Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

In the words of John Travolta himself, "Grease is part of American culture" -- whether you like it or not.

The film came out about a year after Travolta's big-screen debut in Saturday Night Fever. If those boogie shoes didn't take him to the moon, this one was his rocket into super-stardom on both the big screen and in the recording charts. In fact, I am fairly sure this is the movie that bought Travolta that jet that he flies around the globe.

Grease was also the big-screen debut of Olivia Newton-John, and featured an impressive supporting cast, including Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway and Didi Conn.

There's not too much left to say about the movie. For the three people out there that haven't seen Grease, it's the story of greaser Danny (Travolta) and good girl Sandy (Newton-John). The two kick off the movie in the middle of the greatest summer fling ever known to musicals. When the school year starts up again, it seems the two summer lovers are attending the same high school. Of course, their fantasy relationship seems to have problems in the real world. Apparently, those problems can be easily fixed through multiple catchy songs and skin-tight Spandex pants.

Despite the fun soundtrack and the flirty storyline, Grease is actually a lot raunchier than you might remember. Maybe that's because numerous watered-down versions are in constant rotation on basic cable. If you haven't seen the full-length version in a while, it might be worth a look on Blu-ray. After all, Grease is still the word.

The Picture

If you're hopelessly devoted to high-def, you're going to be disappointed in this 2.35:1 transfer. There are plenty of crystal-clear moments, most notably the shine on the greasers' hair, as well as Sandy's sexy Spandex and bright red lips. However, almost the entire first half of the film seems a bit hazy, with a lot less detail and sharpness. Once the film flips over to the second half, there is a noticeable difference. At least the film goes out on a high note, as far as the high-def goes.

The Sound

Considering that the entire film focuses around music, the sound is slightly lame. That's not to say that it detracts from the fun. However, I just expected more from the combination of the constant, catchy soundtrack and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound. Overall though, it just sounds a lot like I would expect from the standard-def DVD -- or the film's original print.

The Extras

There are plenty of extras, although most are for the truly rabid fans. Unlike the Saturday Night Fever release, Travolta isn't totally absent in these features. However, his appearances look dated, so they are probably picked up from the DVD release. Still, "Remembering Grease" provides some nice background with casting info and trivia. Of course, only true fans will most likely want to know that Channing's hickeys were real -- and delivered by Conaway. There's also sing-alongs, plenty of deleted/extended scenes, interviews and other shorts. There's even a glimpse of the DVD release party. Again, it's dated, but it's fun to see all of the cast members together again. Travolta obviously still has the moves (which he's showed off in more recent films, such as Pulp Fiction). The pipes? They're not quite as fresh as they used to be.

Final Thoughts

We understand that not everyone is a fan of musicals. Yes, Grease is a musical -- one of the biggest of all-time. If you can't hang with songs and choreography being thrown in your face every two minutes, you should still subject yourself to this movie at least once. However, if you're a superfan, there's no doubt that Grease deserves a spot in your Blu-ray collection.

Where to Buy:

• Grease on Blu-ray Disc (Amazon.com)

Product Details

• Actors: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, Didi Conn
• Director: Randal Kleiser
• Audio/Languages: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital 5.1 (French), Mono (Spanish)
• Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Region: A
• Number of Discs: 1
• Rating: PG
• Studio: Paramount
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: May 5, 2009
• Run Time: 110 minutes
• List Price: $29.99
• Extras:
• Commentary by Director Randal Kleiser and Choreographer Patricia Birch
• Introduction by Randal Kleiser
• Rydell Sing-Along
• The Time, The Place, The Motion: Remembering Grease
• Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes
• Grease on DVD Launch Party
• Grease Memories from John & Olivia
• The Moves Behind the Music
• Thunder Roadsters
• John Travolta and Allan Carr "Grease Day" Interview
• Olivia Newton-John and Robert Stigwood "Grease Day" Interview
• Photo Galleries
• Theatrical Trailer