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Footloose Lacks New Moves, But Not Energy

Julianne Hough, Kenny Wormald star in Craig Brewer's remake

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 14, 2011 12:04 PM CDT

(Newser) – The remake of Footloose, starring Kenny Wormald as a young man who shakes up a dance-free town, isn't much different from the original. But that's not necessarily bad:

"This incarnation of Footloose may not make as great a dent in the current generation as the original film had," writes William Goss at Film.com, "but it does offer up a commendable amount of energy and heart" and "ultimately proves itself worthy of that title."

In the Los Angeles Times, Kenneth Turan offers a similar assessment, saying the film "doesn't have the emotional impact of the original, but it ups the energy level."
The new Footloose treats the original "as a kind of sacred text" that it "merely goes through the motions of updating," writes Rob Nelson in Variety.
In the New York Times, AO Scott likes the music, calling it "better and more eclectic than the original." But the film itself "never finds its rhythm."

[Videos (1)]

In this image released by Paramount Pictures, Julianne Hough, center, and Kenny Wormald are shown in a scene from "Footloose." (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, K.C. Bailey)

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Footloose Lacks New Moves, But Not Energy

Julianne Hough, Kenny Wormald star in Craig Brewer's remake

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Joss Whedon-produced horror-comedy defies convention

Mirror Mirror Looks Great, Feels Flat

Julia Roberts stars as evil queen in Snow White spectacle

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Taylor Kitsch stars in Martian epic

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