The strong performances by Garai and Luna, the story's acknowledgement of Cubans' political struggles of the 1950s and the movie's unflagging sincerity help it get by.
Havana Nights (2004)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
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
In the 1987 Dirty Dancing and 2004's Havana-set remake, the settings of the stories are virtually the same except in their particulars.
Tries to add Cuban flavor to a familiar plot but comes up with nothing more than a bubbling stew of cliches.
I can’t recall a single [movie] that crashed and burned as badly as Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights does in its last 15 minutes.
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights does have some sexy music and a few good dance sequences in a steamy nightclub, but the story is terribly contrived and the lead actors have zero chemistry.
This is all straight-up unintended comedy, and a lot of it grooves like one of the film's many jampacked nightclubs.
If it was absolutely necessary to re-do "Dirty Dancing," it could be worse. Seriously.
Havana Nights makes us long for the days when Patrick Swayze lived on Hollywood's A-list
It is hard not to smile at a movie as simple as this one. It's like a children's story, but with more rhythmic pelvic thrusting.
How do you write a review for a movie that unashamedly craps on the memory of its deservedly famed and beloved predecessor? The answer: with venom.
... even as the prosaic script gets lost in the intoxicating fantasy of the bloodless revolution, the hot heartbeat of the music drives the film with pure energy.
How precious Hollywood resources ended up being diverted to this effort is a dark mystery
Definitely not a sequel and not exactly a remake, Havana Nights adds some fiery Afro-Cuban spice to the mix, but it remains a bland recipe nonetheless.
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Havana Nights at Rotten Tomatoes
- Havana Nights at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

