Director: Adam Shankman

Writer: Leslie Dixon [based on the 1988 screenplay by John Waters]

Starring: John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, James Marsden, Zac Efron and Allison Janney

Four Stars (out of Five)

See it: Movies 12

Tagline: Get Ready For Something BIG!

“Hairspray” is rated PG for language and some suggestive content. Its running time is 117 minutes.

It’s 1962. Ever-cheerful teenager Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) and her friend Penny Pingleton (Amanda Bynes) rush home from school every day to watch “The Corny Collins Show,” hosted by the dashing Corny Collins (James Marsden) and his fellow dancers, including back-up beauty and high school heartthrob Link Larkin (Zac Efron). Tracy dreams of one day being one of the chosen dancers on the show, and she might actually get her wish. Auditions are Friday, and all Tracy needs to do is skip school, just briefly, to go and show everyone, including the iron-fist station manager Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer) just how brilliantly she can dance; no matter how big she is. But times in Baltimore are changing, and civil rights are on the move. Can Tracy fulfill her dream, if it means letting the discrimination against a black dancer continue? Or will she stand up and let the world know just how being different is what it’s all about?

Based off the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, which itself was based of the 1988 non-musical movie of the same name, we at last get a musical remake worthy of song. Forget “Rent,” this is what it’s all about.

The one thing to know: This film is fun. I had a smile on my face from start to finish. Every element, every aspect was wonderful. The non-reality dancing, moving posters and speaking portraits makes for a tour-de-force of visual stimulus overload. Best of all, the sequin-coated costumes would have stolen every scene, had it not been for such meticulous and spectacular choreography. From dancing buses to full cast numbers, or romantic tangos at night, it was all so good. And yet through all this fun, they managed to move the plot forward, integrate the civil rights plot and still have time to fix their do’s. And while we are left with a rather sugarcoated ending, it doesn’t matter. The “quick fix” conclusion only highlights the fact America and the rest of the world still need to do more to make race a nonissue when judging someone. The perfect ending for this movie puts reality in deep relief.

There is no fault to be found in this cast, each actor embraces the showy, farcical nature of their characters, hamming up where needed and adding to it subtly, to make a truly wonderful show. It’s not fair to pick out any one performance, since each was as good as the actors could be. It’s not Oscar-worthy, but this style of acting never is – it’s fun and ridiculous, just as it should be.

Easily the best musical since “Chicago,” many have dubbed this the “Grease” of our generation. I agree. Almost unnecessary in how much fun it is, and while the sugarcoated sweetness is not for all, this definitely will please those who enjoy a song and dance once in a while. And much like “Grease,” it tackles issues above and beyond hairstyles, without becoming preachy or obnoxious.

A great movie, and well worth your hard-earned money. Be warned, you must watch this on the big screen. Much like battles in “The Lord of the Rings,” this can only be fully appreciated on a grand scale. And as the movie points out, big is better!

Best scene: The cast rendition of “You Can’t Stop the Beat” is by the far the show-stopping number of the film, guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face. It’s the jewel in the crown of this movie.

Overall: An incredibly enjoyable musical, made to sparkle due to the choreography, lyrics and a pitch-perfect cast. Never dull and never slow. This truly is the “Grease” of our generation!