Two of a Kind reviews
Not a huge amount of love for Two of a Kind from the press, though the soundtrack album fared a little better.
NEW YORK Can it really have been that difficult to find a passable screen vehicle for John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John? Any old romantic fluff should have sufficed, and yet something as horrible as “Two of a Kind” has been tailor-made for its stars.
The results are so disastrous that absolutely no one is shown off to good advantage, with the possible exception of the hairdressers involved. The coiffures don’t always upstage the material, but when they do. It’s a blessing “Two of a Kind” has a plot that supposedly originates in heaven.
God (with voice supplied by Gene Hackman, who had the good sense to go uncredited, are all set to destroy the world, when a band of angels (including Beatrice Straight, Charles Durning and Scatman Crothers) involve him in a wager. If the two selfish earthlings played by Travolta and Newton-John can somehow become better people and if they can fall in love the world will be saved.
Those may not sound like very high stakes, but in view of the characters the two stars play, the bet seems virtually unwinnable. Travolta plays an unsuccessful inventor, who keeps a poster of Einstein on his wall; Newton- John is a bank teller with Queen Elizabeth on her wall (clearly, the set designer has worked overtime).
“Two of a Kind,” which marks the directing debut of John Herzfeld, seems utterly rootless, geographically and otherwise. It’s not even clear what city we’re supposed to be seeing; one car chase begins in Manhattan and then appears to shift to some boulevard in Los Angeles, which has been relabeled “83rd Street.”
Far more damaging is the fact that no element of reality has been allowed to intrude on the pure show business superficiality of the exercise. The film is so synthetic that when the Devil (Oliver Reed) and the angels do battle, they use today’s home-video techniques for their weaponry. “Freeze,” cries one side, and the action stops. “Fast-Forward!” cries the other. “Rewind!”
Not even the most ardent Travolta or Newton-John fans are liable to like the stars’ notions of how these characters should behave. Travolta has nothing better to do here than he did in “Staying Alive”; these have been two of a kind for him, and a third could be calamitous.
Newton-John makes a very unconvincing young career girl, and the fact that’s she’s also supposed to be an aspiring actress leads to dialogue about her dramatic talents that is, under the circumstances, embarrassing.
By Janet Maslin, New York Times News Service
22 Dec 1983, Bay Area Reporter
John Travolta said in an interview that he and Olivia, Newton-John wanted to repeat their Grease success, but couldn’t find anything suitable until they found this script.
I’m beginning to think Travolta is just a good looking but slightly dumb kid who happened to luck out. He selected this script willfully?
It’s a sappy little movie that starts in heaven with God (represented by a beam of light that looks like a Wizard of Oz left-over) and his Guardian Angels debating the worthiness of man. God wants to flood morally corrupt mankind out and makes a bet about our worth with his Angels, who want to prove that some of us are good.
So they change the life of Travolta, mix him up with Olivia, and get embroiled in a fight with the devil, Oliver Reed. It’s all quite silly fantasy, something a stoned 13-year-old might enjoy. Newton-John sings a few songs. Travolta takes off his shirt. God loses his bet.
By M. Lasky
23 Dec 1983, Desert Sun
By Carol Olten, Copley News Service
HOLLYWOOD - In “Two of a Kind,” the Supreme Being has decided the world he created is so miserably cor-rupt that he wants to stage a flood and destroy everything in order to start over again.
But four angels beg that mankind be given another chance. A deal is struck between the Supreme Being and the angels; if they find two humans who will sacrifice themselves to each other the flood will be forestalled. As the guinea pigs the angels choose Zack, a young Inventor of generally silly gimmicks who is inspired by pet rocks, and a bank teller named Debbie who wants to be an actress. The setting is New York.
Successful movies have been created from frothier fantasies, but not in the witless, sophomoric fashion that this picture has been made under the direction of John Herzfeld, who also wrote the thin, underdeveloped script. Casting muscular John Travolta as the inventor is another mistake, along with featuring Olivia Newton-John as the co-star.
There was chemistry between the two when they portrayed romantic partners in “Grease,” to a certain extent because it was a vehicle that allowed them to exercise their flashy style. But “Two of a Kind” is a limp little comedy and the two stars are like a pair of professionally skilled showmen trapped in a community theater production of “Arsenic and Old Lace.” They’re not funny together.
Worse, they’re unconvincing as lovers.
Herzfeld’s considerably dumb script has Zack and Debbie meeting as he tries to rob a bank where she works to get himself cash to pay off loan sharks. He fails in the robbery, but on a whim, Debbie decides to take home a sack of money she has scooped together for herself. She fixes up her apartment and enrolls in acting classes. Zack, süll unsuccessfully trying to market such gimmicks as edible sunglasses, follows her home and starts hanging around. An affection begins to develop between them. But they also get in petty quarrels. To complicate matters, Debbie begins to feel guilty about being a thief.
Meanwhile, in heaven or, at least, somewhere amidst a sea of white clouds The Supreme Being and the angels are watching Zack and Debbie and taking notes on their behavior. A week has been allotted for their development into virtuous, honest and loving human beings. But it begins to look more and more like they will fail and another great flood will ensue.
23 Dec 1983, Santa Cruz Sentinel
Movies, Sex symbol marathon
PERSONALLY, I would rather have a root canal than sit through an Olivia Newton-John movie; at least in the dentist’s office you have a convenient bowl to spit up in. But career assination is one thing and a review of her new movie, “Two of a Kind,” is another. What you’re reading, however, is somewhere in between.
“Two of a Kind” is meant to be a “close encounter” of the sex symbol kind with John “Pass the Crisco” Travolta functioning as the other half of titular “Two.” This is their first movie together since the super-super-super successful “Grease” just five short years ago, which is big news for “Entertainment Tonight” writers. The fact “Grease” outgrossed the vastly superior “Saturday Night Fever” proves something, maybe even the arrival of the Anti-Christ.
