The path to hell is paved with good intentions. Director Sylvester Stallone’s Staying Alive looked to elevate Tony Manero and his continued adventures. However Saturday Night Fever wasn’t just a great film, it was cultural touchstone with global reach.
I don’t think that this sequel killed Travolta’s career, but was a sobering “bump in the road” after a decade of being a pop culture icon.
In another multiverse, there were four more Tony Manero movies. Unfortunately, Sly couldn’t “Rocky” the character into a franchise, like his beloved pugilist.
The sheer ambition of Staying Alive isn’t lost on me. Travolta’s dance moves and shredded physique are incredible. However, that alone doesn’t make the overall film work. No matter what this second film was, it couldn’t follow the first.
Tony Manero was best served by being entombed in the amber of the 1970’s. With the Bee Gee’s thumping and cocaine fueled patrons packed into a Brooklyn sweat box, dancing the night away in a discotheque that could only exist in the shadow of our memories.
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