Ending with audience applause fit for a Broadway play, Hairspray, released July 20, successfully brought the classic musical to the movies.

It's Baltimore, it's the '60s and it's time for change. Hairspray starts with a hopeful solo from aspiring dancer Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) as she walks toward school and stardom. While falling in love, auditioning for a place on her favorite dance show and tackling prejudice, Turnblad keeps singing, dancing and effectively entertaining the audience.

In her first role ever, Blonsky steals the show with her confidence, likeability and passion. The entire cast follows her lead; from innocent, lollypop-licking best friend Penny Pingleton (Amanda Bynes), to confident, flashy host Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah), the star-studded cast redefines the word "character" with completely unique, interesting and often wacky personalities.

The best movie musical since Grease, Hairspray may bring back the dying art of on-screen singing. Completely engaging and charismatic, the film uses everything to make a beat — the swish swish of shoe shining and the splats of newspapers hitting cement combine to make the film alive with sound and swing. If you don't have the urge to get up and start dancing, you'll at least be tapping your feet to the music.

Overall a fun viewing experience, Hairspray still manages to tackle issues of prejudice, ultimately supporting the equality and empowerment of all people, despite their shape, size or color.

Even with pronounced themes of prejudice, Hairspray continues to be light, fun and catchy. While it may seem odd to cast John Travolta as Tracy's mother, his absurd portrayal makes perfect sense in a movie that continually makes fun of itself, exposing serious subject matter in a continually hilarious, bright and colorful way.

Grasping the audience from the beginning, the movie slows in the middle, halting the stream of action for more serious song interludes about love and racial equality. With its two main themes so well covered, Hairspray speeds back up to end with a twirling, scandalous, breathtaking, meticulously choreographed, show-stopping and utterly satisfying grand finale at the Miss Hairspray Competition.

It will make you want to dance, it will make you want to stand up for what you believe in, and if you're a girl, it'll make you glad you no longer have to ratt, roll and hairspray.