Grease – Blu-ray Review

DVD Reviews

By Jeff Swindoll May 4, 2009, 13:59 GMT

Put on your leather jacket, grease up your hair, take some change for the jukebox, and gas up the hot rod as Grease rolls onto Blu-ray. Even though we’re reliving the rocker past don’t think that little annoyances like getting knocked up are glossed over in this musical.

Over the summer, Australian Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) meets All-American boy Danny (John Travolta) on the beach. The two share a summer romance, but Sandy has to return to Australia and their love must end and the two part. However, unknown to Danny, Sandy’s family ends up staying.

Danny returns to high school and into his old ways as the leader of a group of greasers called the T-Birds. Sandy’s cousin Frenchy (Didi Conn) is a member of the girl version of the T-Birds, the Pink Ladies, that is led by Betty (Stockard Channing). When Sandy finally does see him he’s entirely different. The romantic, beachside Danny is nothing like the tough at school Danny though. Frenchy decides to take Sandy under her wing and into the Pink Ladies. The two lovebirds have to overcome their high school personas and have to rekindle the love they created on the beachfront in this brave new world… and do it in song. I must’ve been young when I watched Grease for the first time because I didn’t recall all of the adult subject matter that pops up in it. I’d imagine that if the film was made in the time period that it takes place that we’d not be talking about teenage pregnancy and would be something more like Doris Day or Sandra Dee (as the teens sing about in one song), but maybe that’s the point of the film. The previous generation’s lifestyle isn’t as glorified as we like them to be and they all had to have sex or we’d not be here. John Travolta had already hit big in 1977’s Saturday Night Fever and Grease would only catapult him to international stardom. Grease is certainly a fun film and full of vibrant music. It teams him with music sensation Olivia Newton-John and would also give her career an added boost with five top singles in the charts from the film. The rocking soundtrack is what really propels this film to the classic status it enjoys. It’s hard after watching it to not be singing along. Youth may be well represented but also look for some elder faces in the cast, including Sid Caesar and Eve Arden.

Also note that when Danny and Sandy are in the malt shop that several paintings are blurred out because of product placement that wasn’t approved. It’s my understanding that they’ve been like this in all of the versions. Grease is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (2.35:1). Special features are presented in standard definition, for the most part. The 2 minute theatrical trailer is the only bit presented in high definition. First up is a commentary by director Randall Kleiser and choreographer Patricia Birch. You can also sing along with eleven of the songs from the film. There’s also a 24 second introduction by Kleiser and you have the option to play it before the feature starts or just watch it from the special features menu. Next is the 22 minute “The Time, The Place, The Motion: Remembering Grease.” There are also 10 minutes of deleted scenes, with an introduction from Kleiser. The 15 minute “Grease on DVD Launch Party” is from the 2002 party celebrating the arrival of the film on the silver platter. There are also 3 minutes of “Grease memories from Olivia and John.” The 8 minute “The Moves behind the Music” is about the dance numbers in the film. The 5 minute “Thunder Roadsters” talks to car wizard George Barris about how the classic cars fit into the film. There is some vintage footage from “Grease Day” (4 minutes) with Travolta and Allan Carr as well as Newton-John and producer Robert Stigwood. Finally, there are also four photo galleries. Grease is brought to dizzying heights by its rocking soundtrack. The seams in the storyline are a bit harder to see after those big musical numbers. It’s a fun time and fans will be happy to have it in high definition.