THAT'S THE WAY I LIKE IT A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 1999 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
After a single night at the movies, Hock's life is forever changed.
Dragged by his buddies to see what he thinks will be just a silly disco movie, he is mesmerized by the lead character, a John Travolta clone. The film called FOREVER FEVER (think SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER) pulsates through every bone in his body. He's ready to put aside his Bruce Lee/Kung Fu passion and take up a life of disco dancing. When he comes back alone the next night to see the film again, the guy playing the Travolta character comes out of the screen to offer him advice in proper Brooklynese.
Writer/director Glen Goei's THAT'S THE WAY I LIKE IT (called FOREVER FEVER in some countries and DON'T CALL ME JOHN TRAVOLTA in others) is set in Singapore in the 1970s, when disco fever there was red hot. The film's wonderful sound track is full of good 70s tunes. (Singapore speaks a version of English that they call Singlish, according to the press notes. The Brooklyn accent proves the harder of the two accents in the movie to understand.)
Since there is a dance contest coming up with a $5,000 top prize, Hock (Adrian Pang), who takes the stage name of Tony after his hero, figures he can use the proceeds to buy the motorbike he has always wanted. In daydream sequences, he envisions himself barreling down the highway with a good-looking woman riding with him. As she runs her fingers through his hair, the song "Everybody's Talkin' to Me" blasts away.
Of course, he has to learn dancing first and hook up with a talented partner before he has any hope of winning. The story, which works best when it's on the dance floor, has Hock going too fast from clumsy to accomplished, missing many humorous opportunities to show him learning his new skill. Anna Belle Francis plays Julie, the seasoned partner that he needs.
Instead of more dance numbers we get some subplots out of left field. A major one is about Hock's brother, who needs money for a sex-change operation. A minor one concerns his sister's obsession with bodice-ripper romance novels, which she likes to read out loud as Hock trains.
One of the funniest scenes has Hock trying on various outlandish disco wardrobes. Finally getting the right polyester shirt and tight pants, he's ready to strut his stuff with Travolta's classic swagger from SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. Like the much better SHALL WE DANCE, the film has us rooting for him, even if the outcome of the big competition is never really in any doubt.
"Remember the more you dance, the more you romance," the dance instructor lectures Hock and the rest of his pupils. The movie should have taken his advice. Way too much time is spent in lame comedy off the dance floor. Turn on the disco ball and crank up the music, and the film sizzles. Otherwise, it drags like an old Lawrence Welk 78 record played on 33 1/3.
THAT'S THE WAY I LIKE IT runs 1:32. It is rated PG-13 for momentary language and some violence and would be fine for kids 10 and up.
Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
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