Silly and drab

Rating: 4/10 (23 January 2008)

John Badham ("Stakeout", "Bird on a Wire", "The Hard Way", Short Circuit", "Blue Thunder" and "War Games"), yes John Badham, directed this semi-cult film about disco king Tony Manero (John Travolta), a hardware man by day, at night (especially Saturday night) a guru on the dance floor who can boogie down like no other.
Travolta sure can dance, and his smooth moves will either bring back fond memories, or leave you laughing in the aisles. So too the fashions, with the silky shirts, bell bottoms and platforms all looking hilariously ridiculous. There are, however, few other positives, except perhaps the Bee Gees' groovy soundtrack, with such hits as "Stayin' Alive" and "More Than a Woman".
Backdrop to this 70's hype is a drama involving Tony's gang, family traumas and his pursuit of a beautiful and sophisticated dancer named Stephanie (Karen Lynn Gorney). All this remains in the background as John Badham does not allow Norman Wexler's script to develop in any way, and some very interesting characters, who appear to be real people, are not allowed to come to life. A real shame, as "Saturday Night Fever" could have been a strong melodrama, with some potentially solid performances just crying out to be given equal time.
Badham decided that disco fever would carry the movie alone, and at the time, it was a most shrewd decision. Sixteen years on, the same is not true, and most audiences will find "Saturday Night Fever" a bit silly, drab and even somewhat crass.
Saturday, September 17, 1994 - Valhalla Cinema