“Footloose” a little off beat

Well, thank God Ray-Bans are back in style. “Footloose”

Directed by Craig Brewer

Starring Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid

Grade: C

Well, thank God Ray-Bans are back in style.

In fact, thank God almost all of the aesthetics of ’80s fashion — vests, jean jackets, cowboy boots and, oh, let’s not forget teenage righteous indignation — are back en vogue for the newest “Footloose.” Dated fashion is just one of the bizarre throwbacks crammed ham-handedly into a modern setting throughout the film.

Unfortunately, this remake unsuccessfully tries to mirror the old film while fleshing out the plot and attempting novelty. If this sounds like a contradiction, you’re right. Director Craig Brewer’s film, though not a flop, is unfocused.

For those less acquainted with the film, here’s the gist of both movies: A wisecracking Northerner, Ren, moves to his mom’s podunk Southern hometown, Bomont.

Years earlier, rampant teenage debauchery led to a tragic accident — the death of the pastor’s son — and now drinking, “lewd” music and dancing are prohibited. Unfortunately, our hard-edged Yankee friend is a beat-lovin’ gymnast who can’t keep from busting a move or falling for the pastor’s daughter, Ariel.

Cue the heartwarming story of healing, love and character-building that became a 1984 classic. The remake certainly won’t be a 2011 classic, but it’s both better and worse than anticipated.

To its credit, the movie makes efforts to flesh out and alter the original plot, adding a scene from the original car crash and a new, sadder background story about Ren losing his mother. The storyline works but unfortunately, so many other aspects of the film do not. The movie’s biggest issue is its blatant anachronisms and odd attempts to distinguish itself from the first film.

As for the chronological inconsistency, it’s obvious in the small details. Ariel takes Ren to “the yearbook,” an abandoned train car full of candles and writings, and shows him their contraband music stash of cassette tapes. Why not just break out the phonograph? We’re already more than a decade removed from tapes being commonplace, and it’s a bizarre and unnecessary shout-out to the original movie.

It’s obvious that these details are unnecessary because the plot points that would be more appropriate to pay homage to — like the tractor chicken game with Ariel’s then-boyfriend Chuck — are forsaken for something weirder. Instead of playing chicken on tractors, Chuck, Ren and Chuck’s friends race school buses — all with their own motifs like “The Fun Zone” and decked out with creepy carnival stuffed animals — around a clearly too-small track. It’s painfully absurd.

Sometimes the changes just mess with what’s classic. What should have been one of Ren’s biggest scenes is one of his most awkward — by no fault of the actor. Ren’s big warehouse solo dance act now begins with uncomfortable dialogue when he yells at the people who have wronged him — who aren’t there — and then shifts into rhythmic feats of gymnastics to music with an indiscernable rhythm. It makes the big scene oddly uncomfortable to watch.

But the rest of the dancing is entertaining and refreshingly updated. None of that poppy, perm-shaking bopping for these kids — the new cast combines sensual hip-hop style with fast-footed line dancing in modern combinations. It keeps the plot moving and adds nicely to Willard’s endearing dance lessons.

On that note, Willard (Miles Teller) and Ren’s Uncle Wes (Ray McKinnon) act as bright spots in the film. Their snappy one-liners help them avoid an uneducated bumpkin image and keep the film moving along at a smart pace.

That’s not to say the acting is flawless. As hard as he might try, Kenny Wormald is cute but hardly competition for Kevin Bacon; those are big shoes to fill. His overwrought Boston accent — which is inexplicably absent for the first 20 minutes of the movie — and clean-cut good looks make him seem less like a town-rocking troublemaker and more like a Kennedy impersonator. Still, he manages a charming and athletic performance — if not particularly stunning — performance

Overall, “Footloose” is a film that isn’t sure if it wants to stick to the original or find its own path. Consequently, the finished product is an odd, anachronistic version replete with modern dancing that tries too hard to set itself apart.