Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Turn up the heat and follow the rhythm
Have the time of your life..all over again.
Break the Rules. Find Your Freedom. Live Your Life.
Take a chance. Make your move. Have the time of your life.
An American girl (Garai) and her parents arrive in Cuba right before the Revolution breaks out. She meets a local boy (Luna) who instantly notices her dancing abilities and romances her. But as Castro's forces are forcing Americans to leave the country, will she stay or will she go?
| January Jones | Eve |
| Diego Luna | Javier Suarez |
| Romola Garai | Katey Miller |
| Mika Boorem | Susie Miller |
| Jonathan Jackson | James Phelps |
| Polly Cusumano | Polly |
| Sela Ward | Jeannie Miller |
| John Slattery | Bert Miller |
| René Lavan | Carlos Suarez |
| Chris Engen | Steph |
| Tommy Kavelin | Señor Alonso |
| Wilmer Cordero | Teacher |
| Charlie Rodriguez | Grandpa Suarez |
| Donato Poveda | Troubador |
| Mya | Lola Martinez |
| Guy Ferland |
5.60 out of 10 (4260 votes)
Visitor Reviews
great music, fun film
posted on 25 Jul 2009I liked this movie. While not as good as the first Dirty Dancing, this was still a good film and much better than most films now days. Even though the story was exactly what you expected, it was the scenery, the music, the actors, that still kept you entertained. I loved the Latin themed music, and the dancing was hot.Diego Luna was hot and a good dancer. He also had chemistry with Romola Garai. They made a cute pair. Plus, I liked that they didn't make Johnathan Jackson's character a total jerk, like so many films would. He just accepted the fact that Katey had more of a connection with Javier and supported her dancing and didn't try to get Javier in trouble.FINAL VERDICT: Fun dancing, fun music, fun times. I recommend it for anyone looking for a romantic film.
Chinese girl's point of view
posted on 23 Jun 2009firstly, i wanna announce that i'm a Chinese girl. i never go aboard,just stay in our country, so maybe there are some mistakes or something too difficult to understand. hope you guys can understand. by the way, if you can give me some advice to me, i'll appreciate that very much. thank you! Its name and the first music of the movie took me into a Cuba world. It's so hot. It makes people want to swing their hips. Especially, my hips swung on the seat.The boy looks like a little shy, when he didn't dance. But as dancing, he is another person, so attractive, so cute, and so hot! As same as the girl, before she loved the Latin dancing, she was a "lambkin lady". However, I think, the passion under her peaceful appearance is so ardent and was oppressed. In fact she also don't know why she want to study hard and go to the college. These seem her dreams, but lack of some passion and exciting. The Latin dancing gives her an exit to her passion.With the exciting rhythms and the dizzy Havana Nights, I felt I was in there. I want to have a totally free dance! I love such dance! In fact, I have learned samba for a while. That feeling I can understand, so soft, so free, so passionate! The love story didn't have a perfect result, but the dancing still goes well. The dancing is the spirit of this movie! I love this movie!
This movie gets an 'A' !! For Awful
posted on 22 May 2009An'A' for Awful that is! Awful acting, Awful dancing and just for being an Awful movie. This movie doesn't even touch the original. It seemed as if things were just thrown in this movie just for the sake of it with no real fluidity. I was never expecting much. However since I have a love for salsa (which this movie almost nearly destroyed) and have been dancing it for a number of years, I thought I would give it a try.It is such a shame given the talent of many of the cast. I felt I wasted 86 minutes of my life, and think I should forewarn anyone over the age of 10 with above average taste in movies not to watch this drivel.
Katie Miller and Javier Suarez enter a dancing contest, while breaking through racial differences
posted on 22 May 2009An eighteen year old girl named Katie Miller moves to Cuba when her father's job is switched there in 1958. She lives in a hotel in Havana, where she meets a Cuban waiter named Javier Suarez, who works there. When she is walking back from a Cuban club (La Rosa Negra) with him, someone sees them together, and Javier loses his job. Katie feels that this is her fault, so she finds him once more and convinces him to be her dancing partner for a contest where they can earn money. Javier and Katie meet in secret and learn to dance together, while forming a new relationship. I absolutely loved this movie, and I have seen it a thousand times. The music is amazing and it makes you want to get up and dance along with it. If you are looking for a warm, fuzzy movie or a romance to watch, this is the one. I have never seen the first one before this, so I didn't really know what to expect. I loved the whole movie except for the part near the end, where Javier says, "I am taking you with me" and Katie says, "I am keeping you here". That had to be the cheesiest line I have ever heard in my entire life. Other than that, I adored it. 'Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights' is also based on a true story, which I find interesting. This movie certainly deserves a ten!
