Road House Parent Guide
Filled with profanity and violence, and burdened with terrible editing choices, this film is painful to watch.
Parent Movie Review
Elwood Dalton’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) days as a middleweight UFC champion are well and truly behind him, and he makes rent by showing up in seedy underground bareknuckle fights and intimidating his opponents into quitting. But he knows his life has stalled, so when he gets a strange job offer to come work security at a bar in the Florida Keys, Dalton figures it might be time for a change.
Frankie (Jessica Williams), the bar’s owner, is having a rough time with some aggressive bikers who have been thrashing the place for months. No other private security firm has managed to sort it out, and the cops are no help at all. It looks like Dalton’s got his work cut out for him – at least on the job. His past, however, seems to have followed him to Florida, and coming to terms with that might take a lot more than a strong right hook.
I wasn’t expecting much from the movie, and it sure didn’t disappoint. Cliché follows cliché in a blur of fists, teeth, and profanity until our bruised hero climbs out of this neat little mess. The plot demands little and offers little in return. Sure, the story runs a little long, but no one’s here for the character work and clever scheming. Let’s move on to the fighting.
I’ve got bad news about the fighting for genre fans. Sometimes the fight scenes look fine, and the choreography can be exciting and interesting. Sometimes, though, director Doug Liman plays games with the editing and the frame rate (I suspect it’s been undercranked to make the action look faster), which makes the film feel like it’s being viewed on a PS2 with a patchy video cable. It’s rough. I couldn’t believe a movie with this kind of budget would look this bad, so I spent a good ten minutes changing all the TV settings I thought were causing the issue, but nope. The movie is just sloppy.
I’ll also give you a heads up: Road House is not going to be a winner with family audiences – a shock, I know, but try to bear with me. I counted at least 176 profanities, but frankly, trying to keep track of the cursing in this movie felt like an Olympic event for critics. I barely saw parts of the movie because I was so busy taking notes. Added to the general effusion of colorful language are frequent instances of bloody violence, some murders, and frequent shots of Conor McGregor walking around with his backside out like some kind of homicidal Winnie the Pooh. It’s not just the kids who don’t need to see that – I’d kind of like to have missed it myself.
Directed by Doug Liman. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior, Conor McGregor. Running time: 114 minutes. Theatrical release March 21, 2024. Updated October 29, 2024
Road House
Rating & Content Info
Why is Road House rated R? Road House is rated R by the MPAA for violence throughout, pervasive language and some nudity.
Violence: People are frequently beaten, which typically results in contusion, concussion, and/or broken limbs. Individuals are also frequently stabbed. A character attempts suicide on the train tracks, although he does change his mind. A person is eaten alive by a crocodile. Several people are beaten with a golf club. People are injured in an explosion.
Sexual Content: There are several sexual references. Non-sexual male posterior nudity is seen.
Profanity: The script contains at least 176 extreme profanities, 39 scatological curses, and frequent use of mild profanities and terms of deity.
Alcohol / Drug Use: Adult characters are frequently seen drinking alcohol.
Page last updated October 29, 2024
Home Video
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Director Doug Liman has made better action flicks, including Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity, and Edge of Tomorrow. Other films about die-hard fighters include Rocky, Creed, Million Dollar Baby, The Fighter, Born a Champion, American Fighter, and Bruised.