movie review grease

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

For Parents
For Educators
Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

Movie Reviews
Best Movie Lists
Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best TV Lists
Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
Common Sense Selections for TV
Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

Book Reviews
Best Book Lists
Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Game Reviews
Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Podcast Reviews
Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

App Reviews
Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

YouTube Channel Reviews
YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

Parents' Ultimate Guide to First Phones (2024)

Family Tech Planners
Digital Skills
All Articles
Latino Culture
Black Voices
Asian Stories
Native Narratives
LGBTQ+ Pride
Jewish Experiences
Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Parents' guide to.

Grease Movie Poster: Sandy and Danny stand cheek to cheek

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 56 Reviews
Kids Say 221 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Kate Pluta , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Musical hit is still great fun but quite racy, has sexism.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 11+?

Characters make out, sometimes with tongue. At the drive-in, the main character

Main character portrays smoking as cool, often has a cigarette dangling off his

Characters use rude gestures, usually sexual (pretending to motorboat or grab at

Characters drink Pepsi, mention Coke, sing to an Ipana toothpaste commercial. Gl

While playing sports, a character hits two students and snaps an umpire's mask.

Any Positive Content?

When you're honest with others about what you want, good things (such as love) c

Danny recognizes that his bad boy image is dishonest and strives to become more

Film centers around extreme gender roles: Male characters view females as sex ob

Parents need to know that Grease is based on the same-named 1971 musical. It's lots of fun but full of racy content, and you might want to give it a quick re-watch before showing it to kids to make sure you remember exactly what they'll be seeing -- especially the outdated gender roles (teen boys are obsessed with sex, and girls only talk about their looks and boys). Characters smoke, drink, and spike the punch at the school dance. Teens use rude, often sexual gestures and use words like "ass," "crap," "weenie," "flog your log," etc. The song "Greased Lightning" has profanity including "t-t," "s--t," and "p---y wagon." Characters make out and have sex off-screen (characters discuss a broken condom, and a girl thinks she's pregnant). Naked bottoms are seen when characters moon a passing car and, later, a TV camera. A teen draws a switchblade in preparation for a rumble, but most violence is of the sexual variety. Frequent sexual harassment is excused as "boys will be boys," and an adult makes a pass at a high school student at a dance and puts a roofie in her soda, which is played for laughs. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John star.

To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Characters make out, sometimes with tongue. At the drive-in, the main character makes a pass at his girlfriend, pushing her down into the car seat and aggressively kissing her; she has to fight to push him off, yelling "stop it" for him to finally stop -- it's portrayed as expected behavior. Implied sexual activity when two characters discuss a broken condom, resulting in a teen's fear she may be pregnant. Teens moon a passing car and later a TV camera (naked derrieres visible). A character is briefly shown in her bra. During a sleepover, teens dance around in their nighties and mock a girl's virginity (on the lyric "lust," one girl spreads her legs and flashes her panties). Male characters frequently make obscene gestures, including pretending to motorboat someone and grab at breasts. The song "Greased Lightning" has strong sexual content, though the innuendo may go over younger viewers' heads.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Main character portrays smoking as cool, often has a cigarette dangling off his lip. Other teens also smoke, drink beer (while driving) and wine, and spike the punch at the school dance. A teen girl mentions how an adult "put an aspirin in my Coke" -- implying that it's a roofie.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Characters use rude gestures, usually sexual (pretending to motorboat or grab at breasts, etc.). They say "ass," "crap," "weenie," "heinie," "flog your log," "friggin' A," "dingleberries," "jugs," "gangbang," "hooker," "freaks," and "dork," and one character's nickname is "Putz." The song "Greased Lightning" has profanity including "t-t," "s--t," and "p---y wagon." In another number, someone sings, "Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee, lousy with virginity."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Characters drink Pepsi, mention Coke, sing to an Ipana toothpaste commercial. Glimpses of Pennzoil, Firestone tire ads.

Violence & Scariness

While playing sports, a character hits two students and snaps an umpire's mask. A teen draws a switchblade in preparation for a rumble. In a car race, the opponent's tires have blades that tear up the main character's car. In various scenes, sexual harassment is played off as "boys will be boys": The main character makes a pass at his girlfriend, pushing her down into the car seat and aggressively kisses her; she has to fight to push him off, yelling "stop it" for him to finally stop. A teen looks up another teen's skirt on the bleachers; she stomps away as the boy and his friends laugh. An adult TV and radio personality hits on a teen girl at the school dance ("Do your parents know I come into your room every night ... over KZAZ, that is"), and she's receptive but later says "I saw him putting aspirin in my Coke," implying he tried to roofie her.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

When you're honest with others about what you want, good things (such as love) come to you. Vulnerability is a sign of maturity. But there are also negative messages: Boys will be boys, girls should toughen up and ignore sexual harassment, you should change everything about yourself to get the person you like to like you back, and smoking and breaking the rules is cool.

Positive Role Models

Danny recognizes that his bad boy image is dishonest and strives to become more worthy of Sandy. But he makes a lot of mistakes to get there, including bullying other students and making a too-aggressive pass at Sandy until she has to fight him off. Sandy is a traditional "good girl," and Danny balances her out by bringing some fun into her life. Frenchy is a supportive friend. Most supporting characters have little regard for authority, harass other students, and make risky decisions.

Diverse Representations

Film centers around extreme gender roles: Male characters view females as sex objects, frequently saying things like "chicks" being "only good for one thing," while female characters look for boyfriends with money and nice cars and worry about their looks. (Frenchy says, "Beauty is pain.") A thin girl talks about dieting, and a boy says to her earnestly, "I think there's more to you than fat." Danny and Sandy are the exception; she doesn't respond to Danny's fake machismo. But overall, the behavior of almost all characters in the film upholds sexism without much critique. Rare glimpses of people of color can be counted on one hand: a Black band singer, an East Asian gymnast, a couple of Black dancers in a large musical number.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents Say (56)
Kids Say (221)

Based on 56 parent reviews

Most adult jokes will go over kids heads anyway

Drinking, sex, pregnancy - but 1977's version, what's the story.

