I was really prepared to dislike this movie.

Rating: 8/10 (15 April 2012)

I was really prepared to dislike this movie. After all, the original Footloose was an iconic movie and soundtrack of the eighties, and it certainly had a big influence on me. So it surprised me when I got to liking this one more and more as it played.
Oh, there were things that rankled me a bit, but not enough to destroy my enjoyment of the flick. Why have the lead guy sport a Johnny Depp 80's haircut? Not to mention he and Ariel looked somewhat older than "17". And he was supposed to be this fantastic, expressive dancer but I didn't see a lot to impress me. Kevin Bacon had the swagger necessary to sell what he was doing. This guy was just cocky.
I was put off by the conversion to so much country-style music, and the addition of rap-type tunes. Granted, they wanted to appeal to a larger audience but it just made for a haphazard soundtrack.
It was puzzling in that it was definitely a remake, with much of the exact same dialogue and some shot-for-shot and line-for-line reproductions, and even readings, of the original, so why do it? I'm a bit amazed that they even got an "ethnic" lookalike for Rusty, the Sarah Jessica Parker character. Dennis Quaid pouts through the entire film, except for one moment where he does flash his trademark grin.
Some of the things I liked: The uncle character was the total opposite of the original, which was a nice surprise in that he actually supported Ren instead of opposing him like most of the other adults. I initially didn't like the guy who played Willard but by the end I thought he was the best character in the whole movie.
So, why did I like it so much? I don't know, but I did!