A Splashy Adaptation of a Broadway Hit

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2006)

1978'S GREASE is the nearly perfect screen adaptation of the 1971 Broadway musical with a score by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical centers around the romance between cheerleader/exchange student (Olivia Newton-John)and a hood (John Travolta). Travolta and Newton-John are charming leads but the film is practically stolen by Stockard Channing, in her knockout performance as Rizzo, the leader of the Pink Ladies and Danny's ex. The musical has been "cleaned up" for the big screen (the Broadway show was WAY raunchier) with sharp direction by Randal Kleiser and imaginative staging of the musical numbers by the stage show's choreographer Patricia Birch. Musical highlights include "Summer Nights" Danny and Sandy's duet on how they met. "Greased Lightning", "Beauty School Dropout", a very funny fantasy number led by Frankie Avalon, "Born to Hand Jive", and Channing's solo "There are Worse Things I Could do". As is the case with most Broadway to Movie Transitions, songs were cut and added. Some of the songs cut from the play can be heard as background music if you listen and "Grease", "You're the One that I Want", "Hopelessly Devoted to You", and "Sandy" were written directly for the screen. For many years, this film held the record as biggest moneymaking musical film ever and the validation is up there on the screen. It's a little corny and predictable, but you can't help but get caught up. "Grease is the word have you heard have you heard it's got mood it's got feelin...grease is the time is the place is the motion...grease is the way we are feelin."