Road House (1989) User Reviews (379)

This place has a sign hangin' over the urinal that says, "Don't eat the big white mint".

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 19 September 2009]

OK, this isn't Oscar material, it garnered six Razzie nominations instead. The acting leaves a lot to be desired, and the dialog is pure corn, but it fills the "guilty pleasure" category like a glove.

While others like Dirty Dancing, this movie will always define Patrick Swayze to me. In his memory, I will watch it over and over.

It will be the movie that reminds me of how attractive Kelly Lynch is.

It will remind me why I like Sam Elliott.

It will remind me why Ben Gazzara is perfect as Boss Hogg.

It's not art, it's pure entertainment, and why I will always remember Swayze.

Besides, it has one of the best soundtracks around.

This movie is ridiculous yet appealing

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 29 January 2023]

"Road House" tells the story of Dalton, a "cooler" who is hired by the owner of a small town dive bar in Jasper, MO. Dalton is hired to clean up the bar, as it has devolved into a very dangerous establishment. This place is so dangerous and rowdy that the house band plays behind a cage and the wait staff regularly engages in brawls with the patrons. This story used one of the common Western film tropes-- a new Sheriff is hired and brought in to clean up the town. That is essentially Dalton's role in this film. He's kind of the Gordon Ramsey of the bar scene. He's brought in to clean things up and kick out the riff raff. And boy is there a lot of riff raff to clean up.

The conflict in "Road House" is that there is a gang, led by Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara) whose entire MO it seems is to intimidate the local business people into giving them money and favors in exchange for not being beat up or having their businesses destroyed - an old fashioned protection racket if you follow the 1930s B films. Most of the town (including law enforcement!) is scared of Wesley and his gang and the group pretty much has full run of everything--including the bar where Dalton is hired. Wesley and his gang begin to resent Dalton's presence, because he isn't a pushover and isn't letting them have control.

Much of the action of the film involves Dalton fighting Wesley and his gang of ruffians. Wade Garrett (Sam Elliott), Dalton's friend and mentor, who also works as a cooler at another club/bar, arrives in town to help out his friend. Together, Wade and Dalton try to take on Wesley. And of course, because this is Patrick Swayze, there is a love story intertwined, when he hooks up with his ER surgeon (Kelly Lynch).

The bar scenes are crazy. A lot of nudity, fighting, violence, everything. The opening scene melee resembles the wild saloon fight in "Dodge City" or "Blazing Saddles." Jeff Healy plays the lead singer/guitarist of the house band, and they're fantastic. I especially loved their cover of The Doors' "Roadhouse Blues."

Anyway. If you're adverse to movies with violence (including a particularly spectacular Rambo-esque turn for Swayze near the end of the film), nudity, and language, then this film isn't for you. But, if you're interested in a ridiculous trashy movie, with great music, then this is worth a watch.

Wow.

[kz917-1 · 8/10 · 24 September 2019]

Patrick Swayze kicks ass, takes names, & loves the ladies!

Great action flick for Swayze to strut his stuff.

How has it taken me this long to see this film?

They don't make 'em like this, anymore

[Mr-Fusion · 4 August 2011]

It was the Summer of 1989. The biggest movies in Hollywood's arsenal, all in one fiery season: "Batman", "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", "Ghostbusters II", "Lethal Weapon 2", "Star Trek V", "License to Kill" and .... "Road House"? You read that right.

Patrick Swayze stars as Dalton, the (second) best cooler in the business, who's charged with cleaning up The Double Deuce, the seediest honky-tonk bar in Jasper, MO. But things don't go so smoothly when Dalton crosses the town's self-appointed ruler, Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara, better known as Evil Ben Gazzara). He's paid off the Sheriff, so Evil Ben Gazzara is pretty much the town's law and order. He's not pleased with the Double Deuce's burgeoning prosperity, so he makes things tricky for Dalton. But as we learned in "Dirty Dancing", nobody puts Dalton in the corner.

