Footloose (2011)

Immediately after watching this one, I went ahead and watched the original, which I own but hadn't seen in several years. Even without the immediate comparison, though, it was clear which one was the winner. This version is pleasant, but its dance scenes are not as infectious, its soundtrack is dull, its character development is nonexistent, its plot doesn't really seem to form a coherent whole, its protagonist is not as charming, and its antagonist is not as threatening. In many ways it's a carbon copy of the original, but the few things it does change, it changes for the worse. It's a truly unnecessary remake, and almost all the good bits are the bits that it stole from the first movie. 2 stars.

Best Part: There is a single exception to that last sentence - I liked the character of Willard here much more than in the original. Although he became a very different kind of character, taking on a nerdy vibe rather than a tough one, he was very engaging and my favorite scenes in the movie all included him.
Worst Part: I am baffled at their choice of things omitted from this adaptation - they seem to have left out all the scenes dealing with actual character development, especially for Ariel. If you're going to take out the original movie's plot and character development, you have to replace it with *something*, and this movie didn't.
Flickchart: #1052, below Robin and the 7 Hoods and above Baby Boom.