Patrick Swayze, the man whose film career seems to be rather sparse if not interesting, stars in this classic action film of the late '80s, made at a time, we must remember, when most genre cinema was clichéd and derivative. The simple-in-the-extreme plot of ROAD HOUSE offers no new surprises and is merely a modern updating of the western, with added mullets, but it seems fresh and stylish on every viewing. Swayze is a likable hero and a hit with boring love interest Kelly Lynch, but he also studies philosophy and kicks backside with martial arts too. His lakeside fight with Marshall Teague is the stuff of legend and a wonderful showdown between the two tough men.
There's a varied supporting cast including slimy, weaselly Ben Gazzara as the rich property owner who gets shotgunned to death, and Sam Elliott in a cool role as Swayze's old-time buddy. But the focus is on action, and we get tons of lengthy and gruelling knife-fights and beat-em-up-battles which tend to stress the realism. The tension in the Double Deuce scenes is spot on. Not just a good film, a very good one with plenty on offer to appetise those who follow fight flicks.
There's a varied supporting cast including slimy, weaselly Ben Gazzara as the rich property owner who gets shotgunned to death, and Sam Elliott in a cool role as Swayze's old-time buddy. But the focus is on action, and we get tons of lengthy and gruelling knife-fights and beat-em-up-battles which tend to stress the realism. The tension in the Double Deuce scenes is spot on. Not just a good film, a very good one with plenty on offer to appetise those who follow fight flicks.