Phenomenon (1996)
Jon Turteltaub’s 1996 Northern California drama. John Travolta as ordinary mechanic with accelerating capabilities. Robert Duvall in support.
John Travolta
This archive collects the films featuring John Travolta reviewed at Master of Worlds — 14 titles spanning “Basic (2003)”, “Broken Arrow (1996)”, “Carrie (1976)”, “Cash Out (2024)”, “Face/Off (1997)”, “Get Shorty (1995)”, “Gotti (2018)”, “Look Who’s Talking (1989)”, “Mad City (1997)”, “Michael (1996)”, “Phenomenon (1996)”, “Pulp Fiction (1994)”, “Swordfish (2001)”, and “The Taking of Pelham 123 (1974) and The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)”. Seen together they form a substantial cross-section of John Travolta’s screen work, and the reviews approach them as storytelling first. The questions are consistent — what the performance asks of the audience, how it serves the structure of the film, and what holds up on a second or third viewing. Watching one actor across this many roles makes the craft legible in a way a single film cannot: the recurring instincts, the range, the choices that separate a memorable performance from a forgettable one. The collection is curated rather than exhaustive, built from films reviewed in depth at Master of Worlds, and it grows as further titles are added.
Mad City (1997)
Costa-Gavras’s 1997 media satire. Dustin Hoffman and John Travolta. Television news coverage as central subject. Has aged into prescient document.
The Taking of Pelham 123 (1974) and The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009) — Review
Two substantial adaptations of John Godey’s subway hijacking novel. 1974 Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw foundational. 2009 Washington and Travolta. 9/10.
Swordfish (2001) — Review
Dominic Sena’s heist thriller. Travolta, Jackman, Halle Berry. Foundational opening monologue. Bullet-time explosion. Oakenfold soundtrack. 9/10.