What did the critics make of the Dirty Dancing remake?

by Dramelin 5:00 AM 0 comments

A TV remake of Dirty Dancing has aired in the US - and it`s fair to say the critics did not have the time of their lives watching it.
"Somebody put this baby in a corner," said the Hollywood Reporter`s reviewer.
Abigail Breslin and Colt Prattes play Baby Houseman and Johnny Castle, the dancing lovers played by Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze in the original.
According to Vulture`s Jen Chaney, they "don`t generate anything close to the Grey-Swayze sizzle factor".
"Nobody`s got hungry eyes in this thing," she continues - a reference to the Eric Carmen song that featured in the 1987 version.
According to Variety, the reprise is a "sappy, passionless, schlocky remake.
without even the iota of imagination necessary to expand upon the 1987 film".
Its reviewer Sonia Saraiya also pours scorn on "an ill-conceived epilogue that negates most of the power of the preceding narrative".
"Between the bad lip-syncing, the inexplicable addition of musical numbers and the pale imitation of classic moments from the original film, it just doesn`t work," was the verdict of IndieWire`s critic.
Those sentiments were echoed by TV Guide`s Malcolm Venable, who rued that "what was once sexy, sultry and a little subversive has been sanitised and Disney-fied.
" One cast member who receives a modicum of praise is Nicole Scherzinger, who plays the role of Johnny`s dance partner Penny.
"The Pussycat Dolls singer is no stranger to the dance floor, and it was evident whenever she appeared onscreen," says Entertainment Tonight`s Desiree Murphy.
British audiences will be able to make up their own minds when Dirty Dancing airs on Channel 5 on 4 June.
Five other 80s remakes that didn`t live up to the original Original: Released in 1981, this comedy about a wealthy drunk gave Dudley Moore one of his biggest successes and won John Gielgud an Oscar for his role as his disdainful manservant.
Remake: Released in 2011, this vehicle for divisive comic Russell Brand cast Dame Helen Mirren in the Gielgud role and was dismissed as "a full-on stinker" by The Independent.
Original: Released in 1980, Alan Parker`s portrait of students at New York`s High School of Performing Arts won two Oscars for its music and spawned a successful TV series.
Remake: Released in 2009, the 12-rated remake was criticised by the Hollywood Reporter for being "laughably bland and watered-down in its desire to appeal to the widest possible audience".
Footloose Original: Released in 1984, this story of a rebellious teenager who moves to a town where dancing has been banned made Kevin Bacon a star and spawned two number one hits.
Remake: Released in 2011, Craig Brewer`s remake wasn`t universally slated but was still accused by Variety of "merely going through the motions.
" Ghostbusters Original: Released in 1984, this vehicle for Saturday Night Live comics Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray became a global phenomenon with a smash hit theme song from Ray Parker Jr.
Remake: Released in 2016, this female-led reboot flopped at the box office despite reasonable reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes declaring: "Ghostbusters does an impressive job of standing on its own as a freewheeling, marvellously cast supernatural comedy - even if it can`t help but pale somewhat in comparison with the classic original.
" Red Dawn Original: Released in 1984, this tale of teenagers mounting a resistance against a Soviet invasion of the US tapped into contemporary fears and gave early roles to Dirty Dancing stars Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.
Remake: Released in 2012, this "doltish" reprise (Total Film) originally cast China as the aggressor but was digitally altered after filming to make North Korea the bad guy.
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