It wasn't as bad as I feared. I enjoyed it.
Bad things firstI (I'll limit it to just a few things)
The Reverend- I love both actors, but Dennis Quaid couldn't compare to John Lithgow in this role. Lithgow felt fragile while Quaid was merely flustered.
Ariel and her boyfriend- There is no reason for Ariel to be dating the dude in the 2011 version. In the original, she at least thought he was a nicer guy than he was. In the remake, one of the first scenes is of Chuck manipulating her to have sex with him. Her character goes along with it and is less likeable because of it.
Ariel's mom- In the original, you never doubt her loyalty to her husband, even if he has gone too far. Dianne Wiest was the exact opposite of Lithgow. Where his character was sturdy on the outside, he was lost and scared on the inside. Her portrayal was meek and mild on the outside, but she had a solid core. In the remake, Andie McDowell's portrayal of the character was at one point, openly antagonistic toward her husband. I think they were going for a tough love kind of thing.
The left out one of my favorite moments. The one where the reverend and his wife go sneak a peek at the dance.
The good:
The opening. It used the original Footloose set to shoes dancing, then closed with the car crash. I knew it was coming, but it still hooked me.
The music was the original songs, updated. They were familiar, but original enough to enjoy.
Willard- the kid that played willard was nearly as good as Chris Penn.
Costumes- nearly identical to the original. made me smile when I saw the red boots.
Improvements- A scene where the reverend mistakes Ren in the shadows for his dead son. Ren tells him that he still hears his mom in grocery stores. In this little moment they share something other that love of Ariel. It was sweet.
Overall, I liked it. Worth seeing once. Still not as good as the original though.