Dirty Dancing remake gets slated by critics and fans
The Dirty Dancing remake had a lot of weight on its shoulders, and it seems it has firmly collapsed going by the first reviews.
The ABC remake of the 1987 classic – which stars Abigail Breslin and Colt Prattes as Baby Houseman and Johnny Castle (originally played by Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze) – has been firmly slammed by both critics and viewers.
"How could a simple remake go so wrong?" writes The Atlantic, who called it a "sad, strange production".
"This contemporary version, stuffed with subplots and extended dance sequences and terrible writing can't decide whether it wants to emulate the original Dirty Dancing or transform it into Chekhov," they added.
"Either way, it's less the time of your life and more three hours you'll never get back."
Ouch. And it doesn't get much better, with The Hollywood Reporter saying: "Somebody put this baby in the corner."
"Dirty Dancing on ABC is a sappy, passionless, schlocky remake of the original, without even the iota of imagination necessary to expand upon the 1987 film," adds Variety.
"Nearly every element of the film that caught worldwide audiences' imaginations has been sanded down into an advertisement-ready imagining of the swinging '60s."
However, there was some praise for Nicole Scherzinger, who played Penny Riviera, as Entertainment Tonight said: "The Pussycat Dolls singer is no stranger to the dance floor, and it was evident whenever she appeared on screen.
"She was able to not only match Rhodes' seriously entertaining, fascinating talent (the tricks, the lifts, they were all there!), but she also tapped into who Penny was perfectly."
The Daily Beast added: "Nicole Scherzinger is a revelation, digging into the part of Penny, the dancer who needs an abortion, with the gusto, grit, and sense of doom of someone who'd been asked to fill in for Anne Hathaway as Fantine in Les Miz at the last minute but wandered onto the set of Dirty Dancing instead."
Trust Scherzy to save something, eh?
Viewers weren't much more positive, below being just a taste of the general consensus:
@ABCNetwork You do know the generation who saw the orig is still alive to witness this travesty? You shouldve waited 30+ yrs
#DirtyDancing- Rachelle (@wisedec4u) May 25, 2017
Actual footage of my face after watching #DirtyDancing pic.twitter.com/mx95wtN6bD
- Raul A. Ortiz Jr (@RaulAOrtizJr) May 25, 2017
Pretty much sums up the #DirtyDancing remake: pic.twitter.com/jR0aRfwhBs
- Charles Battle (@cbattle2) May 25, 2017
Please DO NOT do a Breakfast Club or Sixteen Candles remake. After #DirtyDancing I don't think I can handle it!
- Abra Van Riemsdyk (@abra_van) May 25, 2017
#DirtyDancing got me like pic.twitter.com/dObz2hKnck
- Carrie On (@_Carrie_On) May 25, 2017
Me to the producers. #DirtyDancing pic.twitter.com/kw44TvzfEG
- Meta Jane ♥️ (@metajane) May 25, 2017
#DirtyDancing remake pic.twitter.com/PYpXKueClY
- anakenn (@anakenn) May 25, 2017
Me coming to see how much people liked #DirtyDancing pic.twitter.com/OzHTWfnSVC
- JekyllorHyde (@JekyllorHydecom) May 25, 2017
#DirtyDancing Remake had me and my mom like... pic.twitter.com/4qo7It95JC
- Briana Pizarro (@JustBriBri11) May 25, 2017
When you order it online Vs when it arrives....#DirtyDancing pic.twitter.com/lQ4FsWIkov
- Bibble & Gubbles (@bibble8gubbles) May 25, 2017
#DirtyDancing movie got me feeling like... pic.twitter.com/fttKcWdEBO
- Codybill (@Codybill_) May 25, 2017
However, some suggested some humorous alternatives:
Fixed it! #dirtydancing pic.twitter.com/IgDv7bfN3J
- Skips (@Skippadelphia) May 25, 2017
The ABC remake of Jurassic Park
#DirtyDancing pic.twitter.com/vkZYO67hP1- Cameron Grant (@coolcam101) May 25, 2017
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