John Travoltais a talented, versatile performer who has turned in many great performances across a host of genres.
Some of these films have gained a cult following for their unintentional comedy, while others are simply bewildering.
From sci-fi disasters to ill-advised comedies and thrillers, here are ten of the star’s most notorious projects.
Image via Paramount Pictures
15’Old Dogs' (2009)
Appeared as Charlie
“Scat happens, man.”
This dud focuses on a pair of businessman pals who wind up having to look after 7-year-old twins.
Plus, Travolta’s chemistry with Williams feels off, maybe due to the movie’s muddled tone.
Instead of playing to the strengths of its stars,Old Dogsburies themunder a pile of embarrassing antics.
The problem is, Travolta feels completely disconnected from the role.
He seems flat here and frankly bored (as are we).
It’s hard to blame him.
The result is an odd, uninspired hybrid ofFootlooseandDead Poets Societyminus the entertainment value.
Travoltachews major scenery on thisone as Beau Ginner, a grizzled lineman.
This is ‘Nicolas Cageat his worst’ levels of hamminess.
Travolta’s forced Southern accent and gruff demeanor come off as more of a caricature.
The emotional beats are painfully obvious, with Travolta delivering overwrought speeches and staring solemnly into the distance.
Then there are the distractingly bad facial hair prosthetics, which inadvertently become the focal point of several scenes.
For all these reasons,Life on the Lineholds an impressively abysmal0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
What were the cast and crew thinking?
Once again,Travolta sleepwalks through the role, delivering lines with an almost robotic detachment.
Scott Barnes (Travolta) is a former social worker turned street vigilante.
By the final act, any semblance of realism is abandoned entirely.
The main problem is that Travolta’s transformation from concerned mentor to action hero is unconvincing.
This undrcuts so much of the drama and tension.
Even worse is the attempt at social commentary, which comes off as heavy-handed and ill-fitting.
All told,Chains of Goldis yet another forgettable relic from Travolta’s pre-Pulp Fictionslump.
However, their heist quickly spirals out of control, bringing unintended chaos and comic consequences.
On the acting side,Travolta’s performance here is lackluster, utterly overshadowed by Kudrow’s madcap antics.
In this one, Travolta takes on the role of infamous New York mob bossJohn Gotti.
Travolta challengesNicolas Cage at his zaniest here, resulting in a performance that feels cartoonish and over-the-top.
Kelly Preston, in particular, is amateurish and unbelievable.
The cast is not helped by the script, which veers between mobster cliches and Gotti hagiography.
The music is largely forgettable and the performers seem less committed.
InSaturday Night Fever, he was understandably immature.Here, he’s just annoying.
The attempt at political satire is also laughable, serving up a series of cliches and stereotypes.
There, he meets aerobics instructor Jessie (played by Jamie Lee Curtis).
And then there are the aerobics scenes, meant to be steamy and exciting but actually just unintentionally funny.
There’s a whole of leotard shots here but not much actual story.
Image via Paramount Pictures
Image via Paamount Pictures
Image via Paramount Pictures
