Remake of a Classic that Delivers

Rating: 10/10 (8 March 2012)

I am a die hard Footloose fan and it is my favorite movie. Being only 17, you can find it hard to believe that I love an 80's movie but I do. Also, you may find me biased because I am young and reviewing a modern remake meant for today's generation.
Put that aside and just hear me out. Yes, the story line is cheesy and weird, but it is also interesting and shows how people can be pushed to the limit through tragedy. Many people thought a ridiculous plot couldn't be modernized because it would be ridiculous in today's world. I find the plot to be very interesting and plausible because it is set in a small, religious town.
Now, lets get to the remake. The cast is just as good as the original. Kenny brings Boston charm and delivers. He portrayed Ren very well and his dancing is pretty awesome. Julianne Hough is young, fresh, hot and an excellent dancer. As an actress, she was OK. I believe that she was used as eye candy more than a serious actress, but she acted the part very well and delivered excellent performances in the movies most emotional scenes. Miles was the best out of all the cast. He portrayed Willard very convincingly and brought great humor and southern charm. His dance montage was the best scene ever and payed great homage to the original! The rest of the supporting cast played their parts well. The dancing was what got me hooked for this movie. I love modern dance and they way it looks. This movie delivered a variety of dance techniques that were fresh, tight and skilled. It was very modern and very entertaining.
I also loved that they gave back story and gave a whole new story with Ren's mother. The accident in the beginning was very emotional because it came out of nowhere and shocks you because you don't actually see it coming. With Ren's mom, I was glad and mad that she wasn't there. Glad because they give her a new story, which gave Ren more character development. Mad because that was one part of the original that was important. However, this and the back story truly made it a modern remake. You cannot remake a movie exactly because then there is no point.
Overall, one of the best remakes I have ever seen and I have seen a lot. People bashed this movie before they saw it and even after wards their minds are wrapped up in their biased critique. Remakes are not made to outdo the original, but to modernize it for the next generation. It was truly amazing, nodded at the original and kept it tight.
10/10