A confusingly irritating bit of fun - concealing a surprisingly values-zero ethos

Rating: Null/10 (3 June 2006)

Wonderfully light-hearted viewing one suspects, of the spoof genre, until one is forced to admit that the 'morality' and values would be the antithesis of what we say we'd like our kids to emulate. (And young teens don't get spoof this pretty). Anyone who loves dance will get a buzz with the choreographic sequences, and the film is delightfully satirical in parts. Yet it came as a shock to re-view for this writer in the presence of sub-teens, realising the presence of an in-your-face back seat copulation episode, resplendent with appropriate grunts - that makes it seem odd that Grease is a universal choice of light movie viewing for youngsters. Superficial in the extreme - why for instance (how, actually?) can Sandy give away her 'sweet innocence' just to get the Travolta guy? And notwithstanding the driving off into the clouds satire at the end, why does an empty-headed strutting jerk like Danny get the girl because she has tossed her lot in as a tarty leather-clad T-boy groupie?
As for the cigarette product placement. We've gotten used to this ploy in John Travolta's choice of film roles in the decades. (i.e. ploy or crutch?)