Fifteen minutes into the film, it becomes obvious (by just the dialogue) that this is a tongue-in-cheek enterprise. Any illusions that this will be a thought-provoking story about a philosophical bouncer in a rough town go right out the window (average viewer: "well, this oughta be a fun ride!"). Even Swayze (behind that cool stare) knows this movie is ridiculous - and that's exactly where the entertainment value kicks into high gear.

Consider what this film has going for it:

• Swayze at his sinewy, mulleted peak

• Bar fights

• Monster trucks

• A gaggle of shapely ladies

• Steamy farmhouse sex

• Sam Elliott

• Shootouts

• Sweaty martial arts

• Male bonding that borders on homoerotic

• Crackling dialogue ("Do you enjoy pain?" ... "Pain don't hurt")

• Stuffed polar bear attacks

The entertainment value of "Road House" is simply off the charts. Where else would you find a bouncer with an NYU degree (in philosophy!) and the brooding intensity to nail the town doctor (the smoldering Kelly Lynch) AND forcefully remove a man's throat from his neck? Nowhere, sir! It is escapist entertainment of the highest order, in all its gratuitous violence.

And let us not criticize the film's message. If you have feet and fists of fury, you CAN conquer a small town in Midwestern America. But simply putting a man through a table or a window is not enough. I would say maybe ten or fifteen should do it.

I do have one beef. For a movie to feature Keith David in the opening credits, and only give that man one speaking line is morally reprehensible. But there were boobies, so I think we can let this one slide.

7.5/10

Heel to the face,Knuckle to the nose

[Bogmeister · 7/10 · 13 November 2005]

This really is one of those guilty pleasures - a silly, inane movie, but possessed of so many elements for guys to enjoy, mainly regular bouts of ass-kicking, that a guy has to watch it about once a year to get his fix of adrenaline and a picture of how the world should work. The movie has its own rules and an internal structure mostly explained by the character of Dalton (Swayze), a supervisor of bouncers termed a Cooler. When certain entertainment establishments become too lowbrow and rowdy on a nightly basis, someone like Dalton is hired on to show all the patrons how to behave in a civilized manner. He has a degree in philosophy to help facilitate his instruction, plus some martial arts disciplines. In this world of bouncers, club owners, and alcohol dispensers, Dalton has a mighty rep - they've all heard of him, tho many thought he'd be bigger.

Also with an older rep is Wade Garrett (Elliott), an aged cooler who shows up halfway in to help his protégé kick some teeth in. It's amusing to watch the bouncers when introduced to Wade - they react like actors introduced to the Marlon Brando of the bouncer industry. The main villain is a local rich bigshot (Gazzara), usually wearing a self-satisfied evil grin and nice clothes, hiding a repugnant nature which treasures power & more power above all else. Well, actually, he doesn't hide it much as the pic progresses. This is where such villains make a foolish error: if he'd been just a little more laid-back and content with all the power he already had, things would've probably stayed the same for him. But he just can't resist having total absolute control over everything & everyone - a pure-bred fascist if ever there was - offending the zen-like sensibilities of the usually serene Dalton. Of course, having a couple of Dalton's friends killed didn't help towards a peaceful resolution.

The most entertaining portions of the pic are Dalton's methods in dealing with yahoo troublemakers; these dangerous dudes are reduced to clownish oafs by Dalton's effective tactics & knowhow. There's also a dark version of Dalton, Gazzara's main henchman, a martial arts master who seems a match for Dalton's prowess. There are frequent splashes of female nudity, including by Lynch as Dalton's new girlfriend (and doctor; Dalton isn't invulnerable - he needs a doctor about twice a week). You also seem to learn a lot about the art of being a bouncer, though some of this may be baloney. In many ways, this could be the perfect guy picture.

Straightforward fight flick with plenty of decent action

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 2 November 2016]

Patrick Swayze, the man whose film career seems to be rather sparse if not interesting, stars in this classic action film of the late '80s, made at a time, we must remember, when most genre cinema was clichéd and derivative. The simple-in-the-extreme plot of ROAD HOUSE offers no new surprises and is merely a modern updating of the western, with added mullets, but it seems fresh and stylish on every viewing. Swayze is a likable hero and a hit with boring love interest Kelly Lynch, but he also studies philosophy and kicks backside with martial arts too. His lakeside fight with Marshall Teague is the stuff of legend and a wonderful showdown between the two tough men.

