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[New Line: 2007]. This movie was spectacular. From someone who loved the soundtrack of the original, and who's seen a lot of musicals put on celluloid, Hairspray is one of the greats. They didn't just aim the camera at the stage like in The Producers; the scene order, songs, costumes and a lot of other things are reimagined to be bigger, brighter, and more fun. What's the plot? Basically, integration and being accepting is good, segregation and being anti-fatty is bad. It's clever in places and I won't spoil it, but it's not the star of the show. The music and dance numbers, by contrast, are extremely well choreographed. The version of "I Can Hear the Bells", for instance, is much more imaginative than the stage version. They cut some songs (Big Doll House and Mama I'm a Big GIrl Now) but it makes the movie go a lot faster. And there's no lack of singing and dancing; there's probably a music number every five minutes. If you like musicals, the sixties, or good dancing, you ought to see Hairspray. Five Stars.
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Jul 20, 2007 03:58
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Hairspray is an interesting musical because the stage version was just such a joy. I thought it would be impossible to even come close to the stage version, boy I was mistaken. The real star of this show is not the singing or the acting, which is all very enjoyable, it's the choreography. It's really exhilarating to watch. Furthermore, unlike some musicals, this musical embraces the cheesiness of the musical genre. Some characters are totally confused when people burst into song and dance; it's a nice touch that adds great comedy. Tracy (bursting into the song): "I can hear the bells" Penny: "I don't hear anything." And can I add that this is the happiest movie I have seen in a long time. In fact, I can't remember the last movie I saw that I would label as happy. I constantly smiled throughout the whole thing. And the music got the sixties down perfect; this movie has all the right stuff. Besides, you get Christopher Walken dancing. And really, that's worth five stars in my book. This isn't moody or inconsistent like The Produces or Dreamgirls. Chicago and Moulin Rouge can welcome another great musical to their ranks. See it, you'll be smiling the whole way through. 5/5 GRINK HELCH fucked around with this message at 13:37 on Jul 23, 2007 |
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Jul 23, 2007 13:33
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Great movie that improves on Waters' original, and refreshingly makes no apologies for being a musical. John Travolta (Grease) and Michelle Pfeiffer (Grease 2) do good work, and Christopher Walken's semi-autistic weirdness is finally put to excellent use as Tracy's absent-minded, joke shop owning father. That Walkin's a legitimate triple threat (acting/singing/dancing) is not much of a surprise, but his performance here is a revelation as it marks one of the first times I've ever seen him smile, flirt, and look legitimately happy on screen. Also, keep your eyes peeled for a criminally under-utilized Allison Janney, whose fundamentalist Christian lands some of the biggest laughs of the night. Big Hollywood names aside, this movie really belongs to its teenage supporting cast, and they have enough talent and infectious fun to spare. Elijah Kelley is the breakout star here, bounding and jiving around the screen so much he threatens to derail the film. Nikki Blonsky is good as the supersized Tracy Turnblad, though her energy seems uneven throughout. Everyone sings and dances like a champ. Everyone, that is, apart from Amanda Bynes, who is cute and lands some great punchlines but looks lost and miscast in her role. As a fan of the original movie, a bigger fan of the stage show, I have some minor criticisms, like the curious exclusion of Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now, which appears only in the closing credits, and the very loose editing that lets all the air out of the comedic sequences. Also, while the movie embraces John Waters' "dirty art" aesthetic (women are shown celebrating their pregnancies with martinis and cigarettes; children bounce around the backseat of a convertible while the seatbelts scrape along on the pavement), it never really revels in the filth in the same way that Waters himself would have done. These are mostly quibbles with directorial choices, and while director/choreographer Adam Shankman's dance routines are the best Hollywood has seen in decades, I suspect the movie would've been better served if he had turned over the directing reins to someone else. A great way to spend an afternoon, and it was nice to watch a movie get actual laughs and applause in the theatre. 5/5
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Jul 23, 2007 21:46
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I really have nothing bad to say about this film. It had splendid, well-performed flowing music and dance throughout. I was never bored, never sad, never without one of the tunes in my head. John Travolta was fantastic; the word "negotiate" has never been so funny. Michelle Pfeiffer was just as good, and had the role nailed, as did her character's daughter. Elijah Kelley, as mentioned by BonesMcGuire, really did steal an awful lot of the scenes he was in, and Zac Effron (who I thought was pretty rubbish in High School Musial) had everything perfect from the wink, the hair and the voice. I loved it, and can not wait for the DVD to come out, so I can share this with everyone I know who isn't already completely obsessed. 5/5
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Aug 19, 2007 17:00
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I just saw this movie today, and I never thought I would use the phrase "feel-good movie of the year" as anything but a joke, but that's exactly how I would describe this. Loads of talent, great fresh new faces and enjoyable performances from established stars like Christopher Walken, John Travolta and Michelle Pfeiffer. I'm not a big fan of musicals, but this was truly entertaining, the songs were catchy, the dancing was amazing, and all in all it was a truly FUN movie to watch. Now that's entertainment! I would have liked to see more of Christopher Walken in the film, but you can't have everything. Go see "Hairspray". You'll be glad you did. 4/5
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Aug 20, 2007 01:25
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