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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
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
Reviews for Havana Nights
Maybe I'm just a pushover. But I loved every corny, predictable minute of this sugary remake. It's called entertainment.
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?
If it was absolutely necessary to re-do "Dirty Dancing," it could be worse. Seriously.
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.
[I]t's an amiable diversion [for] those looking for a romantic movie that doesn't require too much from the audience...
The movie made me smile. The stars have genuine charm, and the script is smarter about their relationship than one might expect.
With its likable young couple, Caribbean locales and great Cuban music, Havana Nights knocks the original Dirty Dancing off the dance floor.
Silly scripting and relentlessly conventional structure don’t hurt a bit.
Looks good, sounds good and delivers what most Dirty Dancing fans are likely to expect.
Romola Garai and Diego Luna are fresh, sweet and likable, and Garai is vastly more sympathetic than Jennifer Grey in the 1987 original.
Garai is lovely and sensitive, but Luna ... sparks their relationship with a radiant personality and a killer smile when they dance.
You'll find the hokey material in Havana Nights strangely familiar, but it doesn't matter.
Solid dancing and a catchy soundtrack. But expect to have the time of your life again and you’ll most likely be disappointed.
[Garai and Luna] deliver the real emotion of a first love while remaining good examples for the tweenie crowd
It's just about what you'd expect from a dance movie: Not much of a plot, terrific dancing and enjoyable music.
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