Synopsis:

A movie based on a broadway play based on a movie...that is the new version of Hairspray.  Hairspray in 1988 was a very controversial film.  Jon Waters brought it to life and injected Devine, a man acting as a woman in one of the leads.  It sparked enough controversy to have some nutty right-wing groups actually protest it!  Now I am quite accepting of many social groups and have even enjoyed roles where men played women, but there is a limit to it and Hairspray takes it a tad too far.  That said, I have a fix for you and can tell you exactly where to skip around in your DVD to make this a GREAT movie.

Hairspray is the story of Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) set in 1950s Baltimore.  Tracy is a chubby teen whose goal is to dance on the show she loves, the Corny Collins show.  With the encouragement of her best friend Penny (Amanda Bynes), Tracy continues to strive towards her goal, much to the dismay of her laundromat-running mother Edna (Travolta) who wants her daughter to go into the family business.  Tracy's father Wilbur (Christopher Walken) runs a magic shop and is the existential nice father who believes and encourages his daughters dreams and ambitions.  But getting on the show won't be easy for Tracy.  The show manager Velma (Michelle Pfeiffer) has aspirations for her daughter to be the focal point of the show, not a chubby teenager.

Tracy also has an incredible crush on the show's lead dancer Link (High School Musical's Zac Efron).  A romance with him just isn't possible, right?  Being as strong-willed and nieve about the world politics around her, Tracy strives for acceptance of all sizes and colors of people, which isn't easy on an all-white show dance show.

The Freak's Rating: B : I doubt you can watch this movie without smiling.  The music is extremely catchy and the cheesiness of the film is made fun of tongue in cheek.  The hairdos alone will keep you laughing.  This praise stated, this movie isn't an A.  It would be if about 10 minutes were cut out of it.  Lucky for you I will tell you where to skip and save you the anguish of watching a horrible 5 minutes of the movie.  There is a love triangle between Edna, Velma and Wilbur (wow, very old names there) that is completely unnecessary.  Travolta is believable as a woman, but I still don't want to watch him in a romantic setting and I doubt you will either.  So here's how you do it.  There will be a moment in the movie where Velma will enter Wilbur's toy store.  At this moment, skip ahead to the next track.  You'll then see a city skyline and start to hear music, hit next again.  You will have just skipped the only part of the movie that was less than stellar.  Now enjoy!

Brian's Rating: C : This is a decently done musical.  I just do not like musicals all that much in the form of a movie.  The songs and singing were done well except for a couple parts where the lip synching was a bit too obvious.

It was fun to watch, but not terribly entertaining.

Sebastian's Rating: B : this movie was catchy and a whole lot of fun. not the best movie ever made but it sure won't stop you from smiling

Alex's Rating: B : A friend of mine saw this, informing me that she enjoyed it, but said that it was too girly for me to enjoy. I don't belive that there are boy/girl films where you HAVE to be of a particular gender to appreciate the movie. It's just a film!

I actually enjoy films that are aimed more at females anyway. Most 'male' films nowadays are gruesome, violent, scary, violent and boring. I am not a feminine guy in any way, but I'm not a violent person, and let's be honest, violence is what men are expected to like nowadays. Otherwise, they are said to be weak, feminine or gay. I am none of these. Anyway, back to my review.

I expected a hilarious, fast paced musical comedy. And that's nearly what I got!

The film is funny, but it contains very little plot. Plot is what I love. I love to think, feel, react and emotionally respond to films. And because there was very little description of the very tiny story, I found thinking very difficult.

The pacing was terrible. It was slow... slow... awfully... slow...

And this is because of the lack of storyline, and the near 2 hour running time.

I am surprised greatly that this film seemed remotely long. I'm one of those people with huge attention spans. My ideal film would run between 2.5 and 4.5 hours. But long films are usually deep enough to entertain you. Take, for example, Gone With The Wind. It is a 1939 masterpiece with action, thrills, humour, tragedy, romance, and a bittersweet ending. The four hours just pass like lightning. They've gone like the wind!

And what about the fabulous new Sex And The City film. There are four different storylines, one for each lead character. The film is so witty, your brain feels as though it could explode. So funny, your ribs could burst through your back. And it is set over a year long period, so you don't feel as though the film is long enough, even at 2.5 hours. Yet Hairspray is short, and feels too long.

But there are good things about this movie. Indeed, it's virtues outweigh it's defects.

The film contains slapstick humour. Plenty of hilarity, such as battering police officers with cardboard signs, and stage humiliation. It provides cute, simple laughs. Just nothing mature and clever.

The actors are sexy and talented. I've noticed that Zac Efron has a tendency of being in a lot of teen musicals! The music is lively and fast. The dance numbers are unforgettable.

This must have taken some years to film, because it is a very good film on the whole, and the actors need energy and stamina.

Overall, this gets a 7 out of 10 rating from me. It has it's flaws, but you'd certainly be mad to miss it!

comment here to add your review!