Michael
Andie MacDowell sings, John Travolta dances, Bob Hoskins cockney accent gets progressively more suspicious - what more could you possibly want?
Hopefully not a plausible plot, as that’s certainly one thing that Michael doesn’t supply. Michael (Travolta) is an angel on his last visit to Earth, who communicates his presence to tabloid hack Frank (William Hurt). Thus Frank, with sidekick Huey (Robert Pastorelli) and new recruit Dorothy (MacDowell) in tow, rushes out to Iowa to buy-up Michael’s story.
Despite a distinct lack of anything impressive on the miracle front, manners that would make Jabba the Hutt cringe, and an amazing set of comedy wings, they decide to accept Michael’s story (even down to his claim to have invented queueing) and bring him back to their sceptical editor (Bob Hoskins) in Chicago. From here, the film basically degenerates into a second-rate road movie, as Michael belches his way from motel to motel, pulling every girl he meets, and blatantly matchmaking Frank and Dorothy.
Despite fine attempts from the cast to do their best with what script their is (particularly from Travolta, whose charisma shines through, even in the lamest of movies), this still remains a one-joke film, entirely based around Travolta. MacDowell and Pastorelli do their best to wring out as many laughs as possible from the thin plot (and admittedly, with around a dozen funny points Michael smashes through the Hollywood romantic-comedy average), but any film in which the funniest moments come courtesy of a small, yapping dog hardly aims for classic status, and certainly can’t make up for the pain caused by being forced to sit through Andie MacDowell singing Country & Western.
All that said, however, it’s yet another fine example of "functional" film-making. It aims for inoffensive fun, a family audience and a healthy box-office take - and nothing more, and thanks to it’s stars, it achieves all three. Unlikely as it may be, if you happen to have a couple of pre-pubescent kids desperately in need of calming at any point during the next few weeks, than Michael is the place to go. Otherwise....
pytho
