7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 3.6 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
Good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. When they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance?
Starring: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, Barry PearlComedy | 100% |
Romance | 83% |
Musical | 69% |
Teen | 43% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.38:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono (224 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Musicals have seen a resurgence on home video lately thanks to the success of
Hairspray and Rent. While these two musicals are fairly recent offerings, the
way to test the quality of a production is how well it holds up over time. Grease
certainly has, as it is as popular today as it was in 1978 when it was released.
Grease has seen many incarnations on video over the years. Released on VHS in
1998, it was re-released as a 20th anniversary edition in theaters, and again released to
DVD in 2002. In 2006 it was released again on DVD as a definitiveRockin' Rydell
Edition, identical to this current Blu-ray release. The question now becomes, is this
worth the double dip if I have already purchased the previous DVD? My answer is a
resounding yes.
John Travolta was already famous fresh off the release of Saturday Night Fever a
year earlier, and the long running sitcom Welcome Back Kotterin production from
1975 to 1979. However his fame rose to higher heights after the release of this film. Olivia
Newton John was not well known before this flick, but became very well known after its
release. The song Hopelessly Devoted to You was played tirelessly on the radio for
years after the release of this film.
There is no doubt in my mind that Grease must be one of the most watched or
heard film musicals of all time. It is not a great movie by any means - certainly not at the
level of Singing in the Rain, The Sound of Music, or Evita for that
matter. It is however a fun easy kind of movie that anyone can enjoy. It does not take
itself seriously, but just seeks to entertain us for 110 minutes.
Grease rocks onto the Blu-ray format in a 1080p/AVC framed in a 2:39:1 video window. While certainly better looking than the previously released DVD disc, this Blu-ray release is more revealing of the good and bad of the source material. All the same issues that dogged the DVD, dog this disc as well. The print master is clean; nick and dirt free, but a little scrubbed visually. For a film shot in 1978, grain should be much more apparent. Detail is good, but inconsistent over the course of the film. The added detail over the DVD is readily apparent and the bump in sharpness is also very noticeable. Colors are well saturated, bright and brilliant, but with glossy indistinct hues. Contrast and black levels are admirable, never blooming or crushed. There is some noticeable edge enhancement, but only intermittently throughout the presentation. The picture was soft on occasion, but vacillated between sharp and soft throughout the entire film. This is the best I have seenGreaselook on any video format.
Featuring a lossless 5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack, Grease is an audio disappointment for me. This is a front heavy soundtrack with true to its roots 1978 sound. The soundtrack sounds pinched in the midrange and slightly rolled off in the highs. Dialog is always clean and clear, but occasionally had a boxy colored character to it. The surrounds are used sparingly, with only the occasional discrete voice, crowd noise, or effect thrown in. Ambient cues from the music are also present in the surrounds, which gives the music a little more air in the acoustical space. Bass is powerful, balanced and never bloated or obscuring midrange or upper frequency detail. The lateral spread of the front stereo soundstage is excellent, with imaging extending deep into the sound field. Since this is what 70's mixes sound like, I would have to say this disc is about as audibly accurate you are going to hear Grease sound like.
This disc is stuffed with extra's, some worth watching, others not. If you already own the
Rockin Rydell Edition on DVD, do not expect anything new on this disc.
Commentary by Director Randal Kleiser and Choreographer Patricia Birch and
Introduction by Director Randal Kleiser does a credible job in filling out the 110 minutes with
production facts and details.
Rydell Sing along Takes you directly to each of the 11 song numbers featured in
the film.
Featurette The time, the place , the motion: Remembering Grease (22 minutes)
11 Deleted/extended/alternate scenes with director introduction.
Grease on DVD launch party (15 minutes) features coverage of the 2002 launch
party.
Grease memories from John & Olivia (3 minutes) spotlights interviews at the 2002
DVD launch party
The moves behind the music (8 minutes) focuses on the choreography of the film.
Thunder Roadsters (5 minutes) highlights the cars used in the production
John Travolta & Allan Carr – Grease day interview (2 minutes) is an interview done
at the film's premiere.
Olivia Newton-John & Robert Stigwood – Grease day interview (2 minutes) was
also done at the film's premiere.
Photo galleries
Theatrical trailer(HD)
Grease is a timeless staple of cinematic and musical history. Its music is ear catching, foot stomping and much fun to listen to. It is also memorable, as it will have you humming tunes from it for weeks after viewing. You care about the characters, and the pace of the flick is strong and consistent. If you are a fan of Grease, I would suggest a strong buy for the improved picture and sound quality over the DVD. If you are looking for a night and day upgrade from the DVD, this may not be that kind of release. However the improvement is enough to warrant a double dip if you are a real fan of this musical.
Rockin' Rydell Edition
1978
Paramount 100th Anniversary
1978
Rockin' Rydell Edition
1978
Rockin' Rydell Edition
1978
40th Anniversary Edition
1978
40th Anniversary Edition
1978
1978
1978
2012-2013
2016
Sing-Along Edition
2018
2-Disc Shake and Shimmy Edition
2007
2009
2006
2011
10th Anniversary Edition
2008
1982
2018
Director's Cut on BD
1990
2008
2008
10th Anniversary Edition
1999
20th Anniversary Limited Edition Packaging
2004
2010
1999
2015
Extended Edition
2007
2020