Review: Road House

Directed by: Rowdy Herrington

Written by: David Lee Henry & Hilary Henkin

Starring: Patrick Swayze, Ben Gazzara, Kelly Lynch, Sam Elliott

Rating: [3/5]

Not every profession carries glamour with it but remains necessary for an establishment to stay afloat. In this world, a cooler operates as a security guard for a location as well as anything else needed, which brings in the character we follow in the vastly entertaining and flawed Road House. A film that has all the cheesiness one would anticipate from an 80s film but also the charm Patrick Swayze brings to the role. 

Agreeing to take a job as a cooler for an establishment named the Double Deuce in Missouri, James Dalton (Patrick Swayze) gets the ability to do whatever necessary in order to get the place into shape. Dalton’s revamp consequently results in the firing of the nephew of the town’s biggest influencer Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara) who seeks to bend Dalton’s will to his liking. 

Existing as one of those prototypical 80s films, Road House brings pretty much everything one would expect from a film with this premise. Through everything it provides a raucously fun time remains one of them, which comes from various aspects of the narrative including a look into the world of this club and what goes into making it run effectively through the eyes of someone like Dalton. 

Violence appears in full display within this feature in the way it exists as a natural aspect of Dalton’s position but also in the extra-curricular activities occurring as well. Dalton certainly knows how to throw a punch but he delivers it all with calmness as he would certainly prefer for occurrences to not turn violent as he’s trying to make the Double Deuce into a place of good reputation. Something it certainly will not build by continuing to have to kick people out for disorderly conduct. The scenes in which he shows the new staff he hires how to deal with troublemakers are quite humorous because of the simple way it demonstrates just how easily he can handle someone physically even if they tower over him. 

Additionally, you cannot forget his ultimate capability where he can seemingly pull someone’s throat out whenever he deems necessary, which certainly goes overboard in what a human can possibly do but this action becomes his cheat code. Something only referenced before but then we get to witness as audience members, which I never thought could be physically done but when it involves James Dalton, you doubt at your own peril. 

Even with all of the violence involved in the feature, it certainly has a sense of humor, which includes the recurring joke about Dalton’s height and how everyone expects him to be larger in stature based on the reputation he has built for himself. Swayze standing at 5’10’’ would not necessarily classify him as a short guy unless the standard one holds simply lies at the 6–foot mark, but it mostly speaks on the mystique built around this man and what strength and capability he possesses that lead people to believe he possesses a much more gargantuan frame. With the many times it occurs throughout the feature, it still landed on each occasion mostly because of Dalton’s reaction to the remark. 

It comes as no secret the engine that keeps everything running here comes through the performance of Patrick Swayze as he brings us into this world and demonstrates what made this guy such a dynamic force on screen. He brings the seriousness of the story because of how seriously he takes his job but also handles the humor of it all as well making for an all-around fun performance by him where he allows his physicality to do the talking as well as impressing the women in this story and imposing his will on those who think they can take him. 

Quite simple but still bundles of fun, Road House feels quite emblematic of the star vehicles movie stars like Patrick Swayze got to flex his muscles to show off his physique but also wowing with the charm he brings to the role. We get an entertaining bunch of characters to add a filling to this story by ramping up the stakes of everything involved. With it being s small town every action by these individuals matters and causes reverberations felt by more than themselves. Funny, violent, and wildly entertaining, this feature certainly will not give you plenty to think about afterward but fulfills its duty of providing a good time.