Footloose

Let’s face it, Footloose is a stupid idea for a movie: A small town where dancing is against the law? A Boston transplant entering town like a half–baked James Dean with his Big–City ideas? And then, whenever music actually does break out, every kid springs to life like a Step Up professional dancer? But the funny thing is, it worked in the 1984 original and may work even better in the 2011 remake. Dancers Kenny Wormald and Julianne Hough have the lead roles, with Dennis Quaid as the reverend dad hoping the kids won’t grow up.

ClearPlay In Action!

A movie ostensibly aimed at youth, Footloose is loaded with allusions to sex, lewd dancing, violent and bad language. ClearPlay tidies these up admirably, though it leaves you to wonder why the reverend gets mad enough to slap his daughter. Still a bit adult for smaller kids.

Is this Footloose fancy–free?…

Great decisions made for the remake: A lot of the same music is used (though some is “reimagined”), the script is similar, and there are many visual shout–outs to the 1984 version. I even found the new one to be more believable, especially the relationship between the new kid and the reverend (though please tell me they at least asked Kevin Bacon to play the preacherman). And the best part: It’s still wonderfully, gloriously stupid.

You can’t ask for much more than that.

Marty Nabhan—ClearPlay Two’Stepper

Rated PG-13 for some teen drug and alcohol use, sexual content, violence and language; 113 min; Directed by Craig Brewer