Grease

It only takes one listen for "Grease" to plant itself into your head and set up a permanent home. In no time, you’ll be reaching for the remote so you can watch this classic musical again. You'll make it your mission to memorize the songs so you can sing along to “Summer Nights”, “You’re the One That I Want”, “Greased Lightnin” and the other memorable tunes.

It’s back to school at Rydell High, 1958. Sweet-natured Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John) is shocked to discover her summer crush, Danny Zuko (John Travolta) is not the same boy she met on the beach. A greaser and member of the T-Birds, he plays it off as if their romance meant nothing to him, but that sentiment won’t last.

“Grease” starts on the right note with an animated intro that recalls the cartoons of the ’50s (“Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends” comes to mind). It sets the mood and, combined with “Summer Nights” tells you exactly what’s in store next. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John are perfect together, the choreography and sure-thing romance get you excited for more. There's not much depth to anything we see but that's perfectly suited to this nostalgia-fuelled, breezy love story filled with teenage drama and a lot of energy.

Much of the film’s success comes from an unexpected source: Stockard Channing as Betty Rizzo, the sarcastic, cynical leader of the Pink Ladies, the clique who adopts Sandy. This movie has many moments of cheese, but Rizzo proves the screenplay by Allan Carr is also self-aware. As the audience gets ready to make a snarky remark at the “Why has he changed? ” or “How can I romance her without being embarrassed in front of my friends? ” sentiment, Rizzo beats you to the punch. Either by tossing a joke into the mix or introducing genuinely important teenage issues and sentiments. Ultimately the film is still a fantasy that leaves you cheering, but that slight edge prevents you from dismissing it as an airhead. That said, there is one element of the film that is dated: Danny's friends. Their toxic masculinity hints at an unintended, darker edge. For this reason, a few key lyrics have been tweaked in later production. It's easy to see why. Such is the price for enduring for this long. Ultimately, it doesn't matter. "Grease" is too much fun for you to be offended.

There are many big laughs and heart-fluttering moments as director Randal Kleiser paints this picture of a time when things were simpler and every conflict could be expressed, then resolved through song and dance. The leads are splendid. The supporting cast members make even their small contributions impactful thanks to some witty lines and memorable moments. Is "Grease" going to convert those who don’t like musicals? I don’t think so, but for those who already like it when characters express their feelings by rhyme, music and footwork, it’s a blast. (On DVD, November 24, 2017)