See the stage production. not this disco version.

Rating: 2/10 (13 February 2006)

If you're going to do a revival movie of the 50's. By all means, do a revival movie of the 50's.
GREASE is not a 50's revival. It mixes two decades, the fabulous fifties and the groovy seventies. And it pulls it off--oddly enough--successfully. That is, to the large population that love the lead actors, and are not frequent Theater patrons.
For me, the only TRUE Grease is the Broadway Musical. I dislike both movies, and was reluctant to see the Musical. However, when my cousin took me to see a recent performance for my birthday I truly appreciated the experience.
What's the difference? well despite the fact that the movie stayed relatively close to the main story, the music was all wrong. They've replaced a lot of 50's do-wop songs with updated disco numbers. "You're the one that I want" replacing "All choked up" ...a disco version of the Bo Diddley classic "hand jive", and Sandy's vocal solo "It's Raining on Prom Night" (which in the musical, is key to the plot since Sandy was not at the dance) becoming a background track, barely noticeable in the Prom scene.
Another huge difference is that the movie is less funny than the stage production. Many of the funnier scenes were omitted or completely revamped. For instance, in the prom scene the character Cha-Cha wasn't a hot Latina in the play, but a chubby girl who Danny was plagued with at the prom. THe mooning scene was an entire musical number, with the T-birds singing about their favorite prank. and the ending was just more fun.
And now let's talk about the acting. These actors were way too old to be Seniors in High School. While I truly enjoy Stockard Channing's acting she looked as if she would have children in high school--not a high school girl who wonders if she's with child. Well all of them acted well, they still looked way too old to play their characters--even Newton-John and Travolta. But it was a big career boost for the then-disco king, and the pretty Australian songstress. It paid off for both of them.
But it cheapened the musical for me by "updating" too much. It worked with 50's do wop numbers, and I found the disco style songs (you're the one that I want, and Grease) totally jarring.
In short: If it isn't broke, don't fix it.
I give it 3/10.