Xanadu (1980) Review
3.5/10
Number of watches at time of review: many (childhood favorite), 3 in recent years
synopsis
Artist Sonny Malone is caught in a period of no inspiration, but when he keeps seeing the same mysterious woman over and over again he has the idea of a lifetime. Working with real estate mogul Danny McGuire, they’ll create a place like nothing anyone’s ever seen before.
spoiler-free review
Xanadu feels more like a fever dream than a film, with style that will melt your mind and befuddle you. It jumps from one scene and shot to the next with no reason, and has transitions that are mind-bogglingly disruptive. The writing will have you questioning how in the world they ever convinced Gene Kelly (Singin’ in the Rain) to take the part, but then you see the musical numbers and realize what the whole draw of the movie is. If you want to be baffled by stylistic choices as catchy Electric Light Orchestra songs worm their way into your head, then Xanadu is absolutely the movie for you.
directed by Robert Greenwald
written by Richard Christian Danus and Marc Reid Rubel
cinematography by Victor. J Kemper
score by Barry De Vorzon
songs by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar
spoiler review
In the true Xanadu spirit, I have decided this review will jump from section to section with no true transitions or rhyme and reason. Enjoy.
- writing and characters –
The writing of Xanadu is bewilderingly bad, the ‘plot’ a thin veil thrown over musical numbers in an attempt to connect them. Xanadu would probably have fared better as a series of music videos, given the fact that multiple songs from the soundtrack charted, with “Magic” even reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Yet here we are, in the timeline where Xanadu does indeed exist as a movie. There are only a few true characters, the main ones being Sonny Malone (Michael Beck), Kira (Olivia Newton-John), and Danny McGuire (Gene Kelly). Sonny’s character only exists to bring us from one location to another, and his only true goal in the movie is to find and keep Kira. Once he accomplishes that, he has no more goals of his own, simply following Danny’s vision for his club. Kira exists as a tool in the truest definition of the word in that her only purpose is to inspire Sonny and Danny to create Xanadu, and once she’s done with that she’s forced to return to her home and wallow in her broken heart. It only takes one simple argument and a song, however, to convince her parents to allow her back to Earth, and with no warning or reason we see Kira reunited with Sonny at the club. He acts as though he knew beforehand, despite us never having seen the message relayed to him. As for Danny, he’s the only true character, the only one with a real want. He wants to open another club, to open Xanadu, and spends the whole movie working towards that goal. It’s satisfying to see him accomplish this at the end, and the only real concrete ending for any of the three main characters.
The dialogue is well done at its best points, but horrendous at its worst. One particular line that stood out was “It’s never been done in the whole history of… the whole history!” Other such genius lines are spoken throughout the film, mainly coming from Kira. There are some witty lines spoken, most of them from Danny, but they’re few and far between.
- acting –
Michael Beck, Olivia Newton-John, and Gene Kelly. One of these names is not like the others. Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly are household names, respected in their fields. Then there’s Michael Beck. If I were to ask you to name another movie Michael Beck is in, would you be able to? Probably not. Upon witnessing his performance in Xanadu, you soon figure out why.
There’s no way around it: Michael Beck’s performance in this movie is bad. It’s dreadfully stilted, like a sixth grader who’s acting for the first time in the school play. He doesn’t bring any real emotion to the role, and the idea that Sonny is supposed to be a lady’s man when he has the charisma of a wet towel is laughable. It doesn’t help that he’s directly contrasted by Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly, who are both wonderful in their own right. The dichotomy between their performances and Beck’s is distinct, and honestly makes Beck’s performance a sort of standout, but not in a desirable way.
- direction and cinematography –
There isn’t much positive to say about the majority of shots in Xanadu, but there are a few that are standouts. The most memorable is a shot of Danny (Gene Kelly) sitting and reminiscing about his days as a clarinet player in a big band as the image of the band appears behind him. Another memorable couple of shots occur during “All Over the World,” when for no apparent reason, a person in a spider costume crawls under a series of legs. The shot of all the women sticking their legs out and then the spider-person crawling through is very memorable, despite it having absolutely no connection to the rest of the movie. These few distinctive shots, however, are not enough to offset the fact that the rest of the shots are done very poorly. Most of the dialogue scenes are just shot reverse shot, or a shot of characters looking at each other, and there’s no creativity to the camera angles or movement of the camera. There are a few shots in particular that are truly confounding, such as the held shot during “Suddenly” where Sonny and Kira are tiny, in the bottom third of the frame, and most of the upper shot is just mist. Then there’s the entire sequence for “Suspended in Time,” wherein Kira simply stands in one place and the camera is either a wide shot of her in a void or a close up of her simply singing and standing in one place. The song is beautiful, but the sequence has no real substance to it as a scene in a movie.
