Mac begged me to watch it with him and I was just dragging my feet. I had no desire to see something my my childhood ruined. Then I figured out that Mac had never seen the original but he saw the remake! So I made a deal with the Devil and if Mac watched the Classic I'd watch the Remake.
Now, I still think the Classic is the best and still will beat the old one in any dance off. No one can touch the excellence that is Kevin Bacon- not even close. But, I will say the remake didn't do anything other than just pay homage to the great Classic.
What follows are spoilers. You've been warned! SPOILER ALERT!
There are some things I did like better in the new version. I know that's hard to believe but it's true. The list is small, but there's a list.
In the old version, we only know about Bobby and his friends dying when Kevin and Company are coming home from the out of town dance club and Ariel reveals all as they cross the bridge. In the old version, as the intro credits roll, we see dancing feet in different shoes while the song "Footloose" plays in the background. Now, in the new version, Bobby and his friends are partying while the intro credits roll and we get to see lots of dancing feet shots while it cuts to the party and the drive home and the crash on the bridge. All while the song "Footloose" plays in the background. I thought this made a bigger impact of why the town went nuts in passing all the crazy laws.
I like that in the new version there was no book burning scene.
In the old version, Ariel gets beaten up by Chuck when she breaks up with him and when Ren comes to save her, she gives him a music box. Then late in the film, Ren is getting ready to face the town council to beg them to change the dancing law and Ariel gives him a Bible with verses about dancing marked. I always, always, ALWAYS wondered why she didn't give him the Bible instead of a music box. Well, someone somewhere felt the same way I did and actually did that. I was stunned. (It's cool when i see my ideas on screen.)
The last thing I liked better in the Remake than the Classic is that Ren's uncle was nice and kind and understanding; he was supportive and on Ren's side.
There are some things I liked just as well: I thought Willard in both movies was great, as well as Rusty. I liked that some of the same dialogue was used. I think they used the same VW Bug in both movies, which cracked me up. I thought it was cool to give Ren a hand in fixing up the car. The prom dances were both fun, too.
There are things that didn't even come close to being any good in the Remake, compared to the Classic. In the Classic Kevin Bacon is the best Ren, no question. The music in the old is much better- much, much better!!!! Dennis Quad sucked as the Reverend- and he looked so weird, like he was shot through a fisheye lens. Andi MacDowell is no Dianne Wiest, who was the best Mrs. Minister. The dancing was better because in the Remake is full of dirty dancing. The Kevin Bacon's angry dancing scene is a millions times better than the new, as is the tractor chicken game, and Ariel's big act of defiance when playing car/ semi chicken in the old is much better than her slutiness in the new. Willard learning to dance was cute in the new one but I still thought it was much better in the Classic.
I'm glad I watched both and it was certainly a tribute, more than anything else. But I still say that Kevin Bacon and the original cast and music still stands as the best.
Maggie