There's a varied supporting cast including slimy, weaselly Ben Gazzara as the rich property owner who gets shotgunned to death, and Sam Elliott in a cool role as Swayze's old-time buddy. But the focus is on action, and we get tons of lengthy and gruelling knife-fights and beat-em-up-battles which tend to stress the realism. The tension in the Double Deuce scenes is spot on. Not just a good film, a very good one with plenty on offer to appetise those who follow fight flicks.

And just think: Morgan Freeman and Miss Daisy drove away with the Oscar that year!

[TOMASBBloodhound · 10/10 · 14 November 2004]

What brilliant trash this film is! It works absolutely every time! For all I know it was filmed either at Uncle Ron's or El Matador here in town!

Road House is the story of a bouncer hired to clean up a rough bar in a tiny town. He isn't just your ordinary illiterate muscle head, though. It's Patrick Swayze. He's got a degree in philosophy from NYU! He owns a Mercedes! Why, he's the best damn cooler in the business! And it's a good thing he is. This fictional town of Jasper, MO is dominated by a slimy Boss-Hogg type played by Ben Gazzara. He and his thugs skim money from every business in town, and the last thing they want is some stranger waltzing on to the scene to break up their control of the action.

Enough plot, though. Let's focus on the highlights.

This film has a script that should be bronzed or put on display at the Smithsonian. We get monumental lines such as:

"It's good to see you!" spoken by a blind man when he first greets Swayze.

"What do you take me for?" a bimbo asks another bar patron in an early scene. the reply- "About a hundred dollars!"

And this film also contains the greatest line ever spoken in the history of cinema. Decorum prohibits me from stating it verbatim, but you'll probably know it when you hear it. It's spoken by pro wrestler Terry Funk who plays the bouncer Swayze replaces. The line focuses on the supposed size of Swayze's package, and the size vehicle his seed could fill.

The film is filled with bar fights that eventually turn into shootouts, hot women, fast cars, monster trucks, explosions, you name it. Anything for guys who like movies is in abundance. The whole thing plays out like a typical night on the town for us yokels here in the red states.

The film comes in surprisingly long at 114 minutes, but don't worry. This is the type of film you can basically stop at any place, then push play when you and your friends get back from the bars. "It will be like you never left," as Christopher Lloyd tells Michael J. Fox at one point in Back to the Future.

The film has more than its share of logical lapses. As Roger Ebert points out in his review, there is no way anyone could get as rich as Wesley by skimming this little town. It seems to only have a bar, an auto parts store, a Ford dealership, and a cafe or two. Most of these places get wiped out as the action unfolds. It makes you wonder who would have been left for Wesley to skim from.

But criticism of a film like this is useless. When faced with such an artistic statement as Road House, one can either sit back and enjoy, or chuck the tape out the window.

10 of 10 stars.

The genius of Joel Silver my know no boundaries.

Added 9-14-2009: We'll see you on the other side, Patrick! God Bless you!

Every Day is Christmas at the Double Deuce

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 15 May 2006]

Patrick Swayze, a classically trained ballet dancer, plays Dalton, who is hired to be the head bouncer (the "cooler") of a wild bar down in the bayou called the Double Deuce. Things get a little out of hand when the local mob boss (played by Ben Gazzara, perhaps better known as The Big Lebowski's Jackie Treehorn) wants to fight. Luckily, Dalton has a friend... an old-time bouncer played by Sam Elliott.

This film is mentioned as Dawson Leery's (from "Dawson's Creek") favorite movie, which seems really odd for a character who emulates Spielberg. The film is non-stop fight scenes that extend into full bar brawls. Okay, wait, not non-stop... there's also a fair amount of sex. Sex and nudity (both male and female). You will see more of Sam Elliott than you ever thought you would. And then back to the fighting.