I Had the "Meh" of My Life
posted on 02 May 2009Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004) Starring Diego Luna, Romola Garai, Sela Ward, and Patrick Swayze - Written By Victoria Arch, Ronald Bass, Jonathan Bernstein, Mark Blackwell, Pamela Gray, James Greer, Christina Wayne, and Boaz Yakin - Directed By Guy Ferland - MPAA Rating: PG-13 - 5/10Okay. The title was a bit harsh. As a matter of fact, I rather enjoyed the movie... Not so much to rave about it to all my friends and buy the DVD, but it sufficed for a nice time-passer. It wasn't painful to watch. In fact, the performers were all very good. The dancing was excellent, the movie itself was visually impressive. The soundtrack is pleasing to the ears as well, much like its predecessor.Romola Garai had a very good debut performance, but her narrations were simply awful. The movie would have done a lot better without them. It sounded like an 12-year-old reading a school bulletin to the class. Diego Luna's performance was absolutely brilliant. I'm going to be checking out some more of his movies, because that guy's got talent. Patrick Swayze's appearance brought this film some bonus points, simply for nostalgia.Unfortunately, the movie falls short of being a classic. As I said before, I'm in no rush to buy the DVD, nor am I in any rush to see it again. It was fun while it lasted, but it lacks the lasting appeal that its predecessor had. I have encountered some huge flaws.The music, while very good, and very pleasing to the ear didn't seem appropriate for the time period the movie takes place in. I doubt that people in the 50s would use "represent" and other hip hop terms in their music. That bothered me. Don't get me wrong, the song was great, but it just didn't seem to fit the time period. Not all of the music was like that, but some songs seemed a little too modern.The film also lost major points because its ending left me unsatisfied. It's not the "It's so good I want more" feeling, it's more of the "They didn't give me enough" feeling. It's like they didn't want to give it an ending, but instead replaced it with a narration. We didn't even get a climactic dance number. Nothing. I liked the "I Had The Time of My Life" in the background, which once again worked for nostalgia, but a climactic dance number, a real ending, SOMETHING. I didn't want to leave the movie with Garai's crappy narrations in mind, I wanted to remember the dancing.Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, while much better than I had expected, falls short of being anything truly memorable. I'm not telling anyone not to go out and see it, but it certainly isn't something that everyone should flock to see. However, in a few months when the movie is out on DVD, if you have a little extra cash, and a craving for some nice latin beats mixed in with a little bit of nostalgia, check out Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. You won't quite have the time of your life, but at least it will be fun.Smitty's evaluation: 5/10 - Worth a Rental.
Golden Romola Soars To Greatness!
posted on 02 May 2009Can a gifted young actress ever be too good for the part? Yes, if you're talking about this pleasantly bland DIRTY DANCING sequel. HAVANA NIGHTS tries to transplant the "Dirty Dancing" story line to Cuba in the fifties. It's a good idea in itself. But the movie doesn't work because Romola Garai is not just good enough -- she's too good. She's too natural, too glamorous, too self-confident, and too alluring to be believable in the typical "dirty dancing" scenario.In the original DIRTY DANCING, all of the story's power came from the fact that Jennifer Grey's character was a classic ugly duckling -- not a golden beauty with natural grace. It was thrilling, heartbreaking, poignant and funny to watch "Baby" discover her own sensuality and attractiveness, because you could see how shy and awkward she felt.None of that dynamic works in HAVANA NIGHTS. The story lacks power precisely because Romola Garai is a screen "natural" in a way that Jennifer Grey never was. You never worry about her future. She seems to be so utterly right the moment she steps onto the dance floor. Far from being intimidated by her Cuban partner, she seems to be more at home on the dance floor than he is. Her golden, regal beauty and bewitching sensuality are so completely radiant and luminous in every scene, you never wonder if she'll get the guy. Instead you wonder why she wants a mere boy instead of a grown man of greater animal power and allure! Romola Garai is destined to be a huge star -- in this movie she soars to greatness. But that doesn't make HAVANA NIGHTS a great movie.
