Road House

Year: 1989 (USA)
Genre: Action/Martial Arts Film
Directed: Rowdy Herrington
Stars: Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, Sam Elliott, Ben Gazzara, Marshall R. Teague, Julie Michaels, Red West, Jeff Healey
Production: Silver Pictures


Patrick Swayze made quite a nice little career for himself in the 80’s. Dirty Dancing (1987), Red Dawn (1984), The Outsiders (1983), basically anything popular at that time that was not made by John Hughes starred 1991’s sexiest man alive. He possessed brawn of Kurt Russell yet carried himself without cynicism lending himself to big ‘ol softy romantic leads.

Road House (1989) firmly places Swayze’s Dalton character in the brawny category in what essentially amounts to a watered down Sylvester Stallone vehicle. In the film Swayze plays an infamous bouncer who takes a job at a fledgling small town uber-bar. His first night in town he observes fistfights, bottle chucking, drug dealing and sexual assault all within the confines of the bar and decides to clean house. This catches the attention of the local evil-rich-white-dude (Ben Gazzara) who sees Dalton as an increasingly meddlesome problem.

If you’re into rough and tumble fight choreography and bloody violence I suppose there are worse things to watch than Road House. I can understand why it’s a red-blooded American classic along the lines of Bloodsport (1988) and Smokey and the Bandit (1977). As the lead, Swayze is serviceable and is helped along by a second act appearance by Sam Elliott as fellow infamous bouncer Wade Garrett.

Did tough bodybuilder-types have an informational magazine in the 80’s where they can peruse through tales of bouncer/security guard lore? As soon as Dalton shows up to the Double Deuce everyone is anxious to get to know the man who ripped a man’s throat out. The only person better known than Dalton is Sam Elliott’s character who at the point of his introduction is working at a strip club. Being a bouncer is hardly a way to get recognition yet in this movie it’s a way of life with an established fan base.

Bouncers: media portrayal versus reality

The principle conflict in the movie escalates to absolutely ludicrous extremes. Its one thing to siphon all available resources like booze away from a competitor/enemy but it’s another thing to get your goons to monster truck smash a car dealership in broad day light. Did anyone think to call the police at any point in this film? There is talk that they’re on the take but then wouldn’t they be useful to evil-rich-white-dude when Dalton starts to go on a killing spree? Wouldn’t the cops be a little wary of running protection for a guy who starts blowing up dissenters’ homes and businesses willy-nilly?

You don't seriously expect me to clean up your mess do you?

Those are just some thoughts which prevent me from enjoying Road House or really any film of its caliber. The whole exercise appeals too much to our baser instincts and exhibits an unrealistic assault on the senses. Other than that though, I see no reason why Road House couldn’t nor should appeal to others with different standards. The story works, the characters are decently developed and the physical hand-to-hand combat scenes are impressive to say the least.

Had the time of his life.

Swayze would go on to make a few more “classics” before his untimely death of pancreatic cancer in 2009. Whether you know him as the romantic Sam Wheat in Ghost (1990), the dashing Johnny in Dirty Dancing or even the daring Bodhi in Point Break (1991) there’s little doubt that few will remember him as the rough-and-tumble Dalton of Road House.

Final Grade: F