Two Of A Kind

There's been a lot of memorable on screen couples throughout the years. Hepburn and Tracy, Bogart and Bacall, and Hanks and Ryan, to name a few. John Travolta and Olivia Newton John looked as if they were poised to join those ranks after they teamed up in the classic Grease. Unfortunately Grease turned out to be a one trick pony when their second on screen pairing, 1983's Two Of A Kind, proved that lightning doesn't always strike twice.

God, voiced by Gene Hackman, is tired of all of the inhumanity on Earth and decides to start over. His head angel's, Charles Durning, Scatman Crothers, Beatrice Straight, and Castulo Guerra, make a deal with him that they can prove that there is still good on Earth, so God gives them a week. If the angels can make two selfish people, Travolta and Newton John, that God has picked,to perform a selfless act for one another, he will reconsider.

The angels have their work cut out for them Travolta is a wannabee inventor who is in debt to the mob. Newton John is a bank teller/wannabee actress, who is robbed by Travolta at her job. She pulls a switcheroo on Travolta and gives him a bag full of deposit slips and pockets the money for herself. This distrust between the two, along with the meddling devil, Oliver Reed, give the angels one of their toughest assignments.

To be fair, Grease was such a huge hit that anything that followed would most likely pale in comparison. I think Travolta and Newton John knew this. They supposedly spent five years trying to find the right follow up vehicle, even passing on Grease 2. I personally think this is kind of a fun film. It's not perfect but both of the leads are great and it has a terrific soundtrack, courtesy of Newton John. I also think that the 1997 John Hodge film, A Life Less Ordinary, borrows heavily from it.

Two Of A Kind is available on dvd.