Love this film so much! Diego is FIT
posted on 02 May 2009Obviously Havana Nights was never going to be as amazing as the original, but for what it is, it's not that bad. it's sweet, there's loads of great dance scenes and the soundtrack is really good. And the Javier guy is FIT, his accent is so adorable! my friends and i love this film - if you're a cynical critic or like a hardcore movie expert then don't watch it, but if you want to see a younger, Cuban style version of dirty dancing then do! I saw the first Dirty Dancing years ago and have loved it ever since; when i heard they were doing i remake i was like WHAT they will ruin it. But they didn't! Havana Nights is set in a completely different place, with new characters and a new-ish storyline.If it wasn't a sequel then people would like it so much more, but everyone is all eugh it isn't as good as the first one blah blah. The best thing to do is watch it without relating it to the original because then you can just enjoy it as a completely separate film. i love it i love it i love it
a very underrated movie
posted on 30 Apr 2009I thought that this was a very good movie but underrated by many.Diego Luna feels like he was born for this role and Romola Garai was wonderful. This was Romola's first American movie and although she has an accent(she's Brittain)you don't hear it even one bit. Then there's the dancing. The dancing in this movie was great! Especially considering that neither Luna nor Garai had any dancing experience! You get both Latin dance and Cuban dance. The mix is absolutely wonderful.The music is very pleasing to the ears. You can easily enjoy listening to it outside the movie. The only problem here is that the music is way too modern. This movie is set in the 50's and the music just isn't.All in all you have the feeling that this movie has everything it needs (fine acting, great dancing, good music)even the feel of this movie is good and believe me, the place where it is all set in is just stunningly beautiful. Still there's something not right. And this goes toward the script. The whole movie is well done in story (beside a few very stupid lines)except the last 15-20 minutes. I'm not going to spoil the ending here, you should see it for yourself, but to me it was a disappointing ending. Then there's only one question left: Which one is better? I guess that I have to say that the first dirty dancing is much better. Mostly story like.I said that this movie is very underrated and it is.
Very Nice
posted on 08 Apr 2009I really really liked this movie...There are not many movies I can re-watch immediately, but this one I could.It has very nice dancing'. It has perfect, and I mean perfect soundtrack. This movies is placed in Cuba, just before the rise of Castro. An American family moves there and the family's eldest daughter meets a Cuban boy, and because she is the reason he got fired from his job she wants to help him by offering him a chance to participate in a dance contest with her and win some money and a ticket to America. We watch how they practice and how they get close. The dancing that we see at the contest is beautiful.Performance by both leading actors is great.A nice movie but you have to find the right time to watch it. Timing is everything...
Why did I subject my self to this?
posted on 04 Apr 2009The dancing was horrible and the creativity of actually writing a new movie with out copying the entire first version of Dirty Dancing must have been a concept that was out of the way.The two main characters have absolutely no rhythm, nor acting ability. The only reason that the dancing looked some what decent was the back up dancers doing their thing.Even my love Patrick Swayze didn't do it for me. He was bland...and the whole constantly "sweating" look was annoying.I loved the original.. but this was just blah.Awful
Prounounce her ROM•oh•luh Gary and keep a close watch!
posted on 19 Mar 2009The film is mindless escapism. But Romola Garai is the one to watch. She has starred in
three major releases abroad: Daniel Deronda, Kate Nickleby and I Capture the Castle. Dirty
Dancing: Havana Nights, a film that was obviously anticipated for box office weakness; else
why tie to a 17 year old film? But it helped to mainstream Romola Garai in American and will
undoubtedly serve as a stepping stone toward larger and better projects. It is a shame that
American tend not to view British film making on the whole. Take Lord of the Rings and
Peter Pan and Underworld as examples; carefully crafted, wonderful cinematography. But I
digress. Keep Romola Garai in a mind's eye view for what she will accomplish later on.
