As remakes go, Footloose did a fine job of capturing the spirit of the original film, and also managed to boost the dancing to match the talent movie-goers have come to expect thanks to movies like the Step Up series. Kevin Bacon, who starred as Ren McCormack in the original film, weighed in on the remake and it looks as though the new Footloose is now Bacon-approved.

Ridiculous bus-racing scene aside, the Footloose remake really did manage to tap into what was so great about the original film. I had reservations about this particular remake, as I feared the story, which was nicely developed in the original, would get buried under an onslaught of added-on dance scenes, however that wasn’t the case and the movie was all the better for it.

Kevin Bacon didn’t get his start in the original Footloose. While Animal House was his earliest film credit, the 1984 dance movie did put him on the map, and he has since gone on to appear in so many films that movie fans have made a game out of linking him with other actors.

What did Bacon think of the Footloose remake? He tweeted his approval this Sunday, after catching a matinee of the film. (You can view his ticket-stub here). According to Bacon, “F-Loose! Just saw it. Congrats to Craig, Kenny, Julianne, Dennis,Andie, Miles, and the rest of the cast. U guys rocked it!”

Bacon isn’t the only one who liked it. Footloose currently has a 71% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and Cinema Blend’s own Mack Rawden gave the film 4 out of 5 stars. If you’re on the fence about seeing it, check out his review, which I credit for having sold me on the remake enough to see it in the theaters, rather than waiting to rent. I didn’t regret the decision.

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon from Footloose (1984) - Footloose (2011).

Kevin Bacon - Footloose
Kevin Bacon and Bill Murray in Wild Things
Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell in Groundhog Day
Andie MacDowell in Footloose 2011

Anyone got any others?