Staying Alive (1983)

"Saturday Night Fever" was Gene Siskel's favorite movie and I doubt he was pleased with this. I read Roger Ebert's review of it and I make mostly the same points as him. The characters and dialogue are all clichéd. Everything is just too predictable. I kept waiting the whole movie to hear "Staying Alive" as that was the title of the film! They do play it at the very end so I'm give them that.

The plot is that Tony (John Travolta) tries to become a dancer in a stage play called "Satan's Alley". He's involved in a love triangle kind of like the first movie, only not entertaining. This movie is just plain boring and it wasn't even saved by that bizarre play at the end. At least, unlike "Grease 2" they got the lead actor back. Travolta certainly trained hard for this. It wasn't worth it. *1/2

Fmovies: I think this movie is really underrated. Even though it is a little predictable and the acting is not the greatest, i LOVE it and i think that it is worth watching. Me and my sister must've watched it over fifty times. The music is great and the dancing is entertaining. John Travolta is always cool and every character is unique and likable, even Butler(wink) and Laura, the witch. It is humorous at many parts and, (i know i'll get attacked by this comment), but i liked it way better than the first movie. But i liked Grease 2 also. Please watch Staying Alive, it's really good. And if you like dancing movies, watch the In-crowd (1988), it's cool.

I'm usually not so blunt in my evaluations of movies, but this is one of the worst I've ever seen. Emotions expressed by clenched jaws and popping eyes, broad and unbelievable plot, people interacting by heaving their chests and stalking away, choreography that makes the dancers look like swarming raptors. Tony Manero has been turned into a nasty, selfish, spoiled brat with none of the charm he exhibited in Saturday Night Fever. It's hard to ruin his terrific dancing ability, but the dance scenes are so over produced with fog machines, slo-mo camera shots and flashing lights, that the dancing is almost lost in the process. It's also all shot at the same pace. Dancers don't leap at the same pace as thy pas de bourre. The thrumming, squealing guitar music does nothing to help the dancers whose facial expressions look like they are constantly in pain. I don't blame them. This is a misconceived, over produced...I don't know what it is. Note to director: a director never runs the lighting board in the theatre. I guess that's what particularly bothers me. It's supposed to be a Broadway production and anyone who's ever been involved with a Broadway show would find this movie totally unbelievable. The whole tone of it is just nasty.

Staying Alive fmovies. After the success of „Rocky 3" and „Rambo : First blood " Stallone decided to do something new – direct a music movie . It wouldn't be a directorial debut for Stallone – he has directed "Paradise alley" and "Rocky 2" before . I guess he had some kind of vision , because in the 80's movies like "Flashdance" (1983) , "Footloose" (1984) and "Dirty dancing" (1987) were very popular and blockbuster hits. "Staying alive " – Stallone's sequel to " Saturday night fever" – is unlike the movies I've mentioned before forgotten today and for a good reason. "Staying alive" is a bad movie that doesn't have any of the elements that a good music movie should have.

The hero . "Flashdance" had sweet Jennifer Beals , "Footloose" had charismatic Kevin Bacon, "Dirty dancing" had sympathetic Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. Travolta in "SNF" was kinda likable . Here , he's an asshole only interesting in his career and who seems to toy with women.

The music . Irene Cara "What a feeling (Flashdance)" , Michel Sembello "Maniac" , Kenny Loggins "Footloose" , Deniece Williams "Let's hear it for the boy" , Bill Medley and Jennifer xxx "Time of my life" , Patrick Swayze "She's like the wind" , Eric Carmen "Hungry eyes"Â… Those are only few great pop songs that you can find in "Flashdance" , "Footloose" and "Dirty dancing". Music is the heart of music movie . If you don't have good music , you have nothing . In "SNF" we had wonderful Bee Gees songs . "Staying alive " brings us new Bee Gees songs plus a couple of songs of Frank Stallone (Sylvester's brother) and few songs of other artists . And you know what ? The music is completely forgettable . After one song ends you will completely forget about it the moment the other will start . There are no hits on this soundtrack . The Bee Gees this time instead of making catchy disco songs prepared cheesy ballads that are hard to swallow . It's surprising , but actually Frank Stallone's songs like "Far from over " and "Waking up" are the best songs on the album . Still , they really aren't anything special.

The dance sequences . Dance in club with water and in the ballet class – "Flashdance" . Dancing in an empty fabric – "Footloose" . Dancing really hard dance with raising your partner above your head – "Dirty dancing". All those dances are impressive and really memorable . Here ? The training dance between Travolta and Cynthia Rhodes is one of the cheesiest and unintentionally laughable things I've seen. Even worse is the final Broadway show that looks like a cheap porno show in a brothel.

The story . Well , actually the story is never a strong part of music movie. Still , the movies I've mentioned had well made love stories and every character knew what he wanted . In "Staying alive " the love triangle is unbelievable . I don't know if in the end Travolta really wanted to achieve success and what made him change his mind. His relationships in the movie are barely understandable.

The only good scene in the movie is the one when Sylvester appears . The movie also has typical Stallone's silly and dialogue that is enjoyable. With no music , story , dance sequences and heroes audience coul

For those of you who think this movie is a let down, then I am afraid you are let down.

This 80's classic has more fever in its final scene than the whole of the first movie put together.

Okay the first one rocked, get over it, its a story about life and having the confidence to go for it. There is not a part in this movie that is I personally don't like, in fact I could probably read the script start to finish. I ain't no freak but this movie is quite simply a master piece, It is the Rocky IV of dance movies and twice the film at that. Its a progression of his life, the disco days are gone and he needs to get something going to quench his thirst for life. It if anything teaches you to reach for the the unattainable, the only barriers in life are the ones we put up our selves, Manero teaches us we can go all the way and not sell ourselves short. Read between the lines 80's Edam and I love it!

I GIVE YOU THE LEAD IN A Broadway SHOW AND YOU WALK OUT THE DOOR!

Count it Down! and 5678.

What, no user comments for Staying Alive? Well then I guess I better add one. :) This movie is entertaining, but I must tell you, I always thought this film was considered a BIG flop until I checked business information here. Hell, it made almost 70 million - that doesn't sound like too much of a flop to me.

Staying Alive is a pretty good film, though not even close to the MONSTER that Saturday Night Fever was years earlier. It has a nice soundtrack (again, how can it compare to the one from the first film - TWENTY MILLION albums sold is no easy feat to match) and manages to make us still love Tony Manero no matter how big of a dork he is at times.

Yeah, the film is unbelievable and silly as hell at times, but it's still a good hour and half of fun to check out when you have time. How many people remember this film was directed by Sylvester Stallone? Not many. Look for his cameo performance (he bumps into Travolta on the street while passing by) as well as hearing someone yell "Yo Adrian! Showtime" while the dancers are preparing for their show toward the end of the film. Corny stuff, but fun, and Tony can still strut. Enjoy!