Home :: DVD :: Drama :: General  

African American Drama
Classics
Crime & Criminals
Cult Classics
Family Life
Gay & Lesbian
General

Love & Romance
Military & War
Murder & Mayhem
Period Piece
Religion
Sports
Television
Dirty Dancing - Havana Nights

Dirty Dancing - Havana Nights

List Price: $26.98
Your Price: $20.24
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 >>

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: sequel in name only
Review:

Patrick Swayze makes little more than a guest appearance in "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights," the misbegotten "sequel" to the 1987 box office smash that turned the actor into a bona fide movie star.

This time around the focus is on Katey Miller (Romola Garai), a high school senior who moves with her family to Cuba in 1958, right on the eve of the Castro revolution. While there, she goes from being a white-bread, college-bound bookworm to a hot-blooded Latin dancer under the tutelage of a young Cuban ("Y Tu Mama Tambien"'s Diego Luna) who works poolside at the hotel where she and many other Americans live. Naturally, her cavorting around with a dark-skinned native raises a whole host of hackles among the snooty foreigners who live only to feed off the sweat and hard work of the indigenous population.

Naturally, it is the dancing that is the key element in a film of this type, but even the choreography, which isn`t really all that impressive to begin with, can't overcome the film's humdrum storyline, shallow characterizations and infantile view of international politics. The complexities of the Cuban revolution are glossed over in favor of soap opera mechanics and corny melodramatics. As "Doctor Zhivago" proved long ago (only better), there's nothing like a governmental overthrow to put a little sizzle into your love life.

As noted earlier, Swayze stops by briefly to reprise his role as Johnny Castle, providing Katie with a few words of wisdom and encouragement and showing her a few nifty dance moves before sending her on her way. I hope Swayze was paid well for his efforts, but it seems a bit demeaning for a star of Swayze's caliber to be treated in so ungrateful and cavalier a fashion. The irony is that the film would have been far more interesting had it focused on Castle instead of Katie, but it's obvious that the studio executives who green lighted this project weren't about to bankroll a dance film with a middle-aged actor in the lead role. That "Shall We Dance?" will wind up doing far better at the box office than "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" may provide some sweet vindication not only for Swayze but for all the fans of the original film for which this sequel was allegedly made.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Really Great
Review: This movie was actually quite good. When I first found out that they were doing a second Dirty Dancing my first instinct was NO! Absolutely NOT! So many times when film makers toy with older movies they never seem to come out right. For example Disney and the many sequels they torture us with. However, when I sat down and watched the movie I LOVED it! It got me really excited about dancing just as the first version had. I actually went to see the movie twice when it was in theaters. Something I had never really done before. The only reason I give it four stars is because I'm not that happy with the girl they chose to play Katie who was the Protagonist in the movie. Most of the time she was fine but sometimes I felt that she could have done a better job with some of her lines. Also there was the matter of the way Katie and her dance partner Javier express their feelings to each other. There really isn't a reckoning point. There are several points in the movie where I thought, "Ok this is it. They're going to kiss each other and realize each others affections." But it never really came that way. The first time we see them kiss is on the dance floor as the result of Javier's spontaneity. Then suddenly the next night they sleep with each other. It happens in a lot the same way in the first movie. If they were attempting to be more true to reality they missed the mark because I don't know if that is really something that would happen. A shy straight laced innocent virgin like Katie just hopping into his arms for one night. Then again, maybe that's the power of love...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This was GREAT!
Review: as a die hard dirty dancing fan i was relucant to even watch this film. i finally gave in to persistant whines from my teenage daughter and that was it i was totally hooked!
there isn't one scene in this movie i would even think of fast forwarding.
i loved everything about it, the dancing, the hot soundtrack, the love story and best of all... diego luna!!
where has mexico been hiding him. the film was worth it for him alone.
watch the movie then buy the hot soundtrack. you won't be disappointed.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A fun movie, that delivers what it sets out to sell.
Review: At first I was skeptical about seeing this film, as it's sort of like a remake of the original Dirty Dancing with Patrick Swayze. However, I was impressed by it. Clearly it wasn't a completely original plot, but being set in Havana in the late 50's during the days leading up to the Cuban Revolution definately gave it flavor. I thought that the performances by Diego Luna and Romola Garai were excellent, and their chemistry was just great. They made it so believable. The music and the dancing is fascinating, however like most films with dancing, it's unfortunate that the editing tends to take away from seeing the dance routines in their entirety, but it's still impressive. All in all, I'd say this film is enjoyable, especially if you liked the first Dirty Dancing and enjoy cuban music and dancing. There's nothing deep about it, but it doesn't matter. The movie itself is satisfying enough as it is for its genre.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: One of the worst movie of 2004
Review: DDHN is a totally miserable movie to watch. The story is flaccid and all too predictable, and the use of the Cuban Revolution in the background is forced, awkward and unbelievable. It's just ridiculous to cast Luna in the role of a budding underground revolutionary. The ending, with the two puppy lovers making love and then gleefully saying goodbye, is a total insult to the audience.

