'Footloose' remake modernizes old classic

Re-makes are always a toss up. Will it be the same with different cast members?  Will the plot be too much like the first film, or will it be too different?  These were the questions running through my mind when I went to see the new "Footloose."  I wasn't sure what to expect from the film, but let it be known that it exceeded anything I ever imagined.

The revamped "Footloose" was so much better than the original ever thought about being.  Between the cast, the not-too-over-the-top dancing and the emotional storyline, "Footloose" was a top-notch film. 

Julianne Hough perfectly played the part of the preacher's daughter rebel child Ariel Moore, lost in the remnants of the tragic death of her brother.  Kenny Wormald flawlessly carried out the role of the new kid in town, Ren MacCormack, ready to stir up everyone's peaceful living.  When five high school students, including the brother Bobby, were killed in a collision coming home from a dance, the town went crazy trying to prevent such accidents in the future.  Laws were created prohibiting public dancing of anyone under the age of 18 and curfews were put in place.  Needless to say, the youth of the town were miserable. 

The kids would sneak off anywhere they could to just listen to some music and dance with one another, a thrill that gave them so much more since dancing was prohibited.  The elders and parents in town saw the changes that began to occur as soon as Ren decided to make his mark on the town.  With motivation from his late mother and the help of his peers, he decided to take a chance, petitioning the town law. 

I was pleasantly surprised at the hilarity of the film, as I figured it might be a somewhat cheesy film filled with song and dance.  However, the dancing was incorporated so smoothly into the movie that I wouldn't categorize it as a "dance movie."  The plot allowed for the producers to integrate dancing as an idea and an activity without letting it be the sole subject of the film.

 The best raw humor was found within the dialogue of the characters.  Ren came from Boston flaunting what was called yankee sarcasm, sticking out like a sore thumb amongst all of the southern folks of Bomont.  As he made friends with Willard (Miles Teller) and took it upon himself to teach him how to dance, tears of laughter filled my eyes.  Their two contrasting personalities kept me on my toes throughout the film.  When they interacted with each other, making fun and being typical boys in a podunk town with nothing to do, I got the feeling they were often just acting like themselves, improvising the script.  It was a natural flow that made it seem more real.

Overall, there is nothing I would change about this film even if I was given the chance.  I give "Footloose" an A.