The 2006 Road House Sequel Nobody Likes To Talk About
Jake Gyllenhaal's "Road House" remake has inspired apathy in some movie circles, but at least audiences know the movie exists. Only time will tell if it becomes as fondly remembered as the original action classic starring Patrick Swayze as a tough-as-nails bouncer. However, it's probably safe to assume that Doug Liman's reimagining will fare better than "Road House 2: Last Call."
Released in 2006, "Road House 2" is a direct-to-video actioner that failed to live up to the success of its predecessor. The story follows DEA Agent Shane Tanner (Johnathon Schaech), the son of Patrick Swayze's James Dalton character in "Road House," who travels to Louisana to protect his uncle's bar from a group of drug dealers led by Victor Cross (Richard Norton) and Wild Bill (Jake Busey). With the odds stacked against him, our hero must team up with a school teacher named Beau Hampton (Ellen Hollman) and his uncle, Nate Tanner (Will Patton), to get the job done.
Direct-to-video sequels are often lazy attempts to cash in on an established IP, and some do more harm than good (this is why the "Hellraiser" franchise was dying for a reboot to get the series back on track). That said, while "Road House 2: Last Call" isn't exactly a masterpiece, it deserves some credit for trying to be a meaningful continuation of the '80s classic.
Road House 2: Last Call honors James Dalton
Patrick Swayze doesn't appear in "Road House 2: Last Call," but the movie tells us what happened to his character. Sadly, James Dalton didn't go on to live a fruitful life after inspiring the residents of Jasper, Missouri, to take out Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara). The sequel reveals that some bad people murdered the legendary bouncer, and one of the film's subplots involves his son getting to the bottom of the mystery.
As of this writing, "Road House 2: Last Call" boasts a 34% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting that the majority of the few people who've seen and reviewed the movie didn't enjoy it. At the same time, this score is arguably higher than some might expect from a direct-to-video "Road House" sequel, so action buffs and B-movie aficionados might have some fun with the flick. One thing is for sure, though: "Road House" has continued to inspire filmmakers years after its release, and the 2024 remake further proves its influential legacy.
If you enjoyed this article, you can learn more about the untold truth of the "Road House" remake.