A glorious celebration of 80s action excess

"Pain don't hurt."

A cult classic in every sense of the word, 1989's Road House embodies the spirit of '80s action cinema - it delivers rousing action, roundhouse kicks, a catchy soundtrack, quotable one-liners, gratuitous nudity, monster trucks, and a charismatic lead performance from the late Patrick Swayze in his prime. Although inherently cheesy, what elevates Road House above many other action flicks of a similar vintage is the genuinely proficient execution: this is a surprisingly great film and not merely a guilty pleasure. Seldom dull and never cheap-looking, everything here - from the direction to the casting, editing and cinematography - is top-notch and stands the test of time over three decades later. Although serious film connoisseurs will not consider Road House to be high art, it's a mightily entertaining romp, and a perfect late-night guy flick guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Dalton (Swayze) is a legendary bouncer (or "cooler") with a mysterious past whose esteemed reputation precedes him wherever he goes. Quitting his job in New York City, Dalton is hired by club owner Frank Tillman (Kevin Tighe) to clean up the Double Deuce, a notoriously unruly bar in the small town of Jasper, Missouri. Dalton agrees on one condition: he runs the show. Setting out to restore order, Dalton cleans house by firing multiple employees, but this brings him to the attention of unsavoury business magnate Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara), who maintains a ruthless stranglehold on the town. Initially, Dalton maintains his firm professional philosophy of "be nice" and tries to avoid conflicts, but Wesley's gang begins targeting the Double Deuce and any others who defy him. Dalton also reunites with his mentor, Wade Garrett (Sam Elliott), who is gravely concerned about the situation and travels to Jasper to help. Wesley's rampage also endangers Dalton's girlfriend, Elizabeth (Kelly Lynch), a doctor at the local hospital.

Surprisingly, unlike other '80s action pictures, Road House takes its time with the story and characters, and the plot is not merely an excuse for a nonstop string of fistfights. With a hefty 114-minute running time, the narrative receives ample breathing room, and it helps that the story is genuinely engaging throughout. Dalton's various friends receive adequate development, and moments of humour make the characters relatable and endearing. As a result, it's easy to grow invested in their plight once Wesley's antics turn deadly. With a screenplay by R. Lance Hill (Out for Justice) and Hilary Henkin (Wag the Dog), Road House contains some of the most memorable dialogue in the history of '80s action cinema, with iconic lines in almost every scene as opposed to the generic, tone-deaf chatter of inferior genre films. Dalton delivers the lion's share of the flick's one-liners, but Wade Garrett effortlessly steals the spotlight when he enters the narrative with killer dialogue and a natural cool.

With its brutal, sweaty brawls and endless displays of macho posturing, Road House is such an excessively masculine movie that whiskers are practically growing out of the film stock. Hell, Road House is so rowdy that the director is a man named Rowdy. Fortunately, director Rowdy Herrington knows his way around an action set piece, confidently staging exciting fight scenes that effortlessly raise the adrenaline. A massive kudos is also due to Rowdy and the writers for devising not one but two explosions for a movie about bar fights. The choreography during the fight scenes is excellent, and it also helps that these sequences are smoothly captured by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Dean Cundey, whose other credits include Halloween, The Thing, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, and many more. Visually, Road House is striking to observe thanks to Cundey's meticulous camera compositions and atmospheric lighting - just see the fights that unfold outside at night-time. Another terrific asset is the score, composed by action veteran Michael Kamen (Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Licence to Kill) - it adds mood to the production in important scenes and amplifies the excitement during the action. Additionally, Road House features the musical talents of Jeff Healey and his band, who are featured as Double Deuce's house band and contribute several songs. Many scenes, particularly those set inside pubs and diners, are accompanied by songs playing in the background that contribute plenty of flavour to the film.

Starring in Road House just two years after his much-discussed performance in Dirty Dancing, Swayze's portrayal of Dalton is iconic - his physicality, machismo and charisma make him ideally suited for the character. It's a shame that Swayze did not further explore his potential to be an '80s action star, as he has the right look and demeanour to compete with the best of them - and is a more convincing performer than Van Damme or Steven Seagal. Swayze also shares wonderful chemistry with Elliott; their friendship seems wholly genuine and is easy to believe. Elliott (one of the industry's best character actors) relishes the opportunity to play a complete badass, and he's a highly charismatic presence. Meanwhile, Ben Gazzara is on hand as the token bad guy. In keeping with most '80s villains, there is no depth to the character of Brad Wesley - it's more of a caricature, and Gazzara is up to the task of playing a scumbag who's over-the-top, nasty, snippy, and easy to despise. Also of note is Kelly Lynch, who plays Dalton's love interest. Lynch's role lacks meaty nuance and complexity - she just needs to look beautiful while showing concern for Dalton, and she does. The rest of the ensemble cast does a fine job, especially the friendly townspeople who align themselves with Dalton.

Road House is a B-movie at heart, but the execution is A-grade in every respect. It combines time-honoured elements of classic Western movies with contemporary action flicks, resulting in an exciting and deliriously enjoyable genre classic. Despite its lengthy runtime that is beefier than most '80s action films, Road House is engaging and entertaining, with Herrington maintaining a snappy pace. What separates Road House from more recent action duds (xXx, The Marine, The Fast and the Furious, and many more) is respect for the genre. A true action film should be excessively violent if the subject warrants it rather than neutered to attract pre-teen audiences for higher box office earnings. Road House is a prime example of how much fun an action movie can be when the filmmakers aren't trying to cater to the broadest demographic possible. With an emphasis on cheesy one-liners, histrionic characterisations, and bone-breaking, blood-soaked action, Road House celebrates '80s Hollywood excess and the art of visceral entertainment for entertainment's sake. It's the type of action film best enjoyed with beer, pizza and friends.

8.9/10