Still a wonderful movie decades later.

Rating: 8/10 (21 August 2005)

I remember as a kid when my father sold bubble gum cards showing scenes from "Grease" in the 1970's. I had never seen this movie before; to be honest I didn't start watching movies until I was around 10 or 11 when I could understand movies. This was one of the first I saw with the advent of the VCR.
Grease, of course, is based on the Broadway play and is a superb film version; it seems one thing Hollywood can do right is taking successful plays and making them into films. While the story is of two lovers from different backgrounds who struggle to try and accept each other's high school images, the movie is really a celebration of the 1950's. The movie makes a case that living in the 1950's; despite the spectre of The Cold War, was a terrific time. The kids of the 50's never had it so good. They didn't have video games, PCs, satellite dishes, the 'Net, or other diversions. They had what we always have had: Love. Perhaps the only flaw is the 1970's trappings. Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees wrote the theme song and while the film captures much of the 50's you see the occasional disco trapping or such of the decade.
John Travolta is brilliant as Danny Zuko. Although he may have been drawing heavily from his Vinnie Barbarino character from Welcome Back, Kotter and his admiration of Jim Morrison he portrays Danny as a multi-faceted individual. He can be a charming, naive student or a cigarette-smoking, image of cool. He plays a man who wishes not to be pigeon-holed with a single image but fears to be shunned from his peers. Despite being too old for the role, Stockard Channing is awesome as Betty Rizzo, the leader of the Pink Ladies. She is irresistible and you can't help but fall for her rough charm. Her scenes in the slumber party are fiery; especially when she dons a wig and sings "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee". In her small role at The American Bandstand dance, Annette Charles murders the dance-floor with her performance. Her superb dancing steals that scene. And while her singing is fine, Olivia Newton-John's performance as Sandy is lacking. She just plays her as a bore a little too much. The supporting cast is excellent, with a mix of just about everything.
After 27 years, few musicals top this one (Chicago, Moulin Rouge perhaps) but this one was done in a different era of Hollywood. You need to see this one once a year at least. Oh, and avoid Grease II or the veiled 2003 remake called From Justin To Kelly.