Amazon.com Customer Reviews
 Rated 3 out of 5
The music saves the day...
Despite the awful costuming, the preponderance of stars on roller-skates, and a jaw-droppingly weird Don-Bluth animated sequence, XANADU is a guilty pleasure. An odd amalgam of old-fashioned movie musical cliches and 1980s pop-rock music, we can overlook Michael Beck's wooden performance and concentrate on Olivia Newton-John's loveliness and Gene Kelly's, well, Kelly-ness. The music, by John Farrar and ELO's Jeff Lynne, is some of the best pop of the era. The idea of the film, that one of the mythological Greek muses comes to Earth to give inspiration to a struggling painter, is not new to film, but the clunky way it's presented here is charming and light. The ersatz visual effects are quaint and funny when viewed today and help the overall "glitz" factor that the film was aiming for so desperately. Picture and sound on the DVD couldn't be better, and it's great to see the film letterboxed after all its full-frame exposure on television and video. XANADU helped to destroy the movie musical genre, but when compared to say, MAME, it isn't really so bad! Rated 4 out of 5
Still one of my favorites
First off, let's get one thing clear. The acting in this
movie is dismal. Michael Beck couldn't act his way out of
a wet paper bag in this thing (he did a better acting job
in "Megaforce", which should tell you just how bad he
was in this movie). Gene Kelly was wasted. At least Olivia
Newton-John had one or two moments where she let a believable
reaction slip out. In fact, the best acting performance in
this movie was probably turned in by Michael Beck's boss.That having been said, I highly recommend this movie. Why? One reason: it's a sensual extravaganza. Both musically
and visually, it's a feast. If you can sit through the
bad acting, you'll be rewarded with lush production numbers,
incredible visuals, and fantastic musical treats by ELO. If you're a fan of late-70's/early-80's music, by all
means get this movie. If not, if you're a Gene Kelly
fan, steer clear; it'll break your heart to see the
acting job Mr. Kelly put in. If you're looking for story,
depth, or acting, forget it. If you're looking for a good time that's not intellectually
demanding but is a lot of fun, this is a good choice. - Rated 4 out of 5
Guilty Pleasure
Cheesy, yet strangely fulfilling. Like a car accident, you can't help but watch it. Why is it under my "James Woods" search, though?
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