- costuming, hair, and makeup –
The fashion in Xanadu screams late 70s/early 80s in that it’s garish, over the top, and so bright it’ll hurt your eyes. Many of the costumes consist of neon colored jumpsuits, paired with loud makeup and large hair. There are patterns galore, from cheetah to zebra, dots and stripes, and color pairings on costume pieces that really don’t make any sense. The saving graces of the costumes in this movie mainly consist of Kira and Sonny’s outfits, plus a few minor characters. Kira’s staple outfit consists of a flowy off-shoulder dress and wraparound skirt, with leg warmers and hair ribbons to match. Sonny’s main outfit consists of a button-up, jeans, and a vest, a classic 70s look. They’re both simple and clean looks, and in comparison to the wild style of the characters surrounding them they become almost unique in their simplicity.
- effects and visuals –
Even for the time, the special effects in Xanadu are bad. But they’re a specific style of bad that makes them memorable, which isn’t something to scoff at. Xanadu’s distinctive effects around the muses when they’re dancing may look wild, but the bold visual choices match the outlandish stylistic choices that run throughout every other aspect of the movie. There’s something about the horrific effects that’s comforting, in a way, to know you’re just watching a silly film and to not take it too seriously. The one effects choice that’s absolutely baffling, however, is when Sonny visits Kira’s godly home and it turns out to just be a black void with neon stripes. In a movie like this, one would expect colorful backgrounds and moving elements, but instead there’s simply nothing happening. This choice is part of what makes “Suspended in Time” such a boring number to watch, and is wildly out of place for such a bright movie. Another visual choice that’s confusing is when Sonny is at the studio after hours, painting the Xanadu album cover, and Kira appears in the background of the shot. The room is darkly lit, which is obviously intended to denote nighttime, but it makes Kira’s appearance in the shot look straight out of a horror movie.
- choreography –
Xanadu’s choreography is a shining piece of its legacy, and it’s no surprise to learn that it was done by Kenny Ortega (High School Musical, Dirty Dancing). The roller skates may seem silly to us now, watching back forty years later, but the skill of the dancers to do choreography on them is no joke. Neither is the other dancing throughout the movie, specifically during “Dancin’” and “Whenever You’re Away From Me.” The duo maneuvers performed in “Dancin’” are impressive, to say the least, and there’s a power to the dancers that few people have. In “Whenever You’re Away From Me,” it’s a joy to see Gene Kelly and Olivia Newton-John have a fun time, dancing about a ballroom together. Olivia Newton-John reportedly stated that dancing with Gene Kelly was the highlight of her career, and it’s no wonder when you look at how smooth he dances, even as he got older.
- score and soundtrack –
Music is such an integral part of Xanadu and its eventual success as a cult classic, but before talking about the phenomenal soundtrack headed by Electric Light Orchestra and Olivia Newton-John, let’s talk about the score. The score, though definitely not as notable as the soundtrack, plays its part well. It’s fitting for what it’s trying to accomplish, and sets a playful tone for the movie.
Now, the soundtrack. The musical numbers in Xanadu are outstanding, catchy tunes that will sneak their way into your brain and burrow a hole there. The opening number, “I’m Alive,” sets a joyful tone for the beginning of the movie and allows space for the muses to come alive from their mural. “Dancin’” blends elements of 40s big band numbers with 70s rock in a skillful way, and perfectly shows the way Danny and Sonny’s ideas could come together (though the end result isn’t quite as smooth). “Suspended in Time,” though a boring visual sequence, is a gorgeous song that makes you feel Kira’s yearning. And of course, “Xanadu” closes out the movie perfectly, a big finish for the film and a huge opening for the club.
personal connection
Xanadu is a part of me, in the way that many childhood favorites will embed themselves into someone and become a part of their personality. Looking back, I’ve found that Xanadu has influenced me in more ways than I thought; for example, I realized after rewatching it as an adult that I dance with my hands a lot, which is a staple of the choreography that the muses do in this film. It’s also similar to a lot of media I loved as a kid where, for some inexplicable reason that has absolutely no explanation now that I’m older, I was obsessed with the shots of beautiful women. Revisiting this movie in 2024 after not having seen it for years has been a delightful experience, and I highly recommend going back to watch some childhood favorites of yours, even if you don’t think they’d seem as good now that you’re older. Sometimes that’s a wonderful experience.