Road House Review Roundup: Conor McGregor is a Knock Out

Originally posted on Men's Journal | By Griff Griffin | Last updated Mar 11, 2024 8:30 AM ET

Road House isn't as bad as you might be anticipating.

The remake of Patrick Swayze’s 1989 action/drama about a bouncer hired to clean up the baddest bar in Missouri looked like a desperate swing to recapture the magic of a cult classic, but according to early impressions it’s every bit the equal.

This one relocates the action to Florida and casts Jake Gyllenhaal as Dalton, an ex-UFC fighter who takes a job at a rough bar visited by all manner of undesirables - like the maniacal Knox, played by actual UFC fighter Conor McGregor.

Prime Video

His over-the-top performance steals the show in a solid, fight-filled spectacle that’s currently a respectable 75% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Road House releases on Prime Video March 21, 2024. Read on below to see what critics are saying. Click here to watch Jake Gyllenhaal star in the action-packed first trailer for Road House.

Road House review roundup

Empire: “Expertly handled by director Doug Liman, wittily scripted, and boasting a wonderfully original take on the action hero archetype, this new Road House is a total riot.”

The Guardian: “Jake Gyllenhaal fills Patrick Swayze’s shoes in a brashly entertaining romp featuring a knockout debut from the UFC champ”

Variety: “Doug Liman stages it like a Jason Statham movie directed by Jonathan Demme, at once brutally vicious and teasingly humane.”

Roger Ebert: ““Road House” likes to explicitly reference that it thinks it’s a Western. It’s more like a cartoon.”

IGN: “A fun remake buried in horrendous cinematography, CGI fights, and poor lighting.”

This article first appeared on Men's Journal and was syndicated with permission.

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