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Movies / On DVD / Havana Nights
Havana Nights

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Havana Nights (2004)

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Reviews Counted:105

Fresh:24

Rotten:81

Average Rating:4.3/10

Consensus: Cheesy, unnecessary remake.

Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Set against the decadent glamour and escalating danger of revolution-eve Cuba, Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights re-imagines the 1987 film phenomenon from an exciting new perspective. Havana Nights... Set against the decadent glamour and escalating danger of revolution-eve Cuba, Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights re-imagines the 1987 film phenomenon from an exciting new perspective. Havana Nights tells a timeless story of a young woman's discovery of love, sensuality and independence - but with a sizzling style and rhythm all its own. In planning this new chapter in a beloved franchise, Artisan Entertainment and Miramax Films have put together a team of creative dynamos from worlds of film, music and dance. Among them: maverick independent producer Lawrence Bender (Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting); Academy Award® winning screenwriter Ron Bass (Rain Man, My Best Friend's Wedding); director Guy Ferland (TV's award-winning "The Shield"); choreographer Joanne Jansen; music industry legend Clive Davis, whose hot new J Records imprint will release the soundtrack; acclaimed actor Diego Luna, a rising star following his performance in the sexy sensation Y Tu Mamá También; and, in what promises to be a breakout role, gifted young actress Romola Garai (recently seen in Nicholas Nickleby). The resulting film is certain to give audiences - from newcomers to those who cherish the first Dirty Dancing - the time of their lives, and then some.

Havana: November, 1958. 18-year-old Katey Vendetto (Romola Garai) brings an innate curiosity and a smattering of Spanish to her new life in Cuba's lush capital, where her father has taken an executive posting at Chrysler. Schooled by her parents in the art of ballroom dancing, Katey is expected to join the smart set of American teenagers who are the Vendettos' neighbors at the exclusive Hotel Miramar. But Katey finds herself drawn instead to the proud, purposeful Xavier (Diego Luna), a pool boy who also happens to be brilliant dancer. Determined to learn the slinky, spectacular moves that Xavier seems to know in his bones, Katey persuades him to partner with her in a prestigious national dance competition at a local country club. Meeting secretly in an out-of-the-way Havana nightclub, Katey and Xavier practice their steps, their bodies aligning in a sensual harmony that mirrors the growing passion between them. As the night of the contest finally arrives, Katey and Xavier are ready to take their place as a couple on the dance floor - unaware that the country club, and the streets of Havana itself, are about to erupt in revolutionary violence. -- © Artisan Entertainment [More]

Starring: Diego Luna, Romola Garai, Patrick Swayze, John Slattery

Starring: Diego Luna, Romola Garai, Patrick Swayze, John Slattery, Sela Ward, Mika Boorem

Director: Guy Ferland

Director: Guy Ferland
Screenwriter: Boaz Yakin, Victoria Arch
Producer: Lawrence Bender, JoAnn Jansen, Sarah Green
Studio: Artisan Entertainment

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Reviews for Havana Nights

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Maybe I'm just a pushover. But I loved every corny, predictable minute of this sugary remake. It's called entertainment.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
02/26/04
Allison Benedikt
Allison Benedikt
Chicago Tribune

It's not nearly as groovin as the 1987 original, but 13-year-olds will probably find a lot to like. BTW, what's up with all the petite leading men?

Full Review Source: Roanoke Times (Virginia) | comment Comment
03/02/04
Beth Jones
Beth Jones
Roanoke Times (Virginia)

If it was absolutely necessary to re-do "Dirty Dancing," it could be worse. Seriously.

Full Review Source: Denton Record Chronicle (TX) | comment Comment
02/28/04
Boo Allen
Boo Allen
Denton Record Chronicle (TX)

Jansen might not be the best storyteller, but she's a wonderful choreographer, adapting the styles of her stars (both nondancers before the movie) to complement each other beautifully.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
02/27/04
Carla Meyer
Carla Meyer
San Francisco Chronicle

[I]t's an amiable diversion [for] those looking for a romantic movie that doesn't require too much from the audience...

Full Review Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette | comment Comment
02/27/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Superficial but entertaining.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
02/27/04
David Rooney
David Rooney
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The movie made me smile. The stars have genuine charm, and the script is smarter about their relationship than one might expect.

Full Review Source: Film Blather | comment Comment
02/26/04
Eugene Novikov
Eugene Novikov
Film Blather

White boys can't jump, but some white girls sure can dance.

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
02/28/04
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

With its likable young couple, Caribbean locales and great Cuban music, Havana Nights knocks the original Dirty Dancing off the dance floor.

Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
02/26/04
Jack Garner
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Silly scripting and relentlessly conventional structure don’t hurt a bit.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
02/24/04
Jeanne Aufmuth
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly

Looks good, sounds good and delivers what most Dirty Dancing fans are likely to expect.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
02/27/04
Jeff Shannon
Jeff Shannon
Seattle Times

Romola Garai and Diego Luna are fresh, sweet and likable, and Garai is vastly more sympathetic than Jennifer Grey in the 1987 original.

Full Review Source: Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | comment Comment
02/26/04
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

Quite a bit better than the original.

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
02/23/04
Jim Lane
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review

...there is no denying the movie's primal pull.

Full Review Source: Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) | comment Comment
02/26/04
Josh Larsen
Josh Larsen
Sun Publications (Chicago, IL)

Garai is lovely and sensitive, but Luna ... sparks their relationship with a radiant personality and a killer smile when they dance.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
02/26/04
Kevin Thomas
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

You'll find the hokey material in Havana Nights strangely familiar, but it doesn't matter.

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
02/27/04
Kit Bowen
Kit Bowen
Hollywood.com

Solid dancing and a catchy soundtrack. But expect to have the time of your life again and you’ll most likely be disappointed.

Full Review Source: FilmStew.com | comment Comment
02/27/04
Larry Carroll
Larry Carroll
FilmStew.com

[Garai and Luna] deliver the real emotion of a first love while remaining good examples for the tweenie crowd

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
02/26/04
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews

It's just about what you'd expect from a dance movie: Not much of a plot, terrific dancing and enjoyable music.

Full Review Source: Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) | comment Comment
03/04/04
Linda Cook
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)
 
 
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Latest News for Havana Nights

November 23, 2002: I was expecting very little from this script, and it raised my expectations for the film greatly...It molds a great deal of the franchise's first film and makes an even more compelling film than the original. Opens in new window
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