Footloose

Upon the death of his mom high school senior Ren MacCormack (Kenny Wormald) is forced to leave his life as a star gymnast in Boston and move in with his aunt and uncle in a small town Georgia. Exposed to the local politics Ren quickly learns that in an effort to protect the youth, the city council has banned dancing. Leading the Council decision is Rev. Moore (Dennis Quaid), the good revered also happens to be the father of bad girl Ariel (Julianna Hough). As sexual tensions rise between Ren and Ariel, there’s only one way to blow off steam, THEY’VE JUST GOTTA DANCE!!!! But wait….Ohhhhh, it’s banned, what can be done?! And, what about Ren’s best pal Willard (Miles Teller), will Willard ever get comfortable in his own skin to dance? Faithful to the original, this remake of the 80’s classic has me a bit puzzled. I’m still asking why? From the dances, to the costumes, to the music, the whole project has seen very little updating. Sure there are a few departures for glitz, glamour, and Hollywood awe, but, side by side there are more similarities than there are differences. So perhaps the effort is being made to tap into a fresh audience with new young faces? Perhaps, but this seems like the expensive way to go about doing things, then again perhaps the original just isn’t edited fast enough or flashy enough for today’s young audiences. Regardless, I also ask myself, was it fun, and was I entertained? Short answer, yes. Sure there are some serious logistical gaps, but we aren’t here for logic, we’re here cause we just gotta dance! Matinee for fun. Footloose is rated PG-13.