“Kevin didn’t need a dance partner in the original!”

Sometimes it seems the rarest thing in Hollywood is a new idea. No-one will have missed the upward trend in film sequels following sequels, rebooted TV classics, and perhaps worse: re-makes of the classic films we enjoyed as kids. At last count, there are at least twelve re-make/reboot projects slated to hit your TV or cinema screen in the next two years alone. Who can keep track?

Welcome to Re-make Mondays, a new weekly feature that will take a look at a remake/reboot currently being waved at audiences. I’ll feature the remake, and also what footage or content I can from the original, and then leave the helpless victim for you all to tear apart or cuddle up to in the comments. So, let’s get started:

Footloose is an odd creature in the world of 1980s dance-saves-the-world feature films. It never hit the dizzy heights of fan or critical acclaim that Dirty Dancing did, it never had the professional chops and “the message” that White Knights did, and it never quite caught the “Tiny Dancer, this is the time of your life” kick that Flashdance lived and breathed on.

It did launch the career of Kevin Bacon, and pretty much sealed Kenny Loggins’ iconic, Oscar-nominated title track as the song at every sokkie/wedding reception/matric dance guaranteed to get everyone on the dance floor. Even granny and her Zimmer frame. It also spawned a long-running West End musical, and now, twenty seven years later, a re-make. Here’s one of my favourite scenes from the original:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUsNpfXwEy0

The biggest challenge facing producers of the re-make was to replicate the Kevin Bacon factor – his Ren McCormack is undeniably the heart and soul of the original. Hot off the success of Hairspray and the ongoing High School Musical juggernaut, Zac Efron was originally set to star, but he dropped out. Chace Crawford from Gossip Girl was also briefly attached, followed by Thomas Dekker (I know, who?). Finally, relative unknown, Kenny Wormald was offered the part.

Here’s the trailer for the re-make:

My Verdict: On the surface, there’s enough to like about this film that saves it from Dirty Dancing 2 levels of awfulness, and in general it carries a small town charm that works perfectly as an antidote to the frenetic, seizure-inducing urban-out there dance flicks currently pouring out of H-town.

The performances are solid enough, the story sticks closely to the original, and there will always be enough closed-minded small towns in the world that this story of a boy who just wanted to dance at the prom will always resonate.

What’s missing is the Bacon factor – and admittedly, he leaves some very big shoes to fill. Interestingly, he declined a cameo in this version, as there was no other role than Ren that he wanted to play. My advice: rent the original, and leave this turkey (nutritious, yes, and filling, but also bland) for the un-initiated.