The bar brawls were enough to earn it the title of "Second Best Fight Movie Ever" (behind "They Live", though the choreography of "Clockwork Orange" is impressive) in my mind, but then the fights turn grotesquely violent. This is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you're looking for. I find this to be the selling point of the film, knowing that Dalton has the strength and training to rip a man's windpipe out through his neck. Yet, he has the cool calmness of a zen master (one wonders how his majoring in philosophy fits into his character... if at all).

There are a few things that seem strange if you're being picky. All stores and houses are packed wall to wall with propane tanks apparently, as explosions happen for no reason. Cops don't show up for fires, bar fights or the destruction of an entire car dealership (by a monster truck). They do show up once in the film without being called, when their presence no longer matters.

This is the kind of movie I can watch over and over and over again. Not because it's a great film (although it is pretty darn good)... but because its absurdity is, well, absurd. The film takes place in a universe I can only dream of. Which, being a late 1980s film, I guess makes it perfectly normal in some way. Well, whatever the case, I loved it and you should love it, too.

"I see you've found my trophy room, Dalton ..."

[ChuckCunningham · 10/10 · 23 January 2022]

"... The only thing missing is your ass!" Notes and observations: * Four fights only five minutes into the movie * Shirts are not required at the Double Deuce * Dalton can be a first or a last name * Opinions vary * No matter what, the band plays on * Dalton doesn't fly. Too dangerous * Dalton doesn't drink, watch TV or wear underwear * Red West, ironically, plays a guy named "Red" * Many people think Dalton would be bigger * Pain don't hurt * It saves time to carry your medical records around with you * The town of Jasper has a Photomat thanks to Brad Wesley * Sam Elliott is the world's coolest guy.

Excessive, fun most of the time and macho

[wisdomwasp · 7/10 · 20 August 2022]

Road House has a great lead and main character,Dalton, played by Patrick Swayze who's quiet, tough and relentless and gets the job done. The movie has a great setting, bars and a very well done bad guy. The fight scenes are great, the characters and progression surprisingly good. For me what takes it away from being higher is one bit of weird and unnecessary violence and overdone sex scenes and nudity.

I can see it's influence, I'm sure it's been done before but I couldn't help but feel the critically acclaimed Reacher took a lot from this movie.

It's awful and it's awesome

[jannemet · 4/10 · 1 March 2024]

This is the kind of movie that's very hard to rate. For all I can guess, it's a movie written by a 14 year old boy trying to come up with the coolest plot he can think of. Dialogue is dreadful, cinematography is dull and acting performances are absolutely cringeworthy.

At the same time, it's THE perfect period piece. This is the 80's. And for that it's 10/10 - if you enjoy the kind of thing I just described, you should definitely watch the whole thing. And if you're not, you should still watch the first 5 minutes and you'll see more 80's cliches than anywhere else in such a short time.

I won't spoil anything else but here's my take: if you want to time travel, watch it. If you want to see a good movie, maybe don't. Well, even still, it's worth a watch.

1989, the Golden Age of Cinema

[kidmoe · 10/10 · 11 June 2005]

The year 1989 is considered by most movie critics to be the last Golden Age of Cinema. That legendary year saw the theatrical release of three of Hollywoods most beloved films-the Hulk Hogan opus No Holds Barred, the Sylvester Stallone masterpiece Over the Top(OK, I guess that came out in 1987,but it has a totally 1989 vibe) and our current topic of discussion, Road House.

Master auteur Rowdy Herrington has taken the archetypes from ancient mythology (the hero fated to undertake an impossible task, the wise elder who guides the hero, and the villain who the hero must confront)and crafted a tale as powerful and everlasting as any of the classical myths.

Dalton, the worlds greatest (or second greatest, depending on who you ask) cooler is given the Herculean task of cleaning up the Double Deuce, a honky tonk bar so vile they sweep up eyeballs with disturbing regularity. Armed with incredible tai chi skills, Dalton completes his task, but runs afoul of Brad Wesley, the evilest man in Jasper, Mo.

