In the theaters

Fans of the 1987 classic “Dirty Dancing” shouldn’t ex-pect to have the time of their lives at Lions Gate and Miramax Films’ latest release, “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.” The film is not quite a sequel to its predecessor, but more of a Cuban-infused revision. Choreographer JoAnn Jensen combines her experiences as a teenager in Cuba with the original “Dirty Dancing” story of two mismatched lovers who are brought together by sexy dance moves.
Rather than taking place in New York’s Catskills in the early 1960s, this film is set in 1958 Havana, right before the Cuban Revolution.
Bookish Katey Miller (Romo-la Garai) is forced to move from her home in St. Louis to Havana during her senior year when her father (John Slattery) takes a position with Ford. She suddenly finds herself out of place at the lavish Hotel Ocean she calls home. There, she is expected to hang out with the country club scene, which is not her thing. Her mother and sister (Sela Ward, Mika Boorem) have no trouble adapting to their new-found glamorous lifestyles.
After Katey sets her eyes on Javier (Diego Luna), one of the hotel waiters, dancing in the streets, she becomes fascinated with the Cuban’s approach to dancing-free and sensuous. Javier catches Katey practicing his moves in the hotel, and invites her to experience the local nightlife at La Rosa Negra, where all they do is dirty dancing. Katey had already promised one of the boys from the country club, James (Jonathan Jackson) a date that same night. She talks James into taking her to the club, where she ends up being walked home by Javier after a night of steamy dancing.
Unsurprisingly, Javier is fired the next day after violating hotel rules about fraternizing with guests. To help him out, Katey suggests the couple should combine their dance skills; her ballroom grace, learned from her parents, and his Latin moves to enter a Latin Ballroom competition to be held on New Year’s Eve. The grand prize is $300 and a plane ticket to the States.
To prepare for the competition, they must spend a lot of time practicing their routine. Their rehearsals take place in the predictable medley of scenes-rooftops, in the water, at the hotel studio, etc. Katey also has to learn to trust her partner and feel the rhythm.
Fans of the original “Dirty Dancing” will be delighted to see Patrick Swayze (with a little plastic surgery) appear as a hotel dance instructor, who encourages Katey to keep her head up. He doesn’t help her to develop her dancing skills or choreography.
As the night of the big competition draws closer, their blooming romance is being overshadowed by the worries of a revolution, and the realization that Katey’s parents might discover the couple’s dance skills.
The cities of San Juan and Ponce, Puerto Rico, are a convincing stand-in for Havana. But, the actors are not convincing enough to make the audience believe that there is any chemistry. Luna and Garai are both attractive, young stars who move well on the dance floor. However, the romance between the two is nowhere to be found.
Despite the weaknesses in the script, and the poor acting, you’ll probably find yourself walking out of the theater with your body gyrating and hips wiggling ready to go out and dance the night away. The soundtrack mixes Latin beats with hip-hop by artists such as Black Eyed Peas and Christina Aguilera. The costumes will grab your attention as well, especially the styles worn in the clubs.