( CNN ) -- I believe in remakes . `` Father of the Bride , '' `` Ocean 's Eleven , '' `` The Parent Trap '' ... Each version was a classic in its own time . And despite the fact that the recently announced `` Dirty Dancing '' remake -- most likely -- wo n't hold a candle to the 1987 dance flick , I 'm optimistic . With all the buzz surrounding `` Dirty Dancing '' 2.0 , which will be directed by the original film 's choreographer , Kenny Ortega , it 's easy to forget that this is n't the first reboot . In 2004 , `` Dirty Dancing : Havana Nights '' was released . And this brings me to my confession : I really liked `` Havana Nights . '' Before you skip down to the comments section and unleash fury , I am aware that `` Havana Nights '' is n't nearly as good as `` Dirty Dancing . '' Diego Luna and Romola Garai do n't even look like Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey 's understudies . But if you take it for what it is , a dance movie with its own spin on a classic storyline , it 's really an enjoyable flick . Plus , there are some pretty funny scenes -- whether or not they were intended to be comical , I 'm not sure . `` Havana Nights '' worked because it did n't try to introduce us to a new Baby , a new Johnny Castle , or even a present day Catskills resort . It took what I have officially dubbed the `` Friends With Benefits '' approach : Same story , different movie . `` Friends With Benefits , '' starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake , hit theaters just six months after Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher 's `` No Strings Attached . '' Both films featured two friends attempting to engage in a casual , sexual relationship . Of course , in `` Dirty Dancing 's '' case , 17 years went by before another film adopted the plotline . Like the original , `` Havana Nights '' is a period piece , of sorts -- it takes place during the late 1950s during the Cuban Revolution . At the beginning of the film , Katey ( Garai ) has just moved to Cuba with her family . There she meets Javier ( Luna ) , a bus boy and talented Latin dancer who teaches her some moves . Just replace a few Kellerman 's performances with a Latin ballroom competition , and substitute `` ( I 've Had ) The Time of My Life '' for Mya 's `` Do You Only Wan na Dance '' and you can probably fill in the rest . Also , I 'm a sucker for movie montages . There 's nothing better than watching a series of events play out while simultaneously listening to a catchy track . In the case of `` Havana Nights , '' about halfway through the movie , scenes of the couple rehearsing their moves on a rooftop and at the beach are backed by Wyclef Jean and Claudette Ortiz 's `` Dance Like This . '' They even have their own , less challenging , version of Swayze and Grey 's dramatic lift . Here 's my point : The movie was n't trying to be the next `` Dirty Dancing . '' It was simply recycling a winning formula . In the interest of full disclosure , `` Havana Nights '' absolutely bombed at the box office . With a budget of $ 25 million , it only grossed about $ 14 million nationally . It could have been the relatively unknown cast . Though , Luna had a budding career in Latin America before channeling Swayze in 2004 . John Slattery and Sela Ward appeared in the film as Katey 's conservative parents . Maybe people felt protective of `` Dirty Dancing , '' and chose to rebel against a film that dared to mooch off its name . With so many fans already up in arms over Kenny Ortega 's impending update -- countless groups opposing the flick have popped up on Facebook this week -- it will be interesting to see if people make it to the box office . I know I will .
I have a confession to a make : I enjoyed Madonna 's ` ` Dirty Dancing : Havana Nights '' With a budget of $ 20 million , ` ` Havana Nights '' only grossed about $ 14 million nationally . The remake will be directed by the original film 's choreographer , Kenny Rogers .