Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)

Directed by Guy Ferland. Starring Romola Garai, Diego Luna, Sela Ward, Mika Boorem, John Slattery, Jonathan Jackson, Patrick Swayze, René Lavan, January Jones, Angélica Aragón. [PG-13]

Set in 1958 Cuba on the cusp of the revolution, this uninspired prequel/revamp of the 1987 hit throws in a little hollow political material, but mostly just tries airing out the musty sheets of the original picture. Because it was made in a more contemporary climate, the blah heroine (Garai) comes pre-equipped with the tolerance and liberal-mindedness lacking in the other members of her family when they arrive in the foreign land; she has no intention of falling in love with Cuban waiter Luna and his spicy rhythms, but, hey, what kind of movie would it be if she didn’t (besides a more original one)? Cheesy and trite, the natural appeal of the stars and their dance moves is suffocated by the film’s lame script, lackluster direction, and a reluctance to actually try and explore the Cuban culture beneath the surface. The “Based on True Events” tag may seem surprising, but all it means is that the Cuban revolution did happen, and the choreographer/co-producer JoAnn Jansen did move there shortly before it broke out (à la Garai’s character). It should probably go without saying, but Swayze (in a small role as a dance instructor) does not play the same character he played in Dirty Dancing.

36/100