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Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
Artisan Entertainment / Miramax Films
FILM:
MPAA RATING: PG-13 for sensuality
Starring
Mika Boorem,
Polly Cusumano,
Romola Garai,
Jonathan Jackson,
January Jones,
René Lavan,
Diego Luna,
and
Mya
Set against the decadent glamour and escalating danger of revolution-eve Cuba, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights re-imagines the 1987 film phenomenon from an exciting new perspective. This is a timeless story of a young woman's discovery of love, sensuality and independence - but with a sizzling style and rhythm all its own. (Lions Gate Films)
| GENRE(S): |
Romance
|
| WRITTEN BY: |
Victoria Arch, Ronald Bass,
Jonathan Bernstein, Mark Blackwell,
Pamela Gray, James Greer,
Christina Wayne and Boaz Yakin
|
| DIRECTED BY: |
Guy Ferland
|
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: June 22, 2004
Video: June 22, 2004
Theatrical: February 27, 2004
|
| RUNNING TIME: |
105 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: |
USA |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
75
Chicago Tribune
Allison Benedikt
A pelvis-gyrating, ponytail-releasing, shirt-unbuttoning good time.
70
Los Angeles Times
Kevin Thomas
Sufficiently original and engaging to be called merely "Havana Nights" but will no doubt get a boost by the reference to the popular 1987 "Dirty Dancing."
60
Variety
David Rooney
Superficial but entertaining new pic offers equal parts freshness and kitsch appeal set to a pulsating Latin soundtrack.
60
Newsweek
David Ansen
This sweet, sometimes clunky chick flick is a likable teen romance, but not likely to arouse the giddy swoons Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey generated back in ’87.
58
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Sean Axmaker
Even as the prosaic script gets lost in the intoxicating fantasy of the bloodless revolution, the hot heartbeat of the music drives the film with pure energy.
50
Rolling Stone
Guy Ferland
Luna and Garai struggle to look like they're having the time of their life. But the movie, more wan than wicked, proves you can't go home again.
50
Austin Chronicle
Marjorie Baumgarten
Not a sequel, not a prequel, but a "reimagining" as the producers say. And they're basically correct, although I wouldn't put any real emphasis on the "imagination" aspect of that term.
50
TV Guide
Angel Cohn
Katey and Javier's dramatically expedient relationship is nowhere near as interesting as the Cuban Revolution, which is relegated to window dressing.
50
ReelViews
James Berardinelli
It's only possible to have the time of your life once, and, for this franchise, that was in 1987.
50
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Scott Tobias
Contains all the elements of a satisfying teen genre picture, but they've been compromised out of existence.
50
Entertainment Weekly
Owen Gleiberman
There are two sparks of light amid the trifling dialogue and bad faux-'80s love-on-the-beach montages in Havana Nights, and they are the film's costars.
50
Washington Post
Ann Hornaday
Has its modest charms.
50
Boston Globe
Wesley Morris
Bland though it is, "Havana Nights" could be the start of a globe-bettering franchise -- and across history, too: "Dirty Dancing: Monticello Mornings"; "Dirty Dancing: Gaza Strip Afternoons."
50
Salon.com
Charles Taylor
The plot construction here is especially lazy. The whole movie is built toward the dance competition.
50
Charlotte Observer
Lawrence Toppman
The plot of "Nights" will occupy only 10 or 12 brain cells.
50
Chicago Sun-Times
Roger Ebert
[Garai and Luna] must be given credit for their presence and charisma in Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, and together with the film's general ambiance, they do a lot to make amends for the lockstep plot.
50
Chicago Reader
J.R. Jones
The movie's mix of erotic Latin dance and vaguely liberal politics should have young girls swooning in the aisles.
50
San Francisco Chronicle
Carla Meyer
Swayze's presence crosses the line from curious to bizarre and adds a heavy layer of cheese to Havana Nights.
42
Portland Oregonian
Barry Johnson
At its best during the anachronistic nightclub scenes and anytime prolonged dancing is on screen. It's mostly music video stuff, but the young actors are likable enough, and the film works up just enough momentum to give it some significance.
40
LA Weekly
Scott Foundas
The dance sequences might have saved it, were it not for the fact that director Guy Ferland seems to have learned everything he knows about (over) shooting and (blindly) cutting such scenes from watching "Moulin Rouge" and "Chicago."
40
The Hollywood Reporter
Kirk Honeycutt
It's disappointing the film is so sketchy and underdeveloped. The filmmakers may have sold their story short.
38
USA Today
Mike Clark
If you can't find a more scintillating brand of dirty to enjoy during your own nights (Helena or Hoboken), you're not trying very hard.
38
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Jennie Punter
Despite being set in 1958 Cuba, Havana Nights sticks to the formula. This would be perfectly acceptable if the dancing was "dirtier" and if there was a spark between the young couple.
38
New York Post
Jonathan Foreman
About three-quarters of the way through, Havana Nights suddenly becomes laugh-out-loud awful, with dreadful, lame lines delivered painfully badly - as if a different screenwriter and director had taken over for the movie's final act.
38
Miami Herald
Rene Rodriguez
In the end, they are only moments, and even at a merciful 86 minutes, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights feels formidably long.
30
Film Threat
Kevin Carr
This cinematic train wreck reminds me of when Hollywood decided to cash in on the success of “Chinatown” by making a sequel...
30
Washington Post
Mark Jenkins
The movie is still a routine Hollywood high school morality play.
30
Dallas Observer
Melissa Levine
Silly, misguided, formulaic and largely a piece of trash, but it's not quite a disaster. There's the dancing and the music and the sunlight.
30
The New York Times
A.O. Scott
It's one of the rare films for which a blooper reel would be redundant.
25
Christian Science Monitor
David Sterritt
This belated "reimagining" is as beguiling as a dried-out palm tree.
25
New York Daily News
Jami Bernard
Has some good music and hot dancing -- filmed choppily -- but it completely lacks the magic of its predecessor.
20
Village Voice
Tricia Romano
Havana Nights es mucho frío -- the only titter of excitement comes in a cameo from a strangely reptilian Patrick Swayze.
 The average user rating for this movie is 8.3 (out of 10) based on 63 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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