Dalton soon realizes even his tai chi skills won't be enough to defeat the ascot sporting Wesley, or his army of monster truck driving, booze bottle smashing henchmen, so Dalton is forced to call in his mentor Wade Garrett (the world's greatest, or second greatest cooler, depending on who you ask)to help him defeat the forces of evil.

Will Dalton and Wade prevail? Will Brad Wesley continue to finance his evil empire by shaking down the three businessmen that operate in Jasper? All I can tell you is this--Don't be too stupid to have a good time. Put on your right boot, hop into your monster truck and head on down to the video store and make Road House your regular Saturday night thing.

Entertaining junk and eye candy

[senortuffy · 7/10 · 29 March 2003]

This is a well-done movie that doesn't try to take itself seriously. Everyone involved knows the plot is ludicrous and the characters the stuff of adolescent dreams, but it's solid entertainment and fun to watch.

Patrick Swayze plays a "cooler" who's hired to clean up a rowdy bar in Kansas (actually filmed in Valencia and Canyon Country, CA). Ben Gazarra is the local bad guy who runs the town. Kelly Lynch plays a doctor - that's right, a doctor - who's the love interest, and Sam Elliot plays another bouncer pal of Swayze's. Toss in a bunch of foxy babes, some pseudo tough guys, and locals fed up with payoffs, and you've got conflict.

Hey, they can't all be "Citizen Kane."

A Tawdry, Violent, Mullet Fest..........

[underfire35 · 3/10 · 10 May 2004]

ROAD HOUSE would be a better film if there weren't so much of it. It is a long violent, pointless film; its purpose is to distract rather than comment or create. At the start of the film, we meet Dalton (Patrick Swayze), a renowned bouncer who has taken a job to clean up a local Texas dive, the Double Deuce. Dalton is a deeply spiritual man, who has a degree in philosophy ("Um, man's search for faith, that sorta...s***") and a heart of gold. After a tough night, Dalton finds himself getting stitches from an attractive blond doctor. Later, when she shows up at the Double Deuce (in a dress that makes her look like a picnic table), Dalton drives her home, and well, you know. Meanwhile, our hero has become the target for the wrath of the local eccentric psychopath, Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara), who drives around in a monster truck blowing things up. As Wesley's attacks become more personal, Dalton is forced into many fight scenes that go on for too long. As tensions mount a final showdown plays out, and only one man will be left standing. There is few innovations in ROAD HOUSE, every character fits nicely into the formula of the genre. Dalton, is the stoic gunslinger who comes to town and ends up saving it. Another good example is the chthonian character of Wesley, who, you'll notice, never works, just scowls and abuses the help. Denise (Julie Michaels), exists for the sole reason of wearing tight dresses and eventually bares her breasts to everyone in the bar (on this point, I have no specific contention). Jeff Healy acts as a kind of Greek chorus who supplies revelatory details as the plot demands. The only interesting character is Wade Garrett, Dalton's mentor and friend, who shows up for no apparent reason. Sam Elliott plays Garrett as a tough guy past his prime, he fights while favoring his bad leg, and gives the sense that ten years ago he was the toughest guy around. The audience connects with Garrett, more than Dalton, and I can't help but wonder how much better ROAD HOUSE would be if it were about him. Rowdy Herrington directs this picture with all the deftness of a fourteen year old boy. It's all about breasts and monster trucks, but he does not realize that those elements can play a part in a plausible narrative. The film is cheesy and poorly paced, even small moments of entertainment are lost in the unpleasant events of the film. The fight scene between Swayze and the local churl Jimmy (Marshall Teague), near the end of the film, is more concerned with the detailed choreography than with the conflict between the two characters. It goes on for far too long and fails to capture that spark that makes you shadow box along with it. It simply goes through the motions. In fact very little connects in ROAD HOUSE, and by the ridiculous ending I had stopped caring about any of it. 3/10. By the way, how does one become a renowned bouncer? Is there a annual convention in Munich or something I don't know about.

One of the best bad movies ever

[jc1305us · 17 July 2003]

I love this movie. Why? Because it's sooo bad it's good. It dosen't

take itself too seriously (for the most part) but the lines really put

this one over the edge. "It's gonna get worse before it get's better"

""Be nice until it's time to not be nice" and "Oh baby, your gonna

be my regular Saturday night thing!" are classics of bad cinema.

