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Hairspray (2007)

Director: Adam Shankman

Time Out rating

Average user rating

180 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Let’s get one thing clear: there is nothing questionable about heterosexual actor John Travolta clad in a fat suit, dragged up in pink sequins and breathily trilling ‘I’m the cutest chickie that you ever did see!’ There is, however, something awkward and faintly disturbing about watching his Edna Turnblad dance and duet with Christopher Walken’s Mr Turnblad dressed in toreador kitsch. Divine it ain’t. In fact, so peculiarly mannered is Edna’s transformation from chipmunky homebody to liberated blob that it’s quite impossible to forget you’re watching John Travolta in latex and, therefore, to suspend disbelief. Nor is that made any easier by uncertain, sometimes clashing performances from such other big names as Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah and indeed Walken, whose dance skills are criminally underused.

That said, this new ‘Hairspray’ – adapted from the Broadway musical based on the 1988 film – is often great fun. Though not as scabrous, as sharp or even as musically memorable as John Waters’ original, it retains much of his filthy, big-hearted sensibility (he cameos as a happy flasher) and is less deadeningly stagey than that other recent film-of-the-musical-of-the-film, ‘The Producers’. Stepping into Ricki Lake’s pumps as Tracy Turnblad – the tubby teen who takes 1962 Baltimore music TV by storm and nearly sparks a race riot by declaring ‘I wish every day were Negro Day!’ – Nikki Blonsky is unflaggingly chipper as both naive kid chastised for ‘inappropriate hair height’ and indignant civil-rights activist. Throw in plenty of sparky numbers and snarky gags and ‘that chubby Communist girl’ is hard to resist.

Author: Ben Walters 2007-07-16 16:06:21

Time Out London Issue 1926: July 18-24 2007

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User reviews of this film

natalie said...

Posted on Aug 23 2007 14:44 the flim is a 5star flim.it was so funny and enjoyable 2 watch.zac was sooo cute in the flim i wish my b.f look like him xlolx

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Zac Efron #1 Fan said...

Posted on Aug 23 2007 13:11 I went To See Hairspray 8 Times No kidding The Best Film Out better Then HSM and Zac Efron Looks So Cute In It So Good For All Of The Family And I Will Be One Of The First To Buy It On Dvd!! Class 10/10!!!

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alex said...

Posted on Aug 22 2007 18:12 Somebody clever once said: 'With food and men, never say it's good or bad until you've actually tried it.!' So let's stop all this blind rating...cheers

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fanny fartknocker said...

Posted on Aug 22 2007 17:44 We all loved it! fast-moving and fun. Good songs too.We go pretty regular tro the pix and this one was a lot better than a lot of the so-called big releases.Really enjoyed it in fact!

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Sarah said...

Posted on Aug 22 2007 14:34 Brilliant, a must see!!

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amy said...

Posted on Aug 22 2007 13:50 How can you rate a film you havent seen? And if you havent seen it do yourself a favour and save the four pound. It was completely over rated, Watching a (quite clearly) Transexual actor version of john travolta might distract you from the poor quality of the movie for a while but honestly, watching a fat girl dance (poorly) while making a racial rights movement back in the 60's? really not the way i suggest you spend your saturday.

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Kate said...

Posted on Aug 21 2007 23:03 I had a wonderful time. Actors are excellent and the soundtrack is lovely.

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fishshoe said...

Posted on Aug 21 2007 18:08 BATT! PANT! SOCK & SHOE!

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Morphia said...

Posted on Aug 21 2007 16:35 Whilst I enjoyed the film, I didn't rate it as highly as the original. Travolta just didn't have the loveable vulgarity with which Divine epitomised the original Mrs Turnblad.
A wonderful cast whose talents all seemed a little underutilised, which was a real shame. However, still well worth watching.
Additionally, is there any chance of a review being published in English, rather that abbreviated ‘text’ please, and actually spelt correctly? Surely I cannot be the only person who would appreciate that.

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annie said...

Posted on Aug 21 2007 14:57 What are people blabbing on about?!?! This film is fantastic. It is absolutely my favorite film ever and me and my sister are going to see it for the third time today!

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Paige said...

Posted on Aug 21 2007 12:07 excellent film i want to see it again

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jkgirl said...

Posted on Aug 20 2007 20:27 I went to see this film with my 10 year old daughter my 8 year old daughter and their 11 year old friend, and they absolutely loved it. They are big fans of High School Musical so I think the fact that Zac Efron was in it, and that the style of film is very similiar swayed them considerably. I enjoyed the storyline, though I suspect that probably went over their heads a bit.
I think the whole style of the film is aimed at preteens although there were ineundos in it which went over their heads. All in all an enjoyable film, and I came away singing the songs which is always a good sign. My one big regret is that the cost of the tickets of the westend show that comes out in October are so prohibitive that I wont be able to take the children to see it, but never mind we will just have to watch the film again.

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order of the phonix fan said...

Posted on Aug 20 2007 20:09 im wacthing this on tthe 25th ofn august so i vote it 6

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Megan said...

Posted on Aug 20 2007 15:06 amazing, zac efron mimed to perfection, Travolta left me in tears of laughter, put a smile on a rainy day :)

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jessica t said...

Posted on Aug 20 2007 12:03 I thought hair spray was quite gd but in some parts it was a bit hard to understand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) 5 / 6

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