Hairspray

Sian's Film Review

Rated M

This John Water’s musical was made into a film in 1988. With so many other fantastic Broadway offerings out there which have never made it to screen, one could be forgiven for wondering why New Line agreed to redo this one. But once you’ve sat down and watched this feel-good romp, you’ll understand why it’s been given another airing.

Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonksi) loves to sing and dance, landing herself a spot on a local TV show. She uses her fame to teach conservative Baltimore about integration and acceptance.

Though probably relevant at the time of its inception, Hairspray deals with issues that are so overly addressed in modern cinema and literature that a bit of eye rolling may occur as you watch this one. I mean how many films can be made about white/black integration and acceptance based on personality not looks etc etc etc? Hairspray takes another stab at driving home such old, worn out messages.

Luckily, director Adam Shankman ensures that these over-done issues don’t dampen the experience too much by keeping things light and fun. The film’s messages aren’t too heavy handed and the characters so loveable that we can look past the corny moral lessons.

The large cast is strong in acting, dancing and singing ability. The only cast member who struggles is Michelle Pfeiffer, who appears to have been chosen due to her A-list status, her looks and acting prowess rather than her ability as a musical performer. Her singing is just passable and her movement surprisingly clumsy. Who would have thought such a gorgeous woman could be so ungraceful?

The song sequences are pieced together very well, only the protest scene presents problems. With corny cross-fades and uninventive camera work, it comes across as rather jarring.

The Verdict: As with any musical, don’t drag your footy mates along to this one, and you may want to leave the hubbies at home as well. As far as musicals go this is a great mainstream offering, and a typical crowd pleaser, yet it’s not sensational enough to woo those who ‘don’t do musicals’. But, if you’re up for a bit of spontaneous singing and dancing in your movies, go watch this one!

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.