The characters? All one dimensional hillbillies. The acting? Awful.

The plot? Yeah right. This movie is great because you can't take

your eyes away. What cheesy line comes next? When's the next

fight? And Who's the hot blonde? A guilty pleasure through and

through but it is fun sitting around with a bunch of guys watching

this and laughing your ass off. A great guy movie. Recommended.

Opinions Vary...

[sherwoodbandit-1977 · 7/10 · 27 March 2024]

It's a classic! Sure it is actually a bad movie with crappy dialogue and substandard fight choreography. But it has a great concept, Patrick Swayze, Sam Elliott and some of the most iconic film moments the 80s had to offer. It has a campy villain, lots of fighting and sex, which makes it the perfect action film. Truly a product of its time! Even with all of the clichés swirling around, the movie takes itself seriously which makes it that much more glorious. There is no scenario where they should have remade this but Hollywood has been out of ideas for several years, so it's no surprise that the buzzards circled its carcass and started pecking.

Good film

[donnie-finds-ivanka-hot · 7/10 · 2 December 2019]

It is from 1989 and comes in in the nick of time before the '90s hit and movies became drab.

This film has a manly man, a hot chick or two and great music courtesy of a musician we lost way too early. For those who insist on feminism the main love interest is an educated physician and takes charge sexually.

Patrick Swayze's best action movie he ever did my personal number 1 favorite

[ivo-cobra8 · 10/10 · 10 October 2016]

Road House (1989) is my personal favorite number 1 film from Patrick Swayze. This film stands alone as Patrick Swayze's best work in my opinion. It is an action classic that I grew up with it, I am a fan of Patrick Swayze and I can say it is his best action film! I love this film I grew up watching it as a kid. It is my third favorite Patrick Swayze movie and It is a action martial arts classic childhood! I love this film to death I love it so damn much and I love Steel Dawn and Black Dog to death the same as I love Road House. Road House will always be his best film he work with it. I can say Nomad, Dalton and Jack Crews are Patrick's favorite characters of mine he ever played! My mom loved to watching him in her favorite miniseries North and South it was her favorite show that she talked about with me.

Plot: Dalton (Patrick Swayze) is the best bar bouncer in the business, but he's anything but "typical." He's a little small for his trade, has a degree in philosophy and he believes in "being nice." But when he's hired to clean up the Double Deuce in the small town of Jasper, he's pushed to his breaking point. Discovering Jasper is controlled by an evil sadist (Ben Gazzara) who doesn't want anyone meddling with "his" town. After he sends his goons to bust up the Double Deuce, all hell breaks loose. Now it's "no more nice guy" for Dalton as he starts busting heads, leading him to the all-time, no-holds-barred, butt whooping showdown of the century.

There is a lot of action in this film, a lot of kickboxing and a lot's of fights in it. Patrick Swayze does a really good fight scenes, I think Patrick Swayze does really good job with a fight scenes, he does very solid job I mean really bottom in my heart I really miss Patrick Swayze I really do, that he is no longer with us. Road House is my favorite film, it has a lot of action and kickboxing fight scenes, Patrick Swayze does a really good job playing a hero for an late 80's action flick it is pretty good and I love it. It is definitely my favorite Patrick Swayze film. Road House is a film that I will always cherish and I definitely don't agree with people who doesn't like this film.

You have an epic martial art's fight between Dalton (Swayze) and Jimmy (Marshall Teague) watch the fight carefully Dalton uses eagle claws technique when kills Jimmy. The choreography is a mix of various martial art styles evident in the variety of locks, throws, kicks and punches as used in Kickboxing, Hapkido and Jujitsu, with a particularly impressive flying kick from Swayze himself. The grueling work put in by the actors is visible in their strained expressions adding that no-holds-barred street fight feel to a fight scene packed with some excellent technical maneuvers.

I love the beautiful music score on the end of the film When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky by The Jeff Healey Band which is very beautiful song on the end of the credits. I love the final showdown between Dalton and Wesley on the end of the movie and the happy ending.

