8 of the best and 8 of the worst John Travolta films of all time, ranked

Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%

Synopsis: The documentary "Paul Williams Still Alive" examines the eclectic career of famed singer-songwriter Paul Williams through the eyes of director Stephen Kessler.

Travolta was interviewed alongside other industry figures like Dick Clark and Barbra Streisand.

Brimming with nostalgia and no-holds-barred emotion, the documentary gave critics insight into the director's apparent affection for his musical idol.

"Filmmaker Stephen Kessler's sheer delight in following around his boyhood idol, whose music framed much of the '70s when Kessler was a lad in Queens, is thoroughly infectious," Betsy Sharkey wrote for the Los Angeles Times.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

Synopsis: In the documentary "Casting By," director Tom Donahue looks back on the life of celebrated casting director Marion Dougherty and her influence on Hollywood as told through interviews with actors like Danny Glover, Bette Midler, and Travolta.

Critics praised the documentary for shedding light on an often overlooked aspect of moviemaking and relished in the story of the woman who became synonymous with casting itself.

"While Dougherty clearly had an almost eerie sense of how a particular actor might inhabit a part, this film also shows that she may have single-handedly created a filmmaking craft and then made it indispensable," Daphne Howland wrote for the Village Voice.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Synopsis: Based on the novel by Stephen King, "Carrie" centers on shy high schooler Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) as she struggles with bullying and abusive parents, all while grappling with unexpected powers.

In the horror film, Travolta starred opposite Spacek as her crush, Billy Nolan.

"Carrie" earned rave reviews from critics for its high-style cinematography and masterful execution of multiple themes.

"'Carrie''s climactic empowerment is all at once the tragedy and triumph of a young woman trapped between Biblical regression and a secular coming-out," Anton Bitel wrote for Little White Lies.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

Synopsis: In the thriller "Face/Off," top FBI agent Sean Archer (Travolta) elects to go under the knife for an experimental surgery that will allow him to take on the physical appearance of his criminal target, Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage). But it's not long until Troy himself forces doctors to put him through the same procedure so he can take the place of his adversary.

"Face/Off" surprised critics with a dazzling blend of thoughtful cinematography and intense acting, all amidst a plot that seemed aware of its own silliness.

"[Director John] Woo, a master of poetical carnage, mixes kitsch, sadism, sentiment and comedy with choreographic precision," wrote David Ansen for Newsweek.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Synopsis: "Hairspray," the remake of the classic 1988 film and 2002 Broadway musical, takes place in 1960s Baltimore and focuses on young teen Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky). As her starry-eyed aspirations push her toward television fame, Tracy and her friends are forced to reckon with the racial segregation in their city.

Travolta had a supporting role in the movie musical as Tracy's mother, Edna Turnblad.

Buoyed by lighthearted bops and underscored by inclusive messaging, "Hairspray" earned glowing reviews from critics.

"For a star-studded big-budget musical, 'Hairspray' does a nice job of retaining the funky sweetness of the original," Bob Mondello wrote for NPR.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Synopsis: In the dark comedy "Pulp Fiction," director Quentin Tarantino stitches together a trio of vignettes, interconnected by contract killers Vincent Vega (Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson).

Critics said that "Pulp Fiction" was filled with breathless action, cutting wit, and fantastic turns by its lead actors.

Marjorie Kase wrote for Common Sense Media that the film was filled with "groundbreaking direction, cinematography, screenwriting, soundtrack, and extraordinary performances, particularly by [Uma] Thurman, Travolta, and Jackson."

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

Synopsis: In this Disney animated film, a dog named Bolt (voiced by Travolta) happily spends his days acting for the camera on an action-filled TV show. But when a mix-up ships him from California to New York City, Bolt embarks on a real-life mission to return to his owner, Penny (voiced by Miley Cyrus).

Lovably animated and sprinkled with laughs, "Bolt" is a solid family film that easily lent itself to a re-watch, according to critics.

"This one's a fun film for the entire family, with little lessons on love and friendship you can carry home with you," Nikhat Kazmi wrote for the Times of India.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

Synopsis: The IMAX documentary "Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D" recreates the Apollo space mission and historic moon landing of 1969.

In the documentary, Travolta voiced astronaut Jim Irwin.

Critics marveled at the technical effects and cinematography that helped transform the work from a simple documentary into an immersive educational experience.

