Klutzy musical-comedy has two left feet...

Rating: 6/10 (26 May 2001)

High schoolers in 1959 pair off for nostalgic romance. Musical comedy adapted from the hit Broadway show features choreography so stilted, it's amazing that director Randall Kleiser ever got the juices flowing. His picture has some exhilarating moments, but much of it is fumbled. The sock-hop sequence gives John Travolta a chance to strut his stuff, though the dance moves are mechanical and he comes off looking a little soft (perhaps that's because he's saddled with Olivia Newton-John, who's all fluff). The movie's rampant vulgarity can be deemed "cute" (it seems to make everyone laugh, but is it out of embarrassment?) and the music (some original B-way tunes and several new songs) is half-hearted. The film has a cleverly chosen, colorful supporting cast, and Travolta as Danny Zuko is really in the spirit. It's good-natured and strictly featherweight, but that is no excuse for the finale (which is an insult), nor for the lack of subtlety or the flaunting of its amateurishness. **1/2 from ****