Watch Romola Garai
posted on 15 Feb 2009I find it strange that the trailers and titles read Introducing Romola Garai, who is already
quite accomplished, having starred in Daniel Deronda, Nicholas Nicklby and I Capture the
Castle, where she demonstrated a tremendous range in acting. Each of those, however, were
British films, which most of mainstream America wouldn't dream of noticing.
Let me just say
that they were comparable to Shakespeare in Love. I guarantee, though, unless her career
takes a nosedive to high-budget, low cal Am flicks, she's going to be nominated and win an
Academy Award for some future performance. She is truly a fine actress.As for this film, I am bothered by a pic that has to glom off the success of another when it
really has nothing to do with it whatsoever.
what were they thinking??
posted on 14 Jan 2009I love the original, so I thought I would take a look at Havana Nights. In the words of Phoebe "my eyes, my eyes, oh my eyes" (or something like that. The guy (Diego?) who plays Havier is NOTHING compared to Patrick Swayze. He's like a runt. He has no presence, and no chemistry. I have read comments that it is nothing like the original, but it tries sooo much to be like the original it's pathetic. There is the "water-training scene," the "experienced older dancers in the bar" scene, the "oooh, that tickles" scene. It's poorly made. They should never have tacked "Dirty Dancing" on to the title. It raises peoples expectations in a cruel way. After watching this, I am going to have to purge it from my memory by watching the original. Mya's song was good though. Diego moves alright I guess, but his "hotness" factor is small.
DDHN: or why are the tech Oscars there.
posted on 04 Jan 2009Dirty Dancing Havana Nights (DDHN) is, in the whole, a movie with enough strong points to be discarded as cheesy or teeny( which it is) but reaching the barrier where teeny and corny become Larger Than Life and Unforgetabble. sadly, it doesn't cross that threshold only and because the camera and editing' work are SO spectacularly BAD that made4 my teeth ache. The great backgrounds, the charisma of Luna and the real-and-fleshy charm of Garai, and the poetry that made bold DD 1 are all wasted in a shoolyard-like camera use, making such a good ideas and talent all go down the drain, even the fantastic music. Even tyhe best sequences lose half it appeal, even sequences that SHOULD have been real and easy works of art are broken for that clumsy management: there's a shyness and clumsiness that turn the whole story into a long teen play. It could have been great. But its still acceptable. Even if the poor scrawny Cuban boy barely can sweep the fleshy, healthy American girl.
Quite entertaining, but no original
posted on 21 Dec 2008I found this movie to be a great night out for a fun time to watch some great dancing hear some energetic music, and remember why we ALL should learn how to dance. While the plot is extremely predictable and some of the dialogue corny I overall found this film quite fun. My favorite character was definitely Xavier Suarez, who somehow gave some sense of real passion to the film.The little cameo from Mr. Swayze is a little out of place, in addition to the background instrumental of "I've Had the..." in some of the more sentimental spots. This film would have more credibility being its own thing rather than trying to ride on the coattails of the 80s classic. But hey, you have to sell tickets somehow.
The reason a sequel mostly is a big no-no
posted on 15 Nov 2008I rented this movie because of my passion for Latin dance and should be a little bit romantic, I decided to watch it with my girlfriend. Part 1 was new, romantic and had a story, This part is more of the same with a weaker story that could be summarized in 2 lines. The music is okay but the dancing... this is the worst dancing I've ever seen, join a Salsa course and in 2 lessons you'll dance even better than the actors in this movie. The steps are all wrong and timed incorrectly, they keep doing the same 2 dance-figures over and over with no passion and a lot of exaggerated arm movements. This was definitely a waste of time. If you want a romantic dance movie, just stick to the original Dirty Dancing which I would rate with a 7.5.
