to be enjoyable.

Worse yet, the soundtrack is a totally forgettable affair. While it is the crucial element of the original film, it feels like a largely laughable affair here. I was originally intrigued at the idea of the film containing all the original songs, albeit covered by new artists. But somehow, all of the catchiness of the original tunes seems to have been stripped from these new ones. Instead, we are left with versions that have a country twang or overtly urban feel to them, and absolutely no reason to want to listen to these new versions ever again. I would be lying if I did not think the most memorable tracks in the film were the two original ones that somehow were deemed okay to fit into the film. I would register a guess that this is the in