Sobreviviendo

I don't understand why critics always scorn this film. OK, it doesn't have the magic of its predecessor "Saturday Night Fever", but it works as an "80's point of view" of the original film. The thing is that you should watch this film as a single one, not a 'sequel'. It has nothing to do with "Saturday Night Fever" but the main character Tony Manero (once again played by John Travolta) and his mother (Julie Bovasso) in a brief appearance. Fast forward from 1977 to 1983. Now Tony wants to be a Broadway star and keeps his struggle for a more mature purpose, as he himself is more mature. Manero's "moody girl" here is Laura (Finola Hughes, not so convincing), who also looks down on him. The funniest thing about "Staying Alive" is that it is directed by Sylvester Stallone! (No one remembers...) The soundtrack is one of my favorite, although it didn't received the deserved attention at the time of its release, nor did the movie itself. (I think people were afraid of another 'Bee Gees fever'). After this film, Travolta's career fell out of the spotlight only to be retaken in late 80's with "Look Who's Talking". Summarizing, in my opinion it is a very good movie, but don't expect this to be another "Saturday Night Fever".

Not good, but not as bad as it is made out to be.

Plot is thin, but the behind-the-scenes look at a Broadway dance show is interesting. Far too much time is spent on the actual show though, making you think that the whole movie may as well have been one big recording of a dance show.

Music is kind of cheesy, specially the music in the Broadway production.

Acting is so-so. Cynthia Rhodes gives probably the only convincing performance. John Travolta is his usual one-dimensional self and Finola Hughes is irritating.

Continuing my plan to watch every Sly Stallone movie in order, I come to Saturday Night Fever.

Plot In A Paragraph: In this sequel to Saturday Night Fever, former disco king Tony Manero (John Travolta) has left Brooklyn and lives in Manhattan. He stays in a cheap hotel and works as a dance instructor by day and as a waiter at a dance club on a night, trying to succeed as a professional dancer on Broadway. The breakaway from his Brooklyn life, family and friends seems to have matured Tony and refined his personality, represented by his diminished accent and his avoidance of alcohol and swear words. However, certain things have not changed, as with his most recent girlfriend, who's a dancer and also the singer of a band. He feels free to pursue other women, but gets very jealous if someone looks at her too long.

Stallone has Travolta looking the heat he ever looked, the movie movies at a good pace and is entertaining enough, while not getting close to the first movie. Despite a critical mauling, this was one of the 1983 top ten most successful films at the box-office.

To date this is the only movie Sly has directed, that he didn't star in. Which I think is a shame, as he is a talented director.

Seeing this film on TV again the other night made me wonder how amazing the human body is.... or more specifically John Travolta's body.

In Michael and Get Shorty he had a tremendous girth for the character's roles yet the films before and after Phenomenon and Broken arrow show a different size. and then we have the extreme end of the scale in this film. Sly Stallone trained Travolta for 3 months to get him into the rippling muscled fat free condition he displays in this film.

It just goes to show you that your fat levels aren't really THAT predetermined by birth and genetics afterall. All you have to to is be committed to attaining a the shape you want to be. Travolta can be slim, medium or large build, muscled, fat or average depending on the film role his ability in this regard is second only to Robert deNiro of raging Bull and Cape fear physique abilities.

Travolta wil never be out of work while he is able to mold himself into his characters. The charcter of Tony would not have been believeable in this film in any shape other than the one depicted by John Travolta in this film. he got it spot on --- in appearance, line delivery and overall feeling!

7/10

I would give Staying Alive 1 star for actual goodness, and 10 stars for being in that rare category of movie that is so awful it's great. I will say that John Travolta is good dancer and his character is actually rather well portrayed here. But the film itself: ZOMG. The dance sequences are cheesy as hell. I have almost hurt myself from laughing so hard. It's like everyone in the movie lives in a world where cruise ship shows are considered the apex of entertainment. The script is a knock off of a knock off of a knock off of 42nd Street, with obvious rip-offs of All That Jazz. The choreographer character is straight out of the book of Hollywood clichés. The love triangle is as flimsy and transparent as used Saran wrap. The songs are all ridiculously over-earnest, especially the echo-laden 'Dance Close to the Fire' sequence. But I gotta say: watching this is pure joy. Pure 'oh my god I can't believe I'm watching this' guilty pleasure joy.