Road House (franchise)

Road House
Official franchise logo
Based onRoad House
by David Lee Henry
Starring
Distributed by
Release date
1989-present
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$95,000,000 (2 films)
Box office$20,050,028 (1 film)

The Road House franchise includes American action installments, including theatrical, straight-to-home video, musical stage, and streaming releases. Based on an original story written by David Lee Henry, the plot centers around main characters hired to enforce security at small-town bars, that despite being troubled by their own pasts must heroically devise protective measures for the community against the machinations of criminal syndicate organizations. Through the course of their actions the lead characters work to overthrow the crime, and create a better community for its citizens.

The franchise as a whole has received mixed response from critics, though it has been a success amongst its audience. Years after its original release, the original movie ultimately earned its status as a 1980s action-cult classic,[1][2][3][4][5] despite its initial mild critical reaction and meager box office performance.[6][7] Its sequel which released through home video media received a negative reception from critics who noted its inferiority to its predecessor,[8][9][10][11] while its monetary totals were not publicly made known.[6]

Conversely, the 2024 streaming exclusive film was met with a mix of approval,[12][13][14] and disparaging remarks from critics.[15][16][17] The 2024 film resulted in controversy directed at the studio's development of the project; though some of its reviews declare the remake as a superior improvement,[18][19] while others preferred the original.[16][17] Praise was given to its director, cast, action sequences, and reveration of its source material;[20][21][13][22] while criticism was directed at its script and its use of CGI special effects.[21][17] Analysts estimated that if the project debuted through movie theaters it could have earned a $50 million debut,[12][21] while Amazon has named its as its most in-house viewed movie release of all-time.[23]

  1. ^ Collins, Sean T. (July 12, 2019). "'Road House' on Netflix: A Guide to the Greatest Bad Movie of All-Time". Decider. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  2. ^ Collins, Sean T. (March 21, 2024). "How the New Road House Updates the Bizarre, Beer-Sluggin' Best Bad Movie of All Time". Time. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  3. ^ Weisholtz, Drew & Philip Caulfield & Scott Stump (March 22, 2024). "Loved 'Road House'? Check out these 10 action movie cult classics". Today. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  4. ^ Truitt, Brian (March 21, 2024). "'Road House' revisited: How Jake Gyllenhaal remake compares to Patrick Swayze cult classic". USA Today. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  5. ^ Walsh, Savannah (February 28, 2024). "The Behind-the-Scenes Brawling of Road House, Explained". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference 1989_TN was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference 1989_BOM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Lindsay, Cam (December 31, 2005). "Road House / Road House 2: Last Call". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 25, 2024. ...overacting on the part of Jake Busey and some appallingly sidesplitting action scenes in slow motion, it's best to just ignore its existence...
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Part2_SF was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Part2_TIW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Part 2_RT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b Gleiberman, Owen (March 8, 2024). "'Road House' Review: Jake Gyllenhaal Takes Command in an Ultraviolent Retread That Makes Slumming Look Artful". Variety. Retrieved May 25, 2024. ...infectiously stylish...
  13. ^ a b Langmann, Brady (March 21, 2024). "Road House Returned All the Testosterone to My Body: This is how you do a remake". Esquire. Retrieved May 25, 2024. ...is not only extremely good but it's also so honest-to-God thrilling...it's very much a they-don't-make-movies-like-this-anymore movie. ...quality set pieces...improves upon the original's forgettable antagonists...McGregor is a genuinely compelling screen presence. ...That said, the movie truly succeeds because of Gyllenlegday's deliciously manic performance. ...This is how you do a remake.
  14. ^ Hilton, Boyd (March 9, 2024). "Road House (2024) Review". Empire. Retrieved May 25, 2024. Expertly handled by director Doug Liman, wittily scripted, and boasting a wonderfully original take on the action hero archetype, this new Road House is a total riot.
  15. ^ Tallerico, Brian (March 9, 2024). "Road House". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved May 25, 2024. Punches and their reactions look like cut scenes in a video game far too often, especially a long bar brawl and a boat sequence in the end that have CGI so janky that I wonder if the reason that Prime didn't want this on a big screen was because people would be less likely to notice on a small screen.
  16. ^ a b Eoin (2024). "Road House (2024) Review". The Action Elite. Retrieved May 25, 2024. Overall, Road House will be forgotten in a matter of weeks for most viewers as the target audience for this grew up with the superior original...I'd suggest just watching the original instead.
  17. ^ a b c Donato, Matt (March 22, 2024). "'Road House' Review: Jake Gyllenhaal Can't Punch His Way Through This Mess". Collider. Retrieved May 25, 2024. Everything feels … off. The shoddy digital effects are unappealing, all of the action tracking feels weirdly calibrated (think motion smoothing meets animation), and the performances are a mixed bag. Road House is the worst thing a remake like this could be: Boring.
  18. ^ Kenny, Glenn (March 22, 2024). "'Road House' Review: This Remake Amps Up the Action". The New York Times. Retrieved May 25, 2024. ...the J. Robert Oppenheimer of lunatic action set pieces...contemporary tuneups...
  19. ^ Cotter, Padraig (March 30, 2024). "Road House 2024 Corrects The 1989 Original Movie's Odd Ending Mistake". ScreenRant. Retrieved May 25, 2024. Road House 2024 Fixes The Original's Mistake By Giving Dalton A Worthy Opponent ...Dalton vs Conor McGregor's Knox is the movie's standout setpiece.
  20. ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (March 22, 2024). "Jake Gyllenhaal's Road House Remake Crackles With Glorious, Unruly Energy". Time. Retrieved May 25, 2024. Liman orchestrates it all with both precision and vitality—no wonder he's bummed that people won't be able to watch his movie, with other like-minded souls, in a movie theater. Gyllenhaal, too, would have been a smashing big-screen special effect. ...Gyllenhaal and Swayze were friends, and his performance here honors Swayze's without in any way parroting it, in a movie that's a model of what a remake can be.
  21. ^ a b c Serba, John (March 21, 2024). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Road House' on Amazon Prime Video, a Highly Enjoyable Remake Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and His Abs". Decider. Retrieved May 25, 2024. ...would it have been a box office hit? (Probably!) ...Liman directs action sequences with style and visual wit ...This new Road House is better than it needs to be. STREAM IT – and enjoy it better by avoiding the logical fallacy inherent in comparing it to beloved past favorites.
  22. ^ Lawson, Richard (March 21, 2024). "Jake Gyllenhaal Happily Punches in Road House". Vanity Fair. Retrieved May 25, 2024. Doug Liman's needless remake of the Patrick Swayze movie is unexpectedly good.
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference Future_Variety was invoked but never defined (see the help page).