Two of a Kind (1983)

I agree, it is not a great movie. I agree I saw it first about 25 years ago and that's when I got a fan. I did not like Travolta back then and I have never liked him since, but Olivia Newton-John is so charming and I also liked the idea of actually nice/helpful angels and that even the devil is more sensible and helpful than God (who clearly can not care about mankind given the state of the world - forever, so no change/ test/... here) - to cut it short: it charmed me and I enjoyed it back then and I did again when I watched it recently (except for the soundtrack - ugh). If you have nostalgia or just want to have a nice movie evening, give it a try, do not expect too much and just enjoy.

"Two of a Kind" originally opened citywide at Christmas time 1983 without any pre-release screenings for the critics (and you know what they say...they must have something to hide!). True, the wheezing, inane plot and phony contrivances of "Two of a Kind" are tough to wade through, yet the film has a cartoonish kind of magic that is appealing, especially if you're an admirer of Olivia Newton-John (looking her best here). John Travolta, on the other hand, is slumming it, walking through a rather hopeless role as a would-be inventor so deep in debt he stoops to robbing a bank; Newton-John is the teller who dupes him out of a small fortune. Likable supporting performances by Charles Durning, Scatman Crothers, Castulo Guerra and Beatrice Straight as bantering angels; Oliver Reed also has fun as a dapper Satan. Cheesy but big-hearted film is a sweet fairy tale, a comic-book romance that doesn't strive for anything loftier than silly laughs and star-crossed love. ** from ****

The most important thing to remember when watching "Two of a Kind" is that is was really a vehicle for the two stars, based upon the idea that their chemistry in Grease would make for another hit, which sadly, in this case, it didn't. They were determined to do another film together and had looked through over 30 scripts before choosing this one - one wonders quite how dire some of those must have been...Other reviewers have already written about the plot, so I won't concentrate on that, rather on the performances and the way the film comes across.There is a pretty starry cast here - Gene Hackman plays God, Oliver Reed plays the Devil and angels include Charles Durning and Beatrice Straight. Unfortunately, as a film experience, it just doesn't seem to work - probably the reason why it did so poorly at the Box Office at the time, despite a $5m marketing budget. Lots of rewinding and stopping time, which can be confusing if you're not paying attention; Oliver Reed singing(badly); and minor characters (Olivia's flatmates, her landlord) that do nothing for the plot and tend to irritate when they appear.However, Olivia and John do make a very cute couple - I spent the entire second half of the film with a grin on my face, feeling very soppy, once they get it together.The acting on the part of the two stars is fine. If I'm nit-picking, ONJ gives a slightly uneven performance in TOAK - one or two scenes where she seems to be saying the words with a bit too much "acting", but very commendable otherwise. They both have a good sense of timing, and that comes though. There is even a "love" scene, although hardly x-rated - they keep most of their clothes on, although ONJ reported that she felt quite nervous about it at the time. She even swears in one scene, which is a bit weird the first time you hear it!I always felt sorry that ONJ had a poor run with films after Grease and pretty much chucked the acting in, bar the occasional TV movie, although she seems to be making a slow return in a few indie films in the last 5 years. I think she could of gone on to a decent film career if she'd have picked some better films in the early 80's. She does have a good sense of comic timing (she is known in entertainment circles for a wicked sense of humour) - maybe in an alternate universe could have been the Meg Ryan of her generation...The soundtrack is probably the strongest thing about TOAK - ONJ sings about half of what you hear in the film; she is head and shoulders above everything else. Olivia and John even do a duet - "Take a Chance", although it's not really anything to write home about. Give me "Twist of Fate" anyday.I am a fan of both Olivia and John and I do love this movie. However, I appreciate its faults, and I'm not going to pretend that it's something it isn't. All in all, it's not a "great" movie in the traditional sense of the word. Where you are going to get rewarded watching TOAK is if you are a fan of Olivia and/or John (especially the two of them together.) It is a romantic comedy, and not a particularly good one at that, but that chemistry between them is certainly still there after "Grease", and that does give TOAK a certain something.

I keep thinking that this movie is called "Twist of Fate," but that is really one of the songs in a soundtrack that did better than the movie. Captivating enchantress Olivia Newton-John is teamed up once more with her "Grease" co-star John Travolta as a duo who will prove to God, humorously voiced by Gene Hackman, that mankind is worth saving. The devil is also on hand in the form of the big ham himself, Oliver Reed. The movie is one entertaining fantasy best when not analyzed and scrutinized apart. The characters are mildly one-dimensional, the plot superficially illogical and the pace uneven. The magic isn't there as it was in their other movie, but I only watch this movie for Olivia anyway. Travolta may have become a Hollywood-minded Scientologist, but he does have some charm in this as a down-and-out inventor who becomes a fumbling bank robber. Go ahead and curse this movie if you will, but Olivia fans will want to embrace it.