Hairspray

I think I'll watch any copy or remake, at least for a while, because its fascinating to have one movie folded onto another. In this case, the original was attractively strange. We knew it came from someone who celebrates not just trailer park kitsch, but the peculiar self- referential sexual edge. It was joyful trash, and not from the South. On that, Waters laid a veneer of a genre, but the thinnest of veneers. His poke in the eye was intended very seriously.

Now the formula is reversed. We have a stage show that takes itself seriously, and the poke in the eye? Well, that's now gone, replaced by stylistic nods. Travolta in drag is a joke, but a simple movie joke, not a statement about the edge of the world. There's a moralistic story here about integration that ends happily. In the original, we know that what we see is one positive event in a sea of reverses. We have our fat girl in both, but in the original she was deliberately pathetic and the whole world of similarly pathetic creatures saluted. Here, she's triumphant. Having Queen Latifah on board in such a prominent role assures that. For once, she was appropriate for the purpose.

Its all another reminder of how we absorb the deviant. We had the hippies for less than a decade before they became a "lifestyle." We had true black heros, and they were swallowed in a glueball of hiphop. Waters is no great shakes in the grand mastication of society. But he was boldly perverse (within the rating system). And here, that perversion becomes simply set dressing for an old fashioned song and dance show.

Its perverted.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

As a fan of the stage musical, I was worried that the film might not measure up - but they hit this one out of the ballpark! Bright, bouncy and joyously hilarious! A big smile hit my face as soon as it started and I didn't stop grinning until the end of the credits.

I haven't heard a press screening audience applaud after musical numbers since "Chicago" - and they cheered! The huge cast is uniformly terrific. Travolta, Pfeiffer and Walken are a hoot and Nikki Blonsky couldn't be more perfect.

The performances, script, lyrics, sight gags and costumes wage an all-out assault on your funny bone. Even the set dressing gets laughs!

This is the movie musical that Grease, Rent and Dreamgirls should have been.

Bravo!

Obviously a big-budget, flashy musical remake of a John Waters film is never going to be as subversive or as comically edgy as its predecessors, but one of the good things about HAIRSPRAY is that it never intends to be. It fully embraces the cheesy, over-the-top aspect of a movie musical from frame one, a trait that most other current films of its type try to avoid. In a welcome change from the summer drudgery of explosions and CGI, this film is a pure feel-good crowd pleaser where excitement and energy rise above all.

Everyone in the cast gives able performances; even Travolta who, in drag and a fat suit, seems at first off-putting, beginning a one-joke "hey I'm a man in a dress!" performance, quickly grows into his own as Edna does, becoming the most crowd-pleasing character by the film's end. It's a pleasure to see a former GREASE-r returning to what made him famous, but Travolta proves surprisingly agile in the comedy department, especially during his song and dance numbers.

The real enjoyment here, however, and the truly great performances are given by the younger members of the cast. Every single teenager in the film, from the leads to the chorus boy in the back of the room are injected with an unshakable, undeniable energy that reaches through the screen and captivates the viewer. This rings true especially for the film's two major finds: newcomers Nikki Blonsky and Elijah Kelly. Both of them have that instant star quality, a charisma and charm that make them instantly likable. Kelly displays simply astounding singing and dancing skills, while Blonsky easily carries the entire film of her shoulders, becoming the heart and soul of the movie with one hip thrust.

HAIRSPRAY has nothing much to offer besides two hours of entertainment and escapism, but it offers it in spades. It is a pure joy to watch from beginning to end and a welcome change of pace from the big-budget action film that surround its release. Yes, it's a musical and yes, it's over-the-top, but the audience is sold on that point from the first moment Tracy opens her mouth and the audience cannot help but be sucked in.

Not that I'm surprised that I liked it but yes that I liked it as much as I did. Keeping some of the lovely John Water garishness but mainstreaming it enough to make it mainstream. John Travolta in the Divine part is truly divine. He went for it and played it for real. I thought it was actually moving at times and the illusion works, beautifully. Michelle Pfeiffer opening a new chapter in her career, the thin as a rail, gorgeous, middle age bitch. Great fun to watch. Christopher Walken, adorable. I had hoped a bigger splash of a dance number between Travolta and Walken - after all they were playing husband and wife in a musical and when are we going to see that again. Their moments together are, how can I put it? Nice, very nice. Nikki Blonsky inherits Riki Lake's oversize heroine with gusto and lots of energy. Allison Jenney, as usual, steals every moment she's in. Alas, far too few, and John Waters plays a quick cameo as a Baltimore flasher. What else do you want out of life.

This was a nice little musical that really didn't blaze much of a trail for me. It has some pleasant songs and some fun dancing, and the lead is quite talented. Actually, I though Queen Latifah really stole the show. She was the real talent in this movie. I thought it moved OK. I especially like where a simple swat with a protest sign turned into a brain bashing through the media. The problem is that it tries to be more than it is. The social issues are serious but they seem to be dealt with so delicately here that they lose their punch. I was never able to accept Travolta in that role. Every time he was in a scene, I couldn't keep my suspension of disbelief. I kept thinking, "It's John Travolta in a fat suit." And I like John Travolta. Anywyay, I don't want to dis it too much because it has a good heart. It's just, for me, it bites off way more than it can chew.