Footloose

I was skeptical... very skeptical about this movie.  The darn trailer kept calling to me though.  There is something about that Kenny Loggins song that I couldn't resist.  "I've been working so hard..."  Goodness it just makes you want to get up and dance.  I saw the original Footloose movie one weekend when it was on television.  I liked parts of it, but I thought it was relatively boring and slow. I knew that the newer version would be faster paced so I decided to give it a try.  I loved it!

For those of you that have never seen the original, here is a basic plot break down:  Ren moves to Bomont, GA from somewhere north of the Mason-Dixon line.  Bomont is a unique town in that three years prior the town enacted several laws to regulate teenage behavior after the tragic death of 5 high school seniors.  In Bomont there is no public dancing and no loud music.  Ren falls for Ariel, the rebellious daughter of the town's preacher and biggest advocate of the laws.  Hi jinks ensue and then lots and lots of dancing.

I can't tell you all of the plot deviations from the original film, as I said I thought it was a little dull.  I do know that they definitely paid homage to the film.  The angry dance is still there just like it should be.  The horrible red jacket is still worn to the prom.  Ariel is still a spoiled little whiny brat.  I am still a sucker for a dance movie though.  I also love movies filmed in Atlanta, it is fun to see local things on the big screen.  They drive into the city in one scene and go to Cowboys to go line dancing, I loved it.

Kenny Wormald and Julianna Hough really shined in the film.  The acting was good all around I thought, but the biggest stars to me were the children. The cutest little girls you have ever seen play Ren's cousins, I wish they had given them three times as much screen time.  Adorable.  Dennis Quaid played the reverend, a man who could easily be quite hated.  Quaid did a great job with the character as he did not come across as a power hungry preacher, but as a man struggling to figure out what is right and best for his daughter and the town that he loves.  Wormald and Hough are both professional dancers, this was Hough's first big acting role.  Wormald was in the sequel to Center Stage, a straight to tv movie.  (ok let me be honest, I kinda love that movie.  I am a sucker for a movie with lots of dancing and I might actually own the movie)  Both actors performed well, I liked the Ren character a lot more in this movie than in the original.

Should you invest $10+ to see this film?  Well that depends.  If the original is one of your favorite movies of all time, you might hate the updated version.  If you are a dude, you probably couldn't care less about this movie. Hough does wear some skimpy outfits, so if your lady drags you to chick-flicks this one may not be so terrible for you.  If you love dancing and Kenny Loggins, you have to go see this one.  It is definitely a great film to rent once it is available for that, it would be a really fun girls night movie.

Warning:  I don't care who you are, you are going to want to get up and shake it at the end of this film.  That song starts pumping and your feet just can't keep still.

Happy Viewing!