WGN Morning News Blog

Sorry about the "all caps" on this. I'm out of town and can't convert the format of the script that I use when I write the reviews. I'll change it when I get back for those of you tremendously offended by my laziness for not wanting to re-type the whole thing.

"Hairpsray: The Musical"

THE 1988 MOVIE WAS GREAT. WHEN IT TOOK BROADWAY BY STORM, I LIKED IT BUT NEVER LOVED IT. BUT NOW, THE NEW MOVIE VERSION OF "HAIRSPRAY: THE MUSICAL" COMBINES THE TWO FOR SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL.

IT'S TOTAL SUMMER FUN. JUST ABOUT 2 HOURS OF ENERGY AND GREAT SONGS, AMAZING DANCING...A SLIGHTLY IRREVERENT BUT CLEVER STORY OF ACCEPTANCE AND TOLERANCE...AND GREAT PERFORMANCES.

18 YEAR OLD NIKKI BLONSKY WHO WAS DISCOVERED SCOOPING ICE CREAM AT A COLD STONE CREAMRY STORE PLAYS TRACY TURNBLAD, A BALTIMORE TEENAGER WHO DREAMS OF BEING ON THE CORNY COLLINS DANCE SHOW EVEN THOUGH SHE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE PERFECT COOKIE CUTTER KIDS ON THE SHOW.

HER MOM, EDNA, HAS BEEN PLAYED BY DIVINE AND HARVEY FIRESTEIN IN OTHER HAIRSPRAY INCARNATIONS; NOW IT'S JOHN TRAVOLTA, WHO LOOKS TERRIFIC IN DRAG, BUT WHO'S AUTHENTIC BALTIMORE ACCENT IS DISTRACTING.

ADD IN AMAZING SUPPORTING PERFORMANCES FROM MICHELLE PHIEFFER AS VELMA TON TUSSLE, THE FORMER MISS BALTIMORE WHO WILL DO ANYTHING TO GET HER DAUGHTER A CROWN...

QUEEN LATIFAH, MOTORMOUTH MAYBELLE, THE MORAL CENTER OF THE FILM TRYING TO HELP INTERGRATE THE DANCE SHOW...

CHRISTOPHER WALKEN AS TRACY'S DAD..HE DOES A MEAN DANCE SCENE WITH TRAVOLTA AND HAS KIND OF A SWEET MOMENT TOGETHER.

THERE'S AMADA BYNES, JAMES MARSEDEN AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, ZACH EFRON OF "HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL" FAME, LINK LARKIN, THE LOVE STRUCK HUNK OF THE DANCE PARTY WHO FALLS FOR TRACY. IN FACT, THE MOVIE IS RATED PG..FOR SOME LANGUAGE, AND I THINK WILL BE OK FOR YOUNG ZACH/AMANDA/MARSDEN FANS.

LOOK FOR CAMEOS FROM SOME "HAIRSPRAY" ORIGINALS IN THIS, ONE OF THE BEST MUSICALS TO COME DOWN IN A LONG TIME. DIRECTOR ADAM SHANKMAN HAS FOUND HIS CALLING AFTER SOME AWFUL FILMS LIKE "THE PACIFIER." EVEN HE ADMITS IT.

IT'S A DON'T MISS IT, DEAN'S LIST "A."

"I Now Pronouce You Chuck and Larry."

ONE OF THE BIG DISAPPOINTMENTS OF THE SUMMER IS ADAM SANDLER AND KEVIN JAMES', AWFUL, "I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY." A ONE JOKE COMEDY ABOUT TWO MACHO FIREMEN WHO PRETEND TO BE GAY IN ORDER TO GET DOMESTIC PARTNER BENEFITS; ALMOST TWO HOURS OF JUST ABOUT EVERY TIRED GAY STEREOTYPE YOU'VE EVER HEARD THAT IS NOT ONLY BLATENTLY HOMOPHOBIC BUT JUST BORING.

THEY THROW IN A LITTLE JESSICA BIEL FOR SOME EYE CANDY SO THEY CAN ADD HOT CHICKS TO THEIR TEENAGED BOY NIGHT OF GAY BASHING FUN
.
"SOUL PLANE" DID THE SAME THING WITH INSULTING AFRICAN AMERICAN STEREOTYPES AND THEN TRIED TO RATIONALIZE WITH "IT'S ONLY A JOKE..WE'RE SHOWING HOW BAD WRONG IT IS."

EVERYONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE A JOKE...BUT WHAT'S WRONG HERE, IS THIS MOVIE.

I LIKE KEVIN JAMES AND ADAM SANDLER, BUT THIS MONOTINOUS, ONE JOKE PONY, ESPECIALLY IN A DAY AND AGE WHEN PEOPLE ARE STILL GETTING BEATEN UP ON THE STREET FOR LOOKING A LITTLE DIFFERENT, IS JUST PLAIN STUPID.

A DEAN'S LIST "D MINUS" IS GENEROUS.