With all the machismo and corniness of the 80s action movies that the Jake Gyllenhaal led iteration of Road House unapologetically displays, it should come as no surprise that the recent uproarious reactions from the world premiere at SXSW almost unanimously praised it for being a wild crowd pleaser best seen with a big audience. And even though this film will only be available for the masses to view on Prime Video, and not in cinemas, there’s nothing stopping you from getting some friends around, getting a couple of beers and pizzas, and recreating the rowdy viewing experience, because Road House is an adrenaline fuelled actioner that deserves such treatment.
Serving as a modern reimagining of the 1989 action flick of the same name (which was headlined by an iconic performance from the late, great Patrick Swayze), Road House follows ex-UFC fighter, Dalton (Gyllenhaal) who is escaping a dark past filled with violence in and out of the octagon. His city-to-city drifting leads him to the Florida Keys, where the owner of a rough-‘em-up roadhouse, Frankie (Jessica Williams) hires Dalton to protect the bar from a violent gang terrorising the patrons and destroying the roadhouse.
But a brutal confrontation with the gang forces the hand of crime boss Brandt (Billy Magnussen) to enlist the services of ruthless, psychopathic gun-for-hire Knox (Conor McGregor), escalating the bloodshed to a level Dalton and the roadhouse has never seen before.
Director Doug Liman is no stranger to intense hand-to-hand brawls, shootouts, and high-octane action set pieces, with his most notable action-work including The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Edge of Tomorrow. One of the key elements that all of those films have in common is that the action is tense, brutal, and highly entertaining, something that Liman continues with Road House.
Every single punch, kick, head-butt, and even comedic slap (of which the audience is introduced to Dalton’s ass-kicking ability with a fantastic slap-fight) can be felt through the screen. The choreography, along with bone-crunching sound design and wide-lensed camera work capturing all the action in long takes makes for some brutally entertaining set-pieces, the standouts being a chaotic bar fight, and the body-slamming final stand off between Dalton and Knox.
While the action is adrenaline pumping, and due to interesting in camera techniques mixed with special effects to make it look like every punch literally connects, there are a few moments where an over abundance of CGI provides an uncanny valley feeling, split-second distracting the audience from the brawls to wonder why that punch looked a little off. Even when the action escalates to gun-fights, boat chases and explosions galore, the plastic looking flame-balls and blood-squibs do occasionally take away from the intensity.
Not lacking in intensity in anyway, shape, or form, is the physicality that Gyllenhaal and McGregor bring to their respective roles, both having an absolute blast sharing the screen together. Gyllenhaal effortless brings charisma and charm to the timidly exterior nature of Dalton, a nature that is hiding his violent rage that brews beneath the surface, which occasionally, and quite subtly, rears its head throughout first half of the film, before Dalton is fully let loose.
Dalton’s past slowly reveals itself as the story goes on, giving enough context and substance to his character without losing the fun within the drama. Gyllenhaal brings his own style of intensity to both aspects of the performance, reminiscent of the manic-energy shown in Ambulance, and the light-hearted fun of Spider-Man: Far From Home.
However, the true scene stealer of Road House is the unhinged energy of Conor McGregor, who right from his show-stopping (and very cheeky) entrance into the film, never lets the energy drop, bringing a chaotic atmosphere every time he is on screen. It absolutely goes without saying that McGregor holds his own with the fight choreography, using his already established physical confidence from the UFC to be an intimidating force of nature as Knox destructively rips and tears his way through the Florida Keys.
When it comes to acting, it’s better to remember this is McGregor’s first film. There are aspects of his delivery of dialogue that definitely will improve over time, but it is so apparent that he is enjoying chewing up the scenery, and his commitment to making Knox as unhinged as possible is undeniably fun to watch.
Road House could’ve been a 90-minute, all-action, no-fat romp, but there are a few extra side characters and side-plots that tie together the action with some semblance of story and structure. Crooked cops, blossoming romances, Dalton teaching the other bartenders how to defend themselves – all these little things do make up a stronger whole for the film overall, but there are elements of the story that drag out a little too long. It’s hard to come down off the extreme highs of the adrenaline dumps provided by each electric action scene when it’s followed by a slightly elongated dialogue or story scene that isn’t exactly top tier work.
It’s all-action, all-excitement, all-machismo, all-ridiculous, and all-fun. Road House is an energetic, kick-ass, wild ride that is led by the charismatic Jake Gyllenhaal and unhinged Conor McGregor in a throw-back 80s influenced flick that is best enjoyed with beers, pizzas and a couple of your rowdiest friends.
Road House is streaming on Prime Video from March 21. You can also read Nick’s interview with Jake Gyllenhaal, Conor McGregor and the cast of Road House here.
