Baltimore, 1962: pleasantly plump teen Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) sleeps through her classes, fights with her over-protective housebound mother Edna (Travolta) and lives for The Corny Collins Show.

Every afternoon the coolest kids in town bop across her TV screen and into her heart and Tracy knows that her destiny is to dance with them.

With moves she learns from new black friend Seaweed (Elijah Kelley), Tracy takes the show by storm, winning over viewers as well as resident heartthrob Link Larkin (Zac Efron).

But station manager villainness Velma Von Tussle (Pfeiffer) and her mini-me daughter Amber (Brittany Snow) scheme to send Tracy back to plus-sized obscurity, and cancel the show's monthly 'Negro Day'.

When Seaweed falls for Tracy's best friend Penny (Bynes), Tracy joins forces with Seaweed's mom Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah) to march for an end to segregation.

Can Tracy end racism on television, win Link's heart and dance her way to the coveted title of "Miss Hairspray"? Well yes, obviously. Wherever there's singing and dancing, you can be pretty sure the good guys will win the day.

Based on the Broadway musical that was based on the cult 1988 film, this candy-coloured slice of 60s nostalgia is an affectionate ode to the outsider.

Newcomer Blonsky makes a winning heroine, more than holding her own against her more experienced screenmates.

A brilliant debut from Kelley notwithstanding, she is the standout star of the younger cast, who are far more blandly PG-friendly than Waters’ original hormonal bunch.

Among the film's older performers, James Marsden as the OTT show host hits a winning note. Buried beneath layers of latex, Travolta's Edna Turnblad is a meek, mild housemouse; Waters fans may pine for Divine's grotesqueries.

Michelle Pfeiffer is a suitably Cruella-like queen of mean and her attempt to seduce Christopher Walken's oblivious practical joker is one of the film's funniest segments.

But the film rests on its musical numbers. Sunny yet satirical and infectiously upbeat, they carry the plot along at a toe-tapping pace.

Ruth Ford