Summary

• The Road House remake starring Jake Gyllenhaal loses the defining Zen master quality of Patrick Swayze's character.
• Gyllenhaal's Dalton is portrayed as a former MMA fighter with a more aggressive and brawler mentality.
• Despite the changes, the remake seems to retain the fun and campy atmosphere of the original film, with strong action scenes and entertaining brawls between Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor's character.

The The Road House trailer that was recently released gives a lot of detail about the character Jake Gyllenhall will be playing, but a major change was made to the original Swayze character. More than 35 years ago, Swayze played one of his most iconic roles of James Dalton, who moves from New York City to Jasper, Missouri to help a new club maintain some stability.

Jake Gyllenhaal's remake is directed by Doug Liman, and also stars Conor McGregor and Daniela Melchior. The film will be released exclusively on Amazon Prime Video as the studio seeks to put out more blockbuster-like movies after their acquisition of MGM Studios. The original Road House has become one of the defining movies of Patrick Swayze's career and, while much of the tone and story may be similar in the remake, one major difference between the lead characters is already noticeable.

Road House will be released on Amazon Prime Video exclusively on March 21, 2024.

Jake Gyllenhaal's Dalton Loses The Defining Zen Master Quality Of Patrick Swayze's Road House Bouncer

Based on what is included in the trailer, there is instantly a major difference between Patrick Swayze's James Dalton and the character of Elwood Dalton played by Jake Gyllenhaal. In addition to different names and wildly different backstories, Elwood Dalton has none of the Zen master qualities or Ph.D. that defined the role played by Patrick Swayze in 1989. James Dalton was a "cooler," someone who could peacefully deescalate a situation and cause things to not get out of control, which was a valuable skill in the original film, since his employer wanted to refine the image of the Double Deuce club.

The original Road House film can be streamed on Max.

Gyllenhaal, however, is playing an Elwood Dalton character who is a former MMA fighter who seems much more like a pen brawler than a Zen master. There certainly appears to be more in the quantity and quality of action in the Road House remake, but the more placid nature of Swayze's character appears to have been replaced by a character who jumps at any chance of a fight. Patrick Swayze was able to play this suave bouncer like many of his iconic characters, but it does suggest there could be quite a few changes in Dalton's characterization and demeanor in the remake.

Road House's Trailer Proves The Remake Thankfully Still Re The Original Movie's Appeal

In the end, much of the fun, campy, atmosphere of this remade action movie seems to have been retained. Being a Zen master bouncer was one of the campiest parts of James Dalton's original Road House character, but overall, the Jake Gyllenhaal remake seems like it'll honor the original's tone. In addition, the action appears to look quite strong. Featuring famed UFC fighter Conor McGregor as the Road House antagonist, Gyllenhaal's Dalton will need to have a more bruising and aggressive approach.

After grossing $30 million in the United States and another $31 million internationally, the original Road House became something of an action cult classic. This 2024 Road House remake appears to want to create that same appeal for action movie fans, although the Road House director has already spoken out against the release plan. Jake Gyllenhaal's Elwood Dalton should see several entertaining brawls with McGregor's Knox during the film, which is what audiences will tune in for anyway.