A long awaited movie finally makes it onto DVD. A college classic and a musical that comes close to no other can best describe ‘Grease’. Zesty choreography, loaded with the kind of talent and exuberance you’d never find anywhere, it’s a movie that puts a smile on your face for its music, romance, comedy and action.

Compared to today’s countless high school productions, like ‘High School Musical’, this era-blending, 37 year old flick (it was released way back in 1978) has catchy tunes, saucy Travolta's hip shakes, and a sweet-yet-smutty script.

The camera pans a beach shot where Danny Zuko (John Travolta) and Sandy Olsen (Olivia Newton-John) have just had a fantastical summer at the beach with one another. Sandy and Danny say their last good-byes. It was love at first sight and its time to part with a kiss as ‘Love is a many splendor thing’ plays in the background. Danny seems to not want to let Sandy go, but Sandy is due to return to Australia. She is upset, thinking that this is the end of their romance and that they will never see each other again. Danny tries to comfort her by telling her that "it's not the end, it's just the beginning”.

However Sandy's family has a change of plans and does not return to Australia, but Danny is unaware of this. Sandy enrolls at Rydell High School as a foreign-exchange student, where Danny is a student. When their paths finally cross at Rydell, he's just not the same Danny that was at the beach with her. The duck-tailed, leather-jacketed Danny is a wilder, heavy hair oiled, and dashing lad, something Sandy cannot fathom. Sandy seriously hates Danny's style. In response, Sandy begins dating a wholesome athlete, and also moves in with the gum-chewing, tough-talking clique known as the Pink Ladies. Will their love survive or will it just end at the beach front?

The first feature film for Olivia Newton-John's even though she had been a music star for several years before this movie, she fitted perfectly as Sandy. John for his side does well, back after the immense success of ‘Saturday Night Fever’.

For the younger generations who might be discovering this film for the first time, it’s an eye-opener to what the 70s were, while for those who grew up with this film, it’s a veritable classic as you join in singing songs like Hopelessly devoted to you, Tears on my pillow, Grease lightning, You're the One that I Want, Sandy, Summer Nights, and Beauty School Drop-out? among many others.

This film should be in your collection especially if you have watched it as a kid while at high school. You can show it to your kids now and let them relive the days when musicals were the in thing.

The DVD transfer however does look as good as expected. The skin tones appear to have faded. But the daylight scenes fare better than the film's nighttime sequences. Sadly the DVD lacks proper 5.1surround sound effects, coming in at times at a low volume. However the extras on the DVD include special interview segment with the cast and film makers, now many moons older. You also get to see the original theatrical trailer with hot shots of the movie. That’s all there is, nothing more.

Rating: ****

-- Reviewed by Verus Ferreira