Road House is the story of washed up mixed martial arts fighter Elwood Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal). After a traumatizing experience in the ring, Dalton finds himself drifting. To make ends meet, he engages in underground fighting rings. Most times, his mere appearance at the arena is enough to scare off potential opponents and collect the purse. One night, Frankie (Jessica Williams) happens upon Dalton as she seeks out candidates for a new bouncer at her bar. Dalton takes the job, but quickly learns that the position is a greater risk to his health and safety than expected. Turns out that this roadhouse (named The Road House) is the last holdout of land ownership against a wealthy drug empire looking to expand its operations. As such, Dalton finds himself as the last line of defence to keep the beloved bar alive.
What works in Road House is the way it embraces the cheesiness of action-adventure brawlers from a bygone era. Gyllenhaal wears a grin on his face for the entirety of the film. This simple smile serves as his charisma merit badge which he displays with pride. It’s also an invitation to the audience to not take the proceedings all too seriously. Director Doug Liman (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Edge of Tomorrow) has a clear purpose with this updated remake: entertain at all costs. The villains are absurd. The fighters are made of steel. The explosions are bombastic. The music is groovy. All this comes together in a way that serves as a playful homage to a genre commonly found in the 1908s. The final ingredient in this formula is Conor McGregor. The former MMA champion makes his film debut as a completely bonkers chaotic evil psychopath that serves as a delightful foil to Dalton’s lawful good nature.
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People who are uncomfortable with the brutality of hand-to-hand combat are unlikely to enjoy Road House as much as others. Liman wants his audience to feel the crunch of every punch. As such, some of the more intense sequences border on gore as the fighters go berserk against each other. Speaking of the fights, they are the main milestones of the movie. Everything between those moments is filler that only barely resembles character arcs or plot development. Individuals seeking a story with a robust narrative are probably better off with other options.
Road House is a film full of pugnacious fun. The players all seem to understand the assignment of having such a good time with the premise that the audience can’t help but go along for the ride. While it may not ever attain the cult classic status of its namesake, it honors its the vibe incredibly well. Recommended.
Recommended if you enjoyed: Reacher (series); The Transporter
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