Broadway Musical Makes It Big With Disco Sounds

Rating: 7/10 (7 March 2008)

John Travolta, & Olivia Newton-John dominate this film. Everyone else is just a bit player though kudos to Eve Arden who has a nice cameo here even though she was getting pretty long in the tooth when this was made. There are some others who do nice support, but it is clear from the beginning who the big man & woman on campus are in this one.
There is a little bit of a side plot about losing virginity which was really a mild plot for 1979. The rest of the film & the main plot is that John & Olivia are in love. If you realize this before watching the film, your better off. There is no rocket science in this movie.
This film is a transformation film though. It has elements of the big musicals of the past & the start of the transition to the 1980's style musical. Past musicals have big stages & production numbers. This movie has that. 1980's Musicals have a feel good, put your brain away feeling & light plot. This movie has that too.
The disco beat dominates the sound track with Franki Vali warbling the closing theme in dominate fashion. The disco makes sense as Travolta had done Saturday Night Fever shortly before this one. The photography & staging are crisp. The film is the right length that the performance don't get bogged down. Even Travoltas voice is OK doing the songs (unless that is lip sync-hing). This is by far the biggest of the 27 films Randal Kleiser has directed even though he also did Big Top Pee Wee.
This is a put your brain away for something light on a Saturday afternoon type of film.