This film is directed by Rowdy Herrington who made some pretty good movies that I like, Gladiator and Striking Distance with Bruce Willis which is definitely my Bruce Willis's favorite action thriller film. The rest of the cast did also good job, Sam Elliott also did a terrific support cast, the same as actor Ben Gazzara as the villain who is sadly no longer with us anymore. Kelly Lynch was also good as Swayze's love interest. I am hearing that Nick Cassavetes is planning a remake about this film which it is unnecessary. There was a sequel about this film that I don't care for.

R.I.P. - Patrick Swayze (1952 - 2009) I really miss you so much and I wish you could do more bad ass action movies, I am your biggest fan and so was my mom we all miss you and we all love you, I love you to death! Road House (why doesn't THAT film get the cult/appreciation/notice of this POS), Uncommon Valor, Steel Dawn (underrated) and Black Dog are my top 4 favorite Patrick Swayze movies he ever did!

This movie get's 10 out 10 the best action martial arts movie ever made!

a Chicken-Fried steak of a movie, and I mean that as a compliment

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 13 October 2016]

I'm not sure how I could give this a proper review to make you go see it in a way past: well... it kicks ass, mostly. By the 'mostly' I might say that it's fairly one note - it's a brawny movie for MEN, and that's all there is to it. It's got bar fights, it's got fake breasts, it's got Patrick Swayze doing... tai-chi or whatever that is, it's got the kind of guy team up with Swayze and Sam Elliott that makes Cruise and Kilmer in Top Gun look like My Little Pony. And it's got Ben Gazzarra. Holy cow is he intimidating, like a Batman villain who says more in his eyes than any of his words (he even does a coin toss to decide a fate at one point!)

Road House is dated as hell, with its hair and occasional pop music, though the latter of that is off-set mostly by how good the bar music covers are (and I say this when it includes a cover of Cream's 'White Room', so that's a bold move right there). To say Swayze commands his role and makes you want to keep watching is an understatement; he just HAD that screen power when in the right role, and this is it: a kind of middle-America martial arts guru, an NYC graduate with a degree in philosophy who also can beat the ever-loving s*** out of you... but it's not what he wants to do, which is key. He's a professional, and even tells his new group of workers at the bar he's been hired at that one of the three rules is "Be nice", and you know he means it. But the wrong hombre comes in with a knife in their boot... watch out!

This is a Chicken-Fried steak of a movie (which is to say it's as tasty and guilty-pleasury as that sounds), at times funny (both intentional and unintentional), and featuring a roster of supporting actors that stand out well, like Red West. Also, to say again, Ben Gazzarra quietly, almost, steals the show as the opposite of his Chinese Bookie character, the ruthless villain Weasley (even that name!) and who's entire motivation is... well, I can do it, so this is MY town, get in line or get out (though he plays it in the same mostly cool manner as in a Cassavetes film, which is the right decision). But I say 'almost' because when in roam there's always Sam Elliott. Watch it with your dad or your grandpa, and by the end you'll both have some extra chest hair grown, whether you want it or not.

Example of great B-movie action

[kenandraf · 10/10 · 31 October 2001]

A good example of how a great B-movie should be made.It entertains and gives the fans of it's genre straight up satisfaction without expecting the audience to take the whole story too seriously.Much like reading a good comic book.Here we have a good action comedy/drama with good action choreography and a simple plot of good versus evil and why each side does what it does.The acting is adequate and the cast chosen here was also good.The production values were all average but still,the overall flow of the movie just delivers for all those fans who understand B-action movies.This is the Swayze and Elliot I love.......

A place where they know your name...