Ok, so we probably didn't watch the movie for the silly plot or the unbalanced romance. But unlike the original Dirty Dancing, which had good acting and good dancing to make it into a classic, this one lacks these sorely, too. Nobody in this movie can really act, and the dancing feels empty and falls short of my modest expectations. Where's the energy? Where's the rhythm? Where's the art? None of those. The two leading actors are just too young to be taken seriously in any way.

In short, DDHN is one of those terrible movies that should not have been made.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Dirty Dancing Havana Nights Is Amazing
Review: Dirty Dancing Havana Nights is so good. I loved it. I saw it with my friend it was for our birthdays, and it was like the best birthbay ever. We saw it the day after it came out and then i saw it again a week later. Diego Luna the guy dancer whos name is Javier Suarez is amazing. He is such a good dancer and it so HOTT! Katey Miller the plays the girl dancer is also a really good dancer. Katey and Javier are so cute together. They really make it look like they are in love. Javier is so sweet, and he really respects Katey unlike the other guy James. The music in the movie is so good too. I bought the soundtrack right after i saw the movie. Dirty Dancing Havana Nights is like my favorite movie, and i highly recommend that you see it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: a feel good film
Review: I don't see how anyone could even think this movie was better than the first one. This wasn't a sequel either, it was more of a re-make, latin-style. The acting was poor, the dancing stunk (what little bit there was), especially since they used the same dance as was used in the original Dirty Dancing, they just added a couple latin moves. There was very little "heat" between the characters during the dancing, it lacked emotion. Like another reviewer mentioned, using the revolution as a backdrop seemed forced and flaccid. Thankfully it wasn't a long movie. Myself being a former dancer/choreographer, I was looking forward to a great high energy dancing movie, especially with how sexy latin dancing is, I was very disappointed and very glad that I didn't pay theater prices to see it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: i love diego luna!
Review: i love this retelling of the classic love story, Dirty Dancing! I especially love Diego Luna in this movie! I can tell he will be a HUGE star soon! And if you are reading this Diego, I LOVE YOU!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great showcase for Diego Luna
Review: I really liked the original Dirty Dancing with Patrick Swayze. It was well-written, well-acted, and it was original. Havana Nights doesn't fare well in comparison, but judged on its own merits, it is entertaining.

17-year old Katey and her wealthy family have moved to Havana in 1958 and are living in a first-class hotel. Katey accidentally causes a young Cuban waiter to lose his job; there is a mutual attraction, and they share a love of dancing. They prepare for the big Latin dance contest, but Castro's revolution is about to change everything.

Diego Luna, who was so charming in Y Tu Mama Tambien, gets five stars from me. Here he is sweet and very likeable, a terrific dancer, and oozes teenage appeal. Co-star Romola Garai is fine, too, and the Cuban music and dance scenes are appropriately steamy. The script and the photography earn three stars, however. The story tries to balance youthful flirtation with the serious theme of political revolution. Two movies could have been made, but one seems unconnected and somewhat shallow. The whole movie was filmed in very dim lighting, even in sunlight, giving it a B-movie look, and the dance scenes were always too crowded to show enough of the stars' moves.

But Havana Nights is a pleasant movie with an appealing star, and I recommend it to those who like Cuban music, dancing, and teen romance.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hot Dancing in Havana
Review: I recently viewed the DVD Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights and thought it was terrific! The dancing was extraordinary and the actors really made the scenes they were in come to life. I also thought it was a perk to have Patrick Swayze from the original movie,Dirty Dancing as a dance instructor in the movie. It is a must see movie and a must have in your DVD collection. The music was also sensational!


<< 1 2 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates