Thursday, July 19, 2007

Critics Bow and Exalt

Movie Dearest continues the weeklong countdown to the new movie musical Hairspray, opening nationwide tomorrow:

The reviews are in, and they are as fabulous as Michelle Pfeiffer in that outfit.

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly rates it an "A-", calling it "a fizzy and delirious high-camp message-movie musical that may just turn out to be the happiest movie of the summer."

Glenn Kenny of Premiere.com awards 3 out of 4 stars (which means it is "so money"), saying "Hairspray proves that summer movie fun needn't be witless and/or soulless."

Dennis Harvey of Variety says it is "high on retro movie-musical craftsmanship."

Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter keeps it simple: "A giddy breath of fresh aerosol."

David Ansen of Newsweek calls it "a plus-size pleasure."

Peter Travers in Rolling Stone sticks to the tried and true: "Hairspray has a beat. And you sure can dance to it."

Rex Reed of the The New York Observer says the movie is "splashy, flashy, trashy musical mayhem that made me laugh and hum, put snap in my fingers and rhythm in my feet, and left me thoroughly entertained."

Ebert & Roeper give it "Two BIG thumps up!", with Roger going for the obvious: "It's no drag."

Greg Hernandez at Out in Hollywood cuts to the heart of the matter: "But, let's face it, the film absolutely could not work if the role of the loveable, brave and spirited Tracy Turnblad isn't spot-on. In newcomer Nikki Blonsky, we have our Tracy. She is a wonder."

And the Broadway Blog tells us what we want to hear: "They got it right. They got it right! Thank God, they got it right!"

In related news, the just released soundtrack album debuted in the #2 spot on Billboard's soundtrack chart.

You can't stop the beat indeed.

UPDATE: Even the Washington Blade gave it a glowing review!

Links via EW.com, Premiere.com, Variety.com, HollywoodReporter.com, MSNBC.MSN.com, RollingStone.com, Observer.com, BVEntertainment.go.com, RogerEbert.SunTimes.com, InsideSoCal.com, BroadwayMouth.blogspot.com, Playbill.com and WashBlade.com.

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