This is an old review from a site I used to have called He said, She Said. I had hundreds of reviews on that site. I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into that site and am going to preserve what I can of it. If a review from that site made it's way here, that means it has been updated. Whenever I watch a movie that I already reviewed, I will update it and put it here. All new reviews will still be put on the Facebook page.
What He Said:
It was a rainy day – the perfect kind of day for watching a movie – I was home alone (off from work), and I was in the mood to be entertained. I wanted pure escapism. Having complete control over the TV, I decided to treat myself to this cult classic. This movie pops up on TV a lot, but I can’t tell you the last time I actually sat down and watched the whole thing. It has been years since I have watched it from start-to-finish, so I decided to revisit this kick-ass action flick.
Patrick Swayze plays Dalton. Dalton is a “cooler”, which is what we lay people call a bouncer. He’s not just any bouncer either, but the head bouncer. He's the best around too. He’s so good that people in the bar and night club biz all over the country have heard of him. This is what leads Frank Tilghman (Kevin Tighe) to seek him out. He travels from Missouri to New York, where Dalton works, just to offer him a job.
After some initial hesitation, Dalton accepts the job and moves to Missouri. Dalton isn’t one to plant roots though. He comes to a new town, cleans up troubled bars, trains the staff in his methods and techniques, and moves on to the next job. This job turns out to be a little different though.
The town is actually run by a local “businessman” named Brad Wesley. Wesley (Ben Gazzara) is running the classic “protection” racket. He forces people to pay him a “protection fee” or he makes their lives a living hell. Nobody has the guts to stand up to him and his henchmen. Honestly, nobody could if they wanted to. All the toughest guys in town work for him. This really bothers Dalton. He has grown fond of several of the people in this small town. Red (Red West), the owner of the auto store, Emmet
(Sunshine Parker),the guy who rents him a place to stay, and most of all the town doctor, Elizabeth "Doc" Clay (Kelly Lynch). They are good people and he hates seeing them suffer at the hands of this wannabe mobster and his henchmen.
Standing up to Wesley ends up being a declaration of war between the two men. Dalton ends up calling on mentor and friend Wade Garrett (Sam Elliot) for help. Garret is the guy who taught Dalton everything he knows. Both men usually just do their job, but this time it’s personal. They're pretty much the two toughest guys on Earth, but Wesley's got the numbers.
Road House did not receive favorable reviews from critics when it was released, but it's the definition of a cult classic. To guys my age and lovers of action movies in general, this movie is peak awesomeness. It has everything you want from an action flick: brawls, babes, romance for the ladies, and just enough of a storyline to hook you.
Patrick Swayze was tailor made for this role. His mixture of Zen beliefs and ass-kicking abilities – which he integrates into Point Break as well – work perfectly for the character. The movie doesn’t explain just how Dalton ended up a bouncer, but he’s damn good at it, and seems to genuinely want to deflate a situation with as little violence as possible. But when it’s time to get your hands dirty, Dalton roles up his sleeves and gets to work like nobody else.
Very few people are in his league. Wade – who Sam Elliot plays perfectly – and Wesley’s main goon Jimmy (played by Marshall R. Teague) are the only ones who pose a threat to Dalton one-on-one. Sam Elliot just looks so freaking cool with his silver mane, beard, and deep voice. For an older guy, he can still scrap too! Marshall Teague was soooo good as the villain I can’t believe this guy didn’t have a bigger career. He was in his prime in this movie and it was also the heyday of action movies, so it baffles me how this guy wasn’t a star. He was the perfect bad guy. A total psycho.
The supporting roles were all good too. Red West and Sunshine Parker both shared the sidekick role. Kevin Tighe played a bit of that role as well. All three of them each brought something to the table without making the movie seem overcrowded. Kelly Lynch was a good love interest too. She’s drawn to Dalton because he’s good looking and smart, but also leery of him because of his lifestyle. She's a borderline pacifist. Lynch does a really good job at portraying a torn person. She's developing feelings for Dalton, but like much of the townsfolk, fears Wesley and wants nothing to do with his fight with Dalton.
Ben Gazzara was absolutely fantastic as Swayze’s sadistic nemesis. Brad Wesley is not a match for Dalton physically, but he sure is a bastard. He is ruthless and fearless. That's probably because he has every goon in town working for him (one is played by wrestling great Terry Funk). These two played off one another really well.
If you are a fan of old-school action flicks with memorable music, good fight scenes, and just enough emotion to keep you interested (in a cheesy 80s kind of way), this should be right up your alley. It’s one of the all-time great action movies. They don’t make movies like this anymore.
Edit: I recently came across another prime opportunity for watching a movie. It was a Friday evening. I went out after work. Stopped at a local establishment for a burger, fries, and a couple of brews. I had a nice evening, but was ready to go home. I wanted to watch a movie, but was not looking forward to scrolling through the various streaming services I have. That actually makes me regret watching movies sometimes. Luckily, I turned on my TV and this gem was just starting on Pluto. There was no work to be done. The universe did me a solid. So I grabbed a blanket, laid down on my couch, and watched the manliest movie ever made for the next two hours.
Rating: Thumbs up.
This movie review was written for your reading pleasure on December 29, 2013. It was updated on April 22, 2022.
