You can't stop the beat, and you wouldn't want to

The new musical adaptation of Hairspray is adorable! It's not as campy as John Waters' original, but it captures the energy the original Broadway cast brought to the stage, and its positive spirit is utterly infectious. Subtlety is not particularly present here, and characters fall squarely and comically into either the good or bad camp. The actors appear to embrace this one-dimensional approach, though, and really deliver. Nikki Blonsky, in her first major role, is excellent as Tracy. She has a great voice for the part and perfectly portrays Tracy's enthusiasm for life. And that girl can dance! Walking in to the theatre, I told my friend that I was a little sick of Christopher Walken doing comedy and was ready for him to be serious and creepy again. He's Christopher Walken, after all! That said, he was actually great as Wilbur. And John Travolta, despite so much latex that he looks a little like one of the Wayan brothers in White Chicks, actually embodies Edna quite well and imbues her with warmth and vulnerability. I spent more time adjusting to Travolta's Baltimore accent than I did to him playing a woman; can someone who has seen the movie and spent time in Baltimore please tell me if this is an accurate Baltimore accent? It sounded more than a little Dr. Evil to me. Self-referentially charming, the movie also features cameos by John Waters (as a flasher, no less!), Jerry Stiller, and Ricki Lake.

Most of the music will be familiar to anyone who has seen the Broadway version, and the added songs fit the style and scenes so well that they slide in seamlessly. I was impressed, too, that director Adam Shankman took advantage of his medium. No scenes are groundbreaking, and he doesn't reinvent cinematography. That said, this movie manages to avoid the trap of so many stage adaptations (like The Producers and Rent), where stage scenes are simply recreated in front of a camera.

The one misstep, really, is when the film attempts to be serious with its social commentary. The whole movie is about overcoming prejudices of all varieties, but when Tracy and Motormouth Maybelle lead an integration march, things slow down to the point of dragging. Throughout, the film's message is clear but wrapped in silliness and fun. This moment of solemnity feels out of place.

People who universally decry musicals and bitch and moan about the unrealistic nature of characters breaking out into song to express their emotions (which is so much less realistic than, say, Optimus Prime) won't necessarily be won over by Hairspray. Everyone else, though, will.