On par with the original!

Rating: 8/10 (3 September 2011)

I recently saw an early showing of Footloose in Toronto, and was totally expecting and dreading to see "Step Up 4 Footloose".
I'm a big fan of the original, but there is no question that it's somewhat dated watching it today. Seriously, that tractor chicken race is pretty laughable. Replacing it with school-bus figure-8 drag racing is hilarious and managed to be actually exciting.
This remake isn't better than the original, but it does keep it fresh by updating the music and the overall look, without losing the feel that made the original so great. Without question, this *is* Footloose, but updated for a more modern audience. It doesn't lose much, if anything, in the adaptation, and some scenes are nearly shot-for-shot tributes to the original.
While some may write this off as a "needless" remake, I found it to be a refreshing, toe-tapping, feel-good flick that manages to capture the spark of the original and will bring Footloose to a generation of kids that might otherwise have ignored it. Recommended.