Opening Credits.... All them feet dancing. Great job leaving it in! Keeping it classic Footloose! Point scored for the new Footloose.
The opening scene starts with the actual events leading up to the car wreck that killed the 5 kids to start the dancing and music ban. That was a huge surprise to me. I actually think that was a great opening to let everyone know the basis of the story line. Point for the new Footloose.
The speech that Reverend Shaw gives to get the laws past actually brought a tear to my eye. Dennis Quaid is an amazing actor. Not to take away from the original actor who played Shaw, but I think Dennis Quaid did an OUTSTANDING job in this movie. What talent. Here you get to hear all the actual laws that were set out. I think this is a much better way to explain the history of the laws and this town. Awesome change in my opinion. Point scored here for the new Footloose.
When Ren arrives in town he arrives alone. His mother is as we find out dead and there is no mention of his father at all. I was not impressed with this move at all. The entire basis is that he has major anger issues with his father leaving him and that is where a lot of his anger comes from. With out that you don't have the rawness to his "city attitude". Score one for the old Footloose.
Same Car!!! Classic Move! Score point for the new Footloose!
I love the sermon here in the new movie. No points here though. Just a thought.
Ren getting stopped by the Police. There is a lot of changes made to this movie from the old movie. I seriously think the old movie portrays this scene much better as him and Willard are talking in the car. In the new movie, he is alone and has not heard about the music ban or dancing or anything. In the old movie he is aware of this and so his attitude is more cocky because of that. Score one for the old Footloose here.
The "Dangerous" scene with Ariel and Chuck and her friends is totally a disappointment. She rides around on the window of the race car holding the checked flag. To me that don't fit her friend Rusty saying you trying to kill yourself? In the old movie, she is standing on the windows of two moving cars facing a semi. That is a kill your self danger. If they wanted to change that part of the movie then they needed to change the entire dialog of the Danger Aspect. Point Scored for the old Footloose.
QUIET RIOT!! BANG YOUR HEAD!!!! Still in the movie, but not as he is driving into the school. Think it should have been the same song there, but they kept in in none the less. Classic song, Timeless song, and should have been left alone. Score point for the old Footloose.
Ren bumping into Willard at school in the hallway. Same as the old movie, a bit different dialog but same general idea. Glad that it stayed the same as that is how they start and become friends through out the rest of the movie. And he is still wearing that tie! Love that they kept that the same. Point for the new Footloose.
Tease Willard with a story about dancing and sex which is totally a lie. Same concept, little bit of a different story, but a classy change none the less. Point scored for the new Footloose.
The music at the Drive in Resturant is now at the Drive in theater. Not a bad change, except that Ariel is not the one who starts the illegal music that gets everyone dancing. They have it played by the workers at the drive in. The whole point of this part of the movie is to show how bad ass the "Preachers Daughter" is as she is trying so hard to be a rebel. Again, Bad change in my opinion. Not to mention that she tells her dad that she is going to study with her friend in the new one and ends up at the drive in. He shows up and says the exact same line from the old movie "Your mother didn't think you had any money". Now that line makes perfect sense in the old movie because she tells her dad that she is going to get some burgers/shakes with her friends. In the new movie, it seems like dear ol daddy would also be upset that she LIED about where she was going. That is not the case. So point scored for the old Footloose there as well.
Uncle Wes: ok. Here is a change that is huge and that I do not like about the new movie at all. In this new Footloose they portray the uncle as a sweet understanding caring man. He is not in the original movie. He is always on his case and giving him crap. Why they decided to change this about the movie is beyond me. I can assume that it is because they deleted his mother in the new movie and therefore there is no one for him to have on his side. But still... Come on people!! This change was stupid! The uncle is stuck in his southern ways and totally agrees with the Reverend. Now he is portrayed as such an awesome guy who disagrees with the Reverend on it seems like all aspects. Major score for the old Footloose here!
Ariel shows up at work to tell Ren that Chuck wants to see him. Pretty much the same, a few changes, but good ones I feel. She is a bit more cocky in the old one, but I think it was a nice change of pace. Score point for the new Footloose.
Chicken Race. Oh here we go... They change this part in the new movie from tractors to school buses. Good move I feel. Yes, they portray they are still in the south and what not, but the old school buses I think was a nice change. He still has an issue with having to continue when he normally would have bailed. Instead of his shoe lace being caught, the breaks give out and he can't stop. I like the change they made here. I don't like that they deleted one of the best songs of the movie here. Where is the holding out for a hero in the background? Regarless, Point scored for the new Footloose.
The drug scene... The same per say...
The Red Boots... Where is the background of the red boots? In the new movie, they make a reference to them but there is not background story to back it up. I think that if you are going to edit out the part where she explains that her daddy hates thoes boots, then you need to take out all lines of the red boots. Point for the old Footloose.
Dance Scene with the angry Ren. Same scene, but not done nearly as well as the original. It just looks out of place even tho they use the same dance moves. They change so much of the dance moves to make it modern day, but this one they try to leave the same? I think it was a bad move for the makers of the new movie. Have to score one for the old Footloose here. And besides, nothing tops Kevin Bacon all sweaty and angry dancing.
Train track chicken .... Same but different. Like that they left it in, but don't know which I would have to say I like more than the other.
Sneak across the bridge to go dancing. Love this scene in the old movie, and I can't say that I am disappointed in the new version. Yagger shots between the boobies.... Ha that was great!!! Love the song that is playing in this part as well. So I guess that I am totally ok with this change they made. Makes it more up to date as the point of remaking a classic is.
Teach Willard how to dance!! They still use Let's Hear It For The Boy!! OUTSTANDING... I was so pleased that this was the same. Here they use a lot of the same dance moves and they fit so well. I love this ... Some is changed and that is ok. I love this!! Major points for the new Footloose here.
Ren telling why this dance means so much to him. He is telling his aunt and not his mom. I do not like the direction they went in with this at all. But as I said, they just deleted his mother from the movie anyhow. Disappointment is the word that comes to mind. Point scored for the old Footloose
His speech is taken right from the original movie which I think is good. It was such a good speech and what a slap in the face to the reverend. Glad they left that the same too.
ITS THE SAME DRESS! SHE IS WEARING THE SAME DRESS FROM THE ORIGINAL. Major points there. I love it. And he is wearing the exact same ugly ass color coat that Kevin Bacon wears.
The dancing at the end is classic Footloose. I think that was amazing as well.
All in all I think they made a few really stupid changes, but over all it was meant to be a remake of a classic movie not an exact replica of the movie. I think they did a good job over all. They took a classic movie and made it so that a new generation can enjoy it as much as us old folk. What had to be the same was the same, and all the priceless lines were left in the movie as well. It will never top the original but I don't think it was the intent to ever do so. So I guess what I am saying is I will give this movie the credit it well deserves. You have to be able to watch something like this that you love and keep an open mind. I feel that I did that and I was not disappointed by doing so.
I am glad that I now own both movies in my collection.
Ending note.... Nothing will ever top Kevin Bacon in his most amazing memorable movie roll of all time.
