Reception
The film had a mixed reception with critics, earning a 44% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Negative reviews such as one published by Variety is critical of "a flat romantic attachment" between Dalton and Clay while lobbying criticism since its "vigilante justice, lawlessness and wanton violence feel ludicrous in a modern setting." Other reviews are critical of Swayze's role as Dalton. Roger Ebert gave the movie 2 1/2 stars and commented that "'Road House' exists right on the edge between the "good-bad movie" and the merely bad. I hesitate to recommend it, because so much depends on the ironic vision of the viewer. This is not a good movie. But viewed in the right frame of mind, it is not a boring one, either."
Road House was nominated for (but did not win) five Golden Raspberry Awards: Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Patrick Swayze), Worst Supporting Actor (Ben Gazzara), Worst Director and Worst Screenplay.
Read more about this topic: Road House (1989 film)
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