As mindless, TV-movie style entertertainment “Two of a Kind” works beautifully, not very surprising since it heralds the feature film debut of TV-movie veteran John Herzfeld (Emmy winner for the ABC Afterschool Special, “Stoned”). This is not to imply an inherent inferiority of television in and of itself, just the inherent inferiortiy of TV movies in general. What all this means is that “Two of a Kind” was not worth the wait if you’ve been expecting something extra-special from these two stars. And it’s certainly not worth the wait if you have some root canal work to be done.
Travolta plays Zack Melon, a flakey amateur inventor much in the style of those Walt Disney teen-pix of the ’60s (but reflecting the ’50s) which starred Tommy Kirk or Fred MacMurray. Zack has borrowed some cash from loan sharks, this being a New York City picture, in the hopes of marketing his oddball inventions (stuff like edible sunglasses). Now he can’t pay up. Naturally, he resorts to bank robbery in order to satisfy his hostile creditors.
.Newton-John is Debbie Wylder, the bank teller who flirts with Zack during his goofy hold-up. She’s fired for being so brazen, but that just gives her more time to try landing an acting job. Besides, she gave Zack a bag full of scrap paper and took the money for herself (hope this doesn’t spoil it for you).
But wait, there’s a whole other level to this lighthearted romantic fluff. Using the whimsical, yet metaphysical, manner of such classic social satires as “Here Comes Mr. Jordon” (retold in the recent “Heaven Can Wait”) or even “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Two of a Kind” boasts The Supreme Being as a supporting character. It seems his His-ness has just figured out that Mankind is beyond redemption, so it’s time bring everyone on up and try it all over again. Four concerned angels (featuring Charles Durning and Scatman Crothers) ask for one last chance to demonstrate that Mankind is worthwhile. And guess who they pick as the guinea pigs.
Yes folks, if Zack and Debbie, who naturally meet again after the hasty bank job, can each make some kind of sacrifice for each other, this will settle matters for the Big Guy Upstairs. But our four humanistie proponents must also deal with Oliver Reed’s Mr. Beezley (as in Beezebub). And the next hour and a half details. how all these elements intermesh, and come to pass.
Frankly, I found “Two of a Kind” quite bearable. So if you have to take your little sister to it, or if that cute cheerleader won’t even consider anything else, then be prepared for a pleasant surprise. But for more meaningful cornedy entertainment, check out “D.C. Cab” or “To Be or Not to Be.”
By J.A. Conner, Sentinel Correspondent
12 Jan 1984, Oak Leaf
“Two of a Kind” is just what the world needed, another utterly pathetic movie. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John are back as the perfect couple. But, this time their relationship will determine the fate of mankind. Sound ridiculous? That’s because it is.
It seems God has decided that there are no good people left on earth, so He is going to destroy the world again, despite his promises not to (“Promises are made to be broken.” He says.) But the angels are out to stop him. Just think how crowded it would be with all of those people in heaven!
Trying to prove Him wrong, the angels point to John Travolta as an example of a nice honest person. But to the angels dismay, John is on his way to rob a bank to pay back the Mob. Oh well, there’s always the bank teller; maybe she’s decent. But Olivia’s low on cash too, so she takes the money herself and lets John take the rap.
“Give them another chance!” the angels implore. (Give us a break, the audience moans.) In any case, God agrees to allow one week for these two perfect strangers to make a big sacrifice for each other. Otherwise, it’s curtains for the world as we know it. So, the angels toddle on down to earth to give John and Olivia a hand and contend with the Devil.
This plot is enough to make you sick, but if that doesn’t do it, the acting will. Actually, Travolta and Newton-John don’t do too bad considering what they have to work with. As for the rest of the cast, well, let’s just say they belong in this movie. If it wasn’t for God, the angels, and the Devil the movie might have been salvaged. However, these folks did a few nifty tricks, such as fast-forwarding and reversing time. The effects were kind of neat, but this doesn’t help the movie.
You can just guess what happens in the end. (We’re still here, aren’t we?) The plot is ridiculous, the acting terrible, and the conclusion holds no surprises. But, if you like John Travolta’s body, or getting nauseated, go see “Two of a Kind.”
By Annie Fitzpatrick
17 Feb 1984, Santa Cruz Sentinel
VARIOUS ARTISTS: "Two of a Kind" soundtrack, MCA Records
This soundtrack from the film, “Two of a Kind,” has spawned two successful singles, “Twist of Fate” by Olivia Newton-John and “Take a Chance,” a duet with Miss Newton-John and John Travolta, the film’s co-stars.
The twosome starred together in “Grease” in 1978 and scored top 10 status with “Summer Nights,” so this is a follow-up, in a sense.
Newton-John has three cuts on the album none particularly innovative yet it’s refreshing to hear her try a different producer, David Foster, for the first time since her breakthrough in the early ’70s. Foster, incidentally, is the producer of most of the set, except for the lone Journey cut, “Ask the Lonely,” and longtime Olivia Newton-John contributor Steve Kipner’s ‘s debut.
Most of the alburn is uneventful at best, but there are a few surprises worth mentioning. Boz Scaggs, with his regular producer and David Foster and a few members from Toto, contributes the high point of the album with “The Perfect One.”
It reminds the listener of Scaggs’ chart absence, since he was a staple on late ’70s radio. Patti Austin adds “It’s Gonna Be Special,” a Quincy Jones-produced number. Austin has quite a voice; she is one of the most underrated vocalists on the scene today.
The nadir of “Two of a Kind” is “Prima Donna” by Chicago, which sounds downright silly adopting a dance-oriented rock beat.
By Peter Fields