In GREASE, it's the 1950s, and Danny Zuko ( John Travolta ) and Sandy Olsson ( Olivia Newton-John ) are two teens coming off a heady summer romance. Little do they know that their senior year will find them both at Rydell High School -- but on opposite sides of the subculture spectrum, with Danny the leader of a greaser gang and Sandy the "good girl" who just moved to town. Will the two be able to keep their love going, or does reality have something else in mind for them?

Is It Any Good?

Though it's by no means an accurate portrayal of life in the 1950s, this popular musical delivers an entertaining mix of singing, dancing, and comedy. Grease -- which won a People's Choice Award in 1979 -- is hard to beat. It covers iconic American high school moments: the big pep rally, the school dance, worrying about image, and, of course, falling in love. And it's the most profitable movie musical of all time, with its biggest hit, "Summer Nights," still a standard at weddings, karaoke parties, and dances. Although the story is somewhat weak, the music and contagious energy more than make up for it, as do stellar performances by Travolta, Newton-John, Stockard Channing , and Jeff Conaway. Parents will especially enjoy seeing Travolta in his early days (boy, can he dance!).

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why Grease is still so popular. What makes it a classic? What do you think of revivals/continuations like Grease: Live! and Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies ?

Do the movie's themes still resonate today, or do they feel dated?

Do you think Danny and Sandy's romance falls into gender stereotypes, or does the film subvert them?

How do you feel about the way Danny and Sandy change parts of themselves to fit what they think the other person wants? Do they go too far? Where's the line between standing up for yourself, or compromising to make a relationship work, and how do you know when you've crossed it?

Movie Details

In theaters : June 16, 1978
On DVD or streaming : June 3, 2002
Cast : John Travolta , Olivia Newton-John , Stockard Channing
Director : Randal Kleiser
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Paramount Pictures
Genre : Musical
Topics : High School , Music and Sing-Along
Run time : 110 minutes
MPAA rating : PG
MPAA explanation : some sexual content
Last updated : December 6, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

High School Musical

Want personalized picks for your kids' age and interests?

Dirty Dancing

Teen Beach Movie

Descendants

Musicals for kids, best high school movies, related topics.

High School
Music and Sing-Along

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

We sent an email to [email protected]

Didn't you get the email?

By joining, you agree to the Terms and Policies and Privacy Policy and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

About Rotten Tomatoes®
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening This Week
Top Box Office
Coming Soon to Theaters
Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

Fandango at Home
Prime Video
Most Popular Streaming Movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

84% Carry-On Link to Carry-On
87% Nickel Boys Link to Nickel Boys
80% The Last Showgirl Link to The Last Showgirl

New TV Tonight

100% Laid: Season 1
-- Fast Friends: Season 1
-- Virgin River: Season 6
-- Beast Games: Season 1
-- Aaron Rodgers: Enigma: Season 1
-- The Secret Lives of Animals: Season 1

Grease Reviews

Slicked-back, sharp looking and raring to rock, Grease is an exuberant entertainment guaranteed to offer at least temporary relief from any summertime blues which ail you.

Full Review | Feb 8, 2024

Where the stage Grease seemed merely loud, this one is lyrical. Its beat is not only heavy but effervescent,

Exuberant song and dance scenes are what make Grease the enjoyable diversion that it is. It is not a knockout film. But Grease is a smartly crafted revival of a traditional movie musical form, and for that we are thankful.

With a script by Bronte Woodard and an adaptation by co-producer Allan Carr, Grease comes to admirable terms with both the heart of the stage original and the very different demands of opening up the property as a movie.

Grease is ducktails, forgettable pop-rock music, leather jackets and hot cars.

A pointless, directionless film that is cute as only an elementary school play can be.

Grease is so huge -- in talent, in color, in general production values -- that your attention is distracted from the fact that it isn't about anything very much in particular.

Grease, at its best, is mildly diverting. At its worst, it is a mishmash of memories.

A silly, sun to watch movie, a satirical musical fantasy... Hue song and dance productions, colorful costumes, adorable stars and minimal story line -- the formula is as old as talking pictures and as entertaining as ever.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 8, 2024

Travolta's dazzling movie-star energy may be perfect for musical comedy.

Grease is a true product of American genius: objectionable material you can dance to.

Grease's pop sociology is plainly unconscious, since the film is totally unable to show the difference between noting camp and being it.

Grease s less parody than pastiche and hardly even that, since the recreation of the fifties and the start of the rock era is so vaguely placed in time, with as much period sense as a 1920s scene in a 1940s touring revue.

In the pap of plot and songs, Grease cloaks itself in ersatz trappings of innocence and naïveté. It is actually a demented serving of soft-headed adult fantasy.

Grease is a conventional musical in the sense that the stars break into song at every inopportune moment. But the choreography and staging is anything but conventional.

They make a nice pair [Danny & Sandy], someone is sure to say, but the film is no frame for them, being all bustling background.

Although Grease is pleasant enough summer fare, it has about as much bite or substance as white bread.

A movie that has as its true subject a bygone style but is utterly devoid of that quality itself.

Grease is so obviously aimed at an audience's wallet, one suspects with its shallow quick-hit attitude, it's going to be no more than a movie a lot of people see once and easily forget a few minutes later.

The best element in the film is John Travolta, whose magnetic presence dominates the film, just as in Saturday Night Fever.