by Karyn L. Beach

I like musicals. I thought Chicago was ambitious. Dreamgirls was dramatic. But Hairspray, Hairspray is just fun. From the moment that Tracy Turnblad throws back the covers and belts out Good Morning Baltimore until they cast dances through the credits, from beginning to end, Hairspray was a lot of fun.

Hairspray is all about Tracy Turnblad (newcomer Nikki Blonsky), an optimistic and overweight high schooler who dreams of dancing on the local dance show The Corny Collins Show (Collins is played by X-Men’s James Marsden). Like much of Baltimore in 1962, the show like the city is segregated with one day a month being called Negro Day, that day is hosted by Motormouth Mabel (Queen Latifah).The show’s producer and station manager is the villainous Velma Von Tussle, who’s job is to keep the show the way it is and to keep her daughter Amber (Brittany Snow) as the show’s big star.

When on of the dancers leaves, for a mysterious ‘9-months’, there is an opening and Tracy, despite her mother’s disapproval (mom is played by John Travolta), Tracy cuts class to audition. Things don’t go as planned but as fate would have it, one of the show’s star’s Link Larkin (Zac Efron) catches some of Tracy’s moves and before you know it, she’s not only on the show but becomes a teen sensation – much to Mrs. Von Tussle’s dismay.

Tracy and her best friend Penny Pingleton (Amanda Bynes) befriend some of the black dancers and begin to advocate that the show, like TV at the time, should be both black and white. It’s a stance that could cost Tracy everything.

Hairspray is based on the John Waters film that starred transvestite Divine and launched the career of Rikki Lake, who originated the role of Tracy Turnblad. The film was also remade into a successful Broadway play. This remake was just the next step and it works well.

Nikki Blonsky is the perfect Tracy Turnblad, she’s full of charisma and lights up the screen. Her energy and enthusiasm are infectious. She starts the film on a high note and it stays there. Many doubted whether John Travolta could pull of the role of Tracy’s timid and slightly agoraphobic mother. He can. At first, the bizarre make-up job is distracting but in moments you forget all about it. He comes across as an insecure and protective mother, not as a man in a fat suit playing an insecure and protective mother.

Other stand-out performances included Elijah Kelly as Seaweed, like Blonsky he’s another actor who knows how to own the screen. His signature song Run and Tell That is one of the film’s best. Buzz is that he’s up for a role as Sammy Davis Junior; I hope it comes through for him. He could completely embody the role of one of the ultimate entertainers. Michelle Pfeiffer was also very good. After an absence from films for a while, it’s good to see her back and in great form. She’s deliciously bad and she’s one of those actresses who are even better when they’re bad.

One or two songs might have gone on a minute or two too long but at a lean 108 minutes, Hairspray is not an overlong and bloated movie musical. It gets in and gets out.

This is one of those movies where the audience broke out in applause at the end. As people left the theatre, I noticed several tapping their feet.

Look closely for cameos from John Waters (in the beginning) and Rikki Lake (towards the end).