[fmarkland32 · 7/10 · 13 June 2006]

Patrick Swayze (In a mullet that need to be seen to be believed) stars as Dalton, the best bouncer the business who looks to set a bar straight and kick the bad influence of Ben Gazzara out of his bar and town. Naturally Gazzara refuses to go down without a fight and a fight there is. Kelly Lynch stars as the world's most gorgeous doctor, who isn't above wearing low cut shirts to show her heaving bosoms, or tight pants to show off her rump. What can I say about what was easily my favorite movie from 1989, indeed I watched this with a double-bill of Cyborg. Road House is easily among the stupidest movies ever made, it could be science fiction it's so unlikely and yet its so much fun. Indeed Swayze spits out lines like "Pain don't hurt","Guess what tails again!" and the best line of the film "If somebody gets in your face and calls you a c***sucker, I want you to be nice. Ask him to walk. Be nice. If he won't walk, walk him. But be nice. If you can't walk him, one of the others will help you, and you'll both be nice. I want you to be nice until it's time to not be nice. " After you plug in tons of fight sequences and bottles smashing over people's heads. I think the two sentence above explains why this movie kicks so much ass. Indeed I still have to pick this one up on DVD.

* * * out of 4-(Good)

Cheese and Roundhouse Kicks

[devinmsapp · 5/10 · 13 May 2019]

Road House is one hell of a watching experience. Whether it be the overflowing testosterone, roundhouse kicks for days, or ample amounts of nudity, there's a lot to laugh at (or cringe at) here. The film doesn't waste time introducing us to its theme, and that theme is pretty much two words: Bar fights. It's true, if you were worried about watching this film because it might not have enough bar fights, well au contraire! Road House has enough of them to last you a life time, and thanks to the ultra-hammy martial arts style of them, they're sorta hilarious. For that, we must thank Patrick Swayze as the PhD wielding bouncer, Dalton. Without him, the film would be a pointless mess featuring kicking and punching. Well actually, that's what the movie is anyway, but having Swayze behind those punches is what kept me interested. His smile inducing 80's charm keeps the film light and comical. The problem is that "light and comical" isn't what the film was intended to be and it shows. There are plenty of scenes that try to exercise the movie's dark and serious side, but they just end up being boring distractions from the cheesy fights I want to see more of. The whole movie tries to peddle a weak plot with, partly thanks to abhorrent dialogue, an uninteresting and generic bad guy. Road House is full of laughs if you're willing to suspend your disbelief and go along for the ride, but if not, you'll find yourself just plain bored.

Watched this film 30 times

[jonathon-426-655966 · 8/10 · 6 May 2018]

Love it. No idea why but I keep coming back. Utter cheese but Swayze is awesome.

Revenge of the 80's: Patrick Swayze Superstar.

[Captain_Couth · 7/10 · 20 August 2005]

Road House (1989) was another starring vehicle for rising star Patrick Swayze. He plays a sensitive professional bone breaker who's always trying to make a difference where ever he goes. He's hired by a wealthy club owner (Kevin Tighe) who wants to clean up his most popular night club. But when he arrives, several employees don't like his methods. They either quit or they're fired. After a rough night, Patrick meets a sweet doctor (Kelly Lynch) who sweeps him off of his feet. The local crime boss (Ben Gazarra) doesn't like the rise in competition and decides to make life miserable for our hero when he makes the decision to not play ball. After a rise in violence, Patrick decides to bring his mentor (Sam Elliot) in to help even the odds. What'll happen next? Will a broken down bouncer be enough to stem the onslaught of thugs? How will our hero handle this hot situation? Why will the local crime boss stop at nothing to get rid of our hero? When will people stand up against the bullies? To find out you'll have to watch the eighties classic ROAD HOUSE.

A fun action film that's filled with a fair share of homo-eroticism. Adding this element in action films was real popular during this time period. I'll never know why they like to throw this into the mix. If you can ignore that usual clichés, logic pitfalls and the gay overtones, then you'll love this movie.

Recommended for cheesy film fans.

It's Worth the Hangover

[willowbrooksys · 2/10 · 24 April 2003]

I used to go over to my friends' homes who had cable in the 80s, and this movie was ALWAYS on. It's why I've never been able to bite the bullet and cough up $50 a month for terrible programming (compare with $20 a month for Netflix). At any rate, I love hating this movie. It has everything that Schwarzenegger wishes his bad movies would have in terms of throw-away lines. I hesitate to put it on my worst list because it's so fun to watch!