Film Review of Grease

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Film Review of Grease

Girls, grab your poodle skirts! Guys, grab your hair grease and

leather jackets! "Grease" is the word, and after nearly 25 years since

its initial theatrical run, it's every bit as enchanting and fun as it

ever was. The numbers speak for themselves: after two theatrical

releases, one in 1978 and a reissue in 1998, the worldwide box office

total for what is considered to be Hollywood's most successful musical

stands at $341.1 million. You can argue with opinion, but you can't

deny pure fact.

I first saw "Grease" as a small child, introduced to the rockin',

rollin' 50's as seen through the 70's at the age of 11. Back then, the

film was nothing short of a pure delight: the musical numbers were

jubilant and lively, the cast likeable and well-groomed, the external

look of the film a visual feast, and the overall experience one that

was unforgettable. Revisiting the film eight years later, I have found

that nothing has changed: the humor is as refreshing as it was before,

the music light and carefree, the effect a dose of pure movie magic.

It just doesn't get much better than this.

For those who have been living under a rock for the last quarter of a

century, here's a refresher: high school heartthrob/big man on campus

Danny Zuko (John Travolta) and Australian goody-goody Sandy (Olivia

Newton-John) spend the summer frolicking on the beach to the wafting

sounds of "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing." Once school is back in

session at Rydell High, Danny, thinking he will never see Sandy again,

is back to his old tricks, until he finds out she also attends classes

there. Of course, the standards of being as slick as hair grease don't

exactly make him very appealing to Sandy, and the two go through a

series of ups and downs before finally reuniting at the film's end to

sing the famed "You're The One I Want."

Quite a simple story when you look back on it, but that's the beauty

of it.

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