A 42-year re-viewing of what most people (at least my age) would consider a classic. It may not get a ton of respect, but it is immensely entertaining, and--I would argue--worthy of the love it gets from a couple of generations of viewers. The lyrics on almost all the songs are really sharp; you notice how clever the songs are when you watch it a couple of times. The performances are good, ranging from fine to a real blast, especially from some of the bit players who inhabit the fringes of the story; the cameos from stars of yesteryear add a lot of fun to the proceedings. Mostly, though, this about the principals, and they deliver the goods. Travolta really is fine, but Olivia Newton-John...oh, my. If nothing else, this movie is about as close as you can get to spending the bulk of two hours with the girl of your dreams, if you're not so lucky in real life. (Few of us are.) Yes, the ending remains problematic, but that's a quibble (and probably says more about me than the ending itself). Mostly, this flick is a joy to watch--which you should do, or do again, before the '50s theme gets another day older and out of date.