I cried all night
posted on 05 Nov 2008Dear friends, dreamers, romantic, anyone, who liked Dirty Dancing2! First of all I have to say, that I never saw the first Dirty Dancing movie, so I had no idea what to expect, but it turned out to be the most beautiful and touching movie ever. When the movie ended I could not stop crying. I walked home and cried. I was so sad about the fact that Katey and Javier had to separate, I kept on remembering the sentences: "I'm going to take you with me. I'm going to keep you here." After coming home I danced. I'm learning belly dancing and a bit of flamenco, so some steps they danced were familiar to me. Late in the evening, when I had finished writing my diary I started to cry again. I could not stop. But when I thought about me (Latvian) and the guy I like (English) and can't be with my heart broke. And then again about the movie, I had to repeat the last sentences: "It was not our last dance." to calm down. Frankly speaking that day I had my period and it could be also the reason I was so emotional. The next week I bought CD and then video. I will learn to dance Cuba:)
Rip off
posted on 03 Nov 2008"Dirty Dancing, Havana Nights" is a film that tried to capitalize on a much better film, "Dirty Dancing" that came out in the eighties. This remake suffers from a lack of vision and political incorrectness, so typical with people that have no clue about other cultures, as witnessed by the finished product. It's almost incomprehensible that more than 500 contributors to IMDb have given this film a rating of 10, or excellent, when it feels fake from the beginning.This film is supposed to take place in Havana during the days before the fall of the Batista regime in 1959. The director, Guy Ferlnad, and his writers, present us a Havana in which dancing takes place in almost any corner as we are taken to watch an impromptu rumba dancing by happy "natives" in a busy downtown street. The character of Javier, the proud pool waiter working for the wealthy Americans in either their club, or hotel, shows a rebel streak toward his boss, and a friendly attitude toward the gorgeous Katey Miller, who accepts him as a friend. This situation could only work in the minds of the movie people because in real life, Katey couldn't have cared less for the young man, let alone be associated with him for any kind of social dancing.In fact, there is such sharp contrast between the girl of privilege and a working class poor boy that it would have taken a miracle for bringing them together. Talk about the magic of the movies! This is stretching things a bit too much. Films about Cuba, in general, always show the fateful 1958 New Year's Eve that changed that land forever. We see it again done here as it's the climax of the "dirty dancing" competition where Katey and Javier are finalists.As for the dancing, the people involved in the film have created a hybrid in trying to present what one sees in the movie for "real" dancing, when this type of sensual dancing didn't come into being until the nineties.Diego Luna is a good actor and does what he can with his Javier. Romola Garai is a beautiful young woman to look at, but as far as the dancing, she suffers from a lack of rhythm, so innate in a Cuban, or a Latina and since she is not a dancer, she doesn't keep pace with Javier at all. Sela Ward has some good moments as Katey's mother, and Patrick Swayze shows up as a dancing instructor.Mr. Ferland, the director, should have done some research in Miami, or another area where Cubans still dance in their own fashion and it would have made up for a better dancing in a film that feels fake from beginning to end.
some mistakes in the movie
posted on 24 Sep 2008When Javier and Katey are making love on the beach in the hut u can clearly see her underwear when she moves the covers over. i also hate the way the girl who play's Katey talks when she does her whole face looks weird. She looks like she is having a hard time talking with people. Also Diego Lina is not hot at all he looks like a scrawny teen when he played that part. I really love the Mom and the Sister both ladies made the movie more enjoyable to watch in the end. The music in the movie was absolutely great and is the only reason why i am addicted to watching this film. Jonathen Jackson was good for the brief part that we did see him. I also think that the dancing was great for the fact that neither one of them had any dance experience before. Mom and Dad's story line was really captivating on how they meet and their love for dancing. I just wished the little sister had not said anything to get Katey in trouble before.
Horrible Movie....
posted on 02 Aug 2009My wife has watched the original 1987 film "Dirty Dancing" countless times-the scene where Jennifer Grey & Patrick Swayze do their grand finale is her favorite part. I have watched the original myself-never thought it was a classic-but the music was good and the "feel-good" theme of the movie is hard to ignore. This sequel, which we just watched last night, is the worst movie I have ever seen. I enjoyed Friday the 13th pt 5 more than this (and that has to be the worst movie ever made...)-this movie has nothing to do with the original-Patrick Swayze is on screen for 1/2 a minute or so in 2 inconsequential scenes-the dancing fails to inspire-there is no grand finale-it is interrupted by some unexplained political movement, and the music does not fit the time period for which the movie is supposed to be set in. Stay Away!!!!!