Directed by Doug Liman and written by Anthony Bagarozzi, this remake of Road House begins its introduction with a promising setup. The film opens with the initiation of a fight scene. It takes place in a club with street fighting. Carter, played by singer/rapper Post Malone, is in the ring.  Dalton, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is his opponent.  Dalton is the new Patrick Swayze in this different type of remake of the 1989 version of Road House. Gyllenhaal and Malone are retro street fighting in Road House. Dalton may be a bouncer, but he has a past, an ego and a lot of attitude.

Dalton is the main character, and he is offered a job as a bouncer by Frankie (played by Jessica Williams). Franke is the owner of a bar called The Road House. Dalton is a former UFC Fighter, and accepting this job puts him in a place where he realizes his territory of risks are not as promising as they seem. The settingis in the Florida Keys, a place where paradise meets a questionable habitat. The luxury environment sets the stage forlaunching into uncharted territory…it is a lot for a new bouncer. Dalton begins to realize how his new situation leaves him opento all kinds of abuse from many strange characters.

The Road House is disorganized and unorthodox—a bar with frequent conflicts and a lack of positive energy. There is one who says, “It’s like the morgue in here,” and indeed it may be. That is because Dalton has got some vengeance with an attitude that is hidden. There is a conflict with gangsters where Dalton asks, “Before we start, do you have insurance?” That question is the voice of a man with a giant ego and a hardcore vision of destruction for a better cause…Gyllenhaal is superb. His other question after the first one is, “Is there a hospital nearby?” The hospital question leads to a climax where the audience will hope there is a hospital for its characters to get to. This outcome leads Dalton to meet Ellie (played by Daniela Melchior). She is fascinated by Dalton’s personality and traits of enthusiasm.

This version of Road House is one where there are always conflicts of dynamics…not only at the bar, but all around the Florida Keys. Soon, Dalton is the new talk of the town. His mainchallenge are the crime bosses, and they are Ben and Knox (played by Billy Magnussen and Connor McGregor). Dalton begins to realize how he encourages others around him to stand their ground more firmly with the odd characters throughout the town. This is a frustration for Ben and Knox, because they want to take over much of the property surrounding the bar.

The first arena of danger was in Missouri in 1989 where Swayze was the hero. The new territory is in the edgy paradise setting of the Keys with Gyllenhaal. Dalton says, “People seem a little aggressive around here,” and those words hold true throughout the film’s many moments of treachery. The storyline follows the good and bad times of this chosen lifestyle—a journey into both aspects that thrive vividly. To an extent, it is very blockbuster-like with its writing and continuity—it keeps going in the route of heroism, and that leads to much of the film feeling habitual. Gyllenhaal’s performance is eloquent—his role as a bouncer is mellow, soft-spoken, and he displays intensity. Magnussen’s performance is out of his league—he plays a criminal that thinks he has got power. However, it is not enough to take on someone like Gyllenhaal as the new bouncer and a popular newcomer to town. Knox though, is the most lethal enemy.

The gangster atmosphere is what sold me with Road House—no matter where Dalton goes, there is always a treacherous trap awaiting. Are Dalton’s hidden days of being a pro-fighter enough to protect the ones around him? I do give the film credit for its suspenseful dynamics, it just does not execute them withthe brilliance one might expect. Gyllenhaal played a boxer in Southpaw in 2015 and returns to a role of a former boxer turned bouncer…with a lot more vengeance to release. The criminalelement is a blur, with the use of overrated actors that do not fit the theme of harsh bad guys. However, Gyllenhaal in roles with a boxing background is where his dramatic characterizations give his performance the fulfilling impact of unfettered rage. Basically the story of a bouncer in a world of mayhem that continues to feel rhetorical. Two out four stars for Road House.