Part musical part teen drama, "Footloose" is merely a drop of water in an ocean of current teen trends. From "Glee" to "High School Musical," it's all the same recycled drivel with a different name, the formula remaining ever the same.
Of course, this "Footloose" is a remake of the classic 1984 musical drama of the same name. Remakes are extremely hit or miss, with misses being more readily produced than hits for the most part. Truth be told, most movies have no business being remade unless they are sorely outdated or something original and interesting is brought to the table — neither of which applies in the case of "Footloose." Aside from a couple of minor changes here or there, it's basically a shot-for-shot remake intended for a generation that has never even heard of Kevin Bacon.
For those not privy to the plot: New kid Ren McCormack is relocated to rural Georgia, where lewd behavior and, above all, dancing is outlawed after a group of teenagers is involved in a fatal accident. Ren (Kenny Wormald) is dying to break out in his new sequestered environment, but first he must overturn the laws that silence his right to bust a move. He ends up falling in love with the preacher's daughter, Ariel (Julianne Hough), who is a closet rebel herself. Together they form a bond and bring a new sense of community to their ultra-conservative town.
Fact of the matter is, Kenny Wormald is no Kevin Bacon and Dennis Quaid just isn't up to par with John Lithgow. The 2011 "Footloose" is a hollow affair that is basically going through the motions. It's nice to see certain homages to the original, such as the dance montage set to "Let's Hear it for the Boy" where Ren teaches his clumsy friend Willard how to dance, yet I was only reminded of the original sequence's superior execution. There's just something about Kevin Bacon and Chris Penn in that scene in particular that is just iconic. Moreover, Ren's iconic "LET'S DANCE!" line is delivered in such a terribly uninspired way. Dare I even touch upon the fact that somebody actually had the audacity to cover Kenny Loggins' title track? For shame.
Supposedly the screenplay was redone, but that doesn't really show through much. The 2011 version is certainly grittier and more raw than the original PG version. There's even an issue of domestic abuse addressed in graphic detail. The costume design is made to be more modern, and yet they reintroduce classic imagery such as the VW Bug. If I were to compliment the film, I would certainly say that it's a perfect melding of old and new albeit totally unnecessary.
Also to the film's credit, the Blu-ray release is pretty sleek with a ton of extras. There are music videos, "making of" vignettes, deleted scenes and director commentary. I don't see myself revisiting the original "Footloose" let alone this halfhearted remake, but I'm sure teenagers everywhere will bond with this film much like teens of the '80s did with the original.
Film: 2 Yaps Extras: 4 Yaps