Footloose

Footloose is a brilliant film. Kevin Bacon gives as usual an amazing performance as he plays Ren MacCormack here. Other great performances come from Lori Singer, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Chris Penn and Sarah Jessica Parker. The music is really good and the dance sequences are amazing. Footloose is a must see and it deserves a 10/10

OK, maybe I'm giving in to nostalgia here but I rented "Footloose" recently and thought it was great. Yes, it's definitely a teen flick, similar to "Dirty Dancing", and aging a little now.

But the music is great and the plot and themes do as much for me as "Grease" ever did. As teen movies go, it is somewhat original and interesting.

Who should see this film:

-- Teens with nothing better to do on a rainy day

-- People reliving the 1980s, you won't be disappointed to

see this one again

I'll give Footloose a 9 out of 10 because it cheered me up on a day I needed it.

Aw, come on IMDb'ers, why the low rating? Where's your sense of loyalty? I can't hear that Kenny Loggins title song and see those pairs of dancing feet during the opening credits without sitting down to watch this whole movie. And even if it's largely to make fun of it, I still love it for old times' sake.

Kevin Bacon is the tough city kid stuck in some podunk Midwest town where dancing has been outlawed. John Lithgow is the preacher who serves as Bacon's arch nemesis; Lori Singer is the preacher's daughter who has a hankering for the new dangerous kid. Dianne Wiest is the reasonable mom who acts as referee between dad and daughter. The whole thing is sillier than an episode of "Laugh-In," but many of the actors (particularly Lithgow, Wiest and Bacon) are good enough to actually sell the material. And come on, admit it, you know you like the music.

Grade: B+

Small town America where dancing is banned. New kid in town conquers high school, catches the eye of the preacher's daughter and attempts to plan a school dance.

Such fantastic music! Kenny Loggins in his prime!!

Prior to seeing this movie, all I had heard suggested that I was better off not watching it unless it was to ridicule. I looked at my uncle dancing round his living room to some of its music and asked myself if anybody expected me to take that seriously. It's got a place in movie history even for the title song alone, though, so I decided I couldn't live with myself unless I gave it a chance. It was definitely worth it.

The style is reminiscent of a whole host of other '80's teen flicks, but only a handful are better. Most of the cast do great things with their roles. Kevin Bacon actually manages to make the clichéd concept seem kinda cool, here showcasing an easy charm that was to become the hallmark of much of his later work. Crucially, the music is actually pretty good too! (Even if I am torn between wanting to cringe and dance when I hear the theme!)

On reflection it's no cheesier than something like "All the Right Moves" (which has a great cast doing their best but suffers from a plodding story) In fact, it's miles better! At least the music in "Footloose" gave the makers a viable way to pep things up whenever the story begins to flag. This film is much, MUCH better than I had been led to believe, so give it a chance if you ain't seen it yet but thought you knew the score. Chances are, you don't...