Jeff Shannon wrote for the Seattle Times, "['Magnificent Desolation'] offers the most realistic approximation of a moon visit that Earthbound mortals have ever seen."

Rotten Tomatoes score: 3%

Synopsis: In "Battlefield Earth," an alien race descends on Earth and transforms it into a mining colony, leaving young Jonnie Goodboy (Barry Pepper) to rise up against Chief Terl (Travolta) and his deputy, Ker (Forest Whitaker).

With bombastic plotting and dialogue that bordered on gibberish, "Battlefield Earth" earned less-than-stellar reviews from critics.

"A third-string 'Planet of the Apes' meets 'Star Trek,' 'Battlefield Earth' is a largely uninspiring sci-fi adventure with a Swiss-cheese plot," Jay Boyar wrote for the Orlando Sentinel.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%

Synopsis: The dramatic biopic "Gotti" explores the life of mafia leader John Gotti (Travolta) and his rise among the ranks of New York's Gambino crime family over the span of three decades.

Critics wrote off the drama as an ill attempt to capture the life of Gotti, a man whose riveting real-life story was reduced to an incoherent narrative.

"'Gotti' is a connect-the-dots disaster — the don's greatest hits, so to speak — without discernible theme or cohesive narrative," Frank Lovece wrote for Newsday.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%

Synopsis: Based on a true story, "Life on the Line" takes place in 1998 as Texas linesman Beau Ginner (Travolta) witnesses his brother get struck by lightning. After the tragic event leaves his niece an orphan, Beau is forced to raise Bailey (Kate Bosworth) on his own.

Burdened by familiar clichés and predictable plotting, "Life on the Line" was called clumsy and unconvincing by critics.

"This is one of those 'based on true events' movies that give you the distinct feeling that the true events deserved better," wrote critic Glenn Kenny for RogerEbert.com.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%

Synopsis: In the third installment of the "Look Who's Talking" series, Travolta returns as James Ubriacco. As he vies for a new job without realizing his prospective employer's ill intentions, his dogs — Daphne (voiced by Diane Keaton) and Rocks (voiced by Danny DeVito) — race to help him.

Critics collectively agreed that "Look Who's Talking Now" was needlessly raunchy for a movie geared toward children, and that there was little to recommend when it came to the script and acting performances.

"The first film had maybe a shred of realism to flavor its romantic comedy. This one looks like it was chucked up by an automatic screenwriting machine," Roger Ebert wrote in his review for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%

Synopsis: In the crime drama "Speed Kills," Ben Aronoff (Travolta), a multimillionaire and speedboat-racing champion, lands in hot water with the DEA when his life as a drug trafficker comes to light.

Critics ruefully shook their heads at the unintentionally funny film, questioning why an actor of Travolta's talents continues to pick less-than-ideal projects.

"What's not to like? Well, everything — unless you're the star, who seems convinced that this embarrassingly cloddish biopic-slash-thriller actually flatters both him and its subject," Dennis Harvey wrote in his review for Variety.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%

Synopsis: In the sequel to "Saturday Night Fever" (1977), Tony Manero (Travolta), a disco dancer turned Broadway performer, starts to question the cost of fame as his stage work bleeds into his personal life.

Critics were charmed by Travolta but felt like the script did a disservice to his character, who was able to shine in the original film but fell flat in the sequel.

Janet Maslin wrote for the New York Times, "A sequel with no understanding of what made its predecessor work."

Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%

Synopsis: "The Poison Rose" follows Carson Phillips (Travolta), a former football star who reinvented himself as a private investigator. Tasked with solving a missing-person case, Carson finds unexpected connections between the victim and his estranged daughter.

Nonsensical and chock full of cardboard characters, "The Poison Rose" failed to inspire any critics to grant it a positive review.

"While this uninspired murder mystery stirs up some atmosphere, it never generates enough suspense to inspire emotional investment in the outcome," Todd Jorgenson reported for Cinemalogue.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%

Synopsis: After a massive fallout with his son, Cam (Toby Sebastian), race-car driver Sam (Travolta) is stunned when his son accepts a racing deal from their rival. Before they know it, the father and son duo are set to face off against each other in the race of their lives.

Critics warned viewers that "Trading Paint" was little more than a mindless action movie that greatly underserved Travolta.

"John Travolta still has the skills but the triteness of this racing drivers story just wears him down," film critic Jackie K. Cooper reported in his review.

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