GetPapa Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Alistair Olson After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Phillida Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

rionrustle-1 Just because it is the sequel to a completely different type of movie doesn't make this movie any less exceptional of a film. Put the word "great" in front of any these words and you will know what I think of this movie: script, dialogue, dancing, acting, cinematography, lighting, drama, fun, romance, comedy, directing, the ending, EVERYTHING! If you love dance and stage shows then you'll love this movie! Just go into it without thinking it's going to be anything like Saturday Night Fever because it's not. It just so happens that the lead character is still named Tony Manero. I saw this movie before I saw Saturday Night Fever so I had no expectations for it and I think it is fantastic!

caspian1978 Being a sequel to a movie classic is almost a guarantee shortfall. Very few sequels live up to the original. Sylvester Stallone diversifies his portfolio by writing and directing Staying Alive. If you are a fan of Saturday Night Fever, or just the character of Tony, you will sit through and enjoy somewhat of Staying Alive. Much like returning to Narnia, you know the story, the characters and the world in which it all takes place. You the audience is somehow connected being familiar with the story long before the opening credits. Many fans will feel cheated because this is not Brooklyn, disco is dead and it's no longer the 70's. Staying Alive is everything early 80's with big hair, Don Johnson white suites, big hair, new wave music, big hair and leg warmers. Compared to Rocky 4, both movies are almost identical in length and the number of montages used. Both are 90 minute music videos, both stories are broken into segments of musical numbers, montages and one-on-one / face-to-face conversations with dialogue that tries to build up the development of the main character: Rocky & Tony. Finola Hughes plays Laura, a female version of Tony. Much like in Saturday Night Fever, Tony is drawn into a female conquest where sex is not all he is after. Looking to grow as a character and lust for the life that they portray, Tony once again is trying to prove to himself that he deserves it. Staying Alive is visually and artistically stimulating. This is not a Salvador Dali painting, but, it is far from a dull / standard film. Then again, it is not half the story that Saturday Night Fever told. In the end, the movie makes Travolta and Stallone look good with very little substance outside the visual eye candy. The story ends where its prequel began. Rejoice young man in thy youth, Tony struts throughout the streets of New York City looking for his next journey.

Larry Cosgrove After reading countless raving or at least positive reviews for this film, I felt that I needed to air a sane opinion.I recently watched Staying Alive on a cable network, 32 years after its original debut. The same reasons why the movie did not work then are present now. It was dated (seemed worlds away from 1977 yet felt out of joint in 1983). The acting outside of John Travolta (who, give the evil his due, was excellent) was wooden. Finola Hughes and Cynthia Rhodes had zero chemistry with Travolta (oddly, Tony Manero's "fan club" had an excellent charge with John). Even the sorry "walk back to Brooklyn sequence" failed to stir a link to the previous Saturday Night Fever.Sum it up to bad writing, worse acting, and yes, awful direction. And when Frank Stallone has the best song in the soundtrack (Far From Over), you know you are in deep trouble. Staying Alive is not the worst flick that you will ever see. But it will leave the viewer to think what could have been if the ghosts of the Disco Era had truly been left behind. And, if Travolta had a better cast and script to work with.

Desertman84 Staying Alive is a sequel to the 1977 disco cult classic Saturday Night Fever.It features John Travolta as the memorable Tony Manero,who is back after 5 years of the events of the original film.In this film,he is trying to get a break that will showcase his talent of dancing to everyone at Broadway and he falls in and out of love.It co-stars Cynthia Rhodes and Finola Hughes.The title comes from the Bee Gees popular song "Stayin' Alive", which was used in both the original and sequel film.Sylvester Stallone co-wrote and directed the film.While Saturday Night Fever is a cult classic,Staying Alive is a forgettable sequel.Too bad that the movie basically consists of dance sequences between dramatic scenes and nothing more.It does not go deep into characterization and the story is empty and fabricated.Everything from the story and plot element are clichés and the characters are clichés.The viewer can see through everything and predict what will happen since the first scene.Too bad that a cult classic does not deserve something like this.