Grease 2 (1982)

the audience applauded

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Sequel to the inexplicably popular "Grease" !1978). It's 1961 and Maxwell Caulfield plays MIchael--an English student who comes to America to attend Rydell High. There he meets beautiful Stephanie (Michelle Pfeiffer before she hit it big) and falls in love. However she only dates bikers and he's not one.There's lots wrong with this movie. It's too long, all the high school kids look like 30, there's a few REALLY bad songs, the dialogue is terrible and most of the acting is horrid. On the other hand--most of the songs are great (LOVE the "Reproduction" number with Tab Hunter clearly enjoying himself), there are a few great huge production numbers with great dancing and singing and there's some good acting by Pfeiffer, Tab Hunter, Eve Arden (in her last film), Didi Conn and Lorna Luft. Also Caulfield is GORGEOUS and great to look at--even though he can't act. So it is bad but watchable.

The original Grease really is a classic, this is not. Here's my list of things that took the movie down some notches from the original:The unnecessary high levels of crudeness compared to the original, especially with that innaproprietly dirty song in the classroom "Reproduction". The original Grease may have dealt with a character who spent part of the movie thinking she may be pregnant and a car scene showing the implication of her having sex with her boyfriend and him suddenly exclaiming that his condom ripped. In Grease 2 though, we get a song where everyone is so happily and loudly singing such dirty lyrics which make up most of the song. There's also the suggestive songs "We're gonna score tonight" and "Let's do it for our country". Way more sexual implementations than the first film, and the Grease movies have supposed to have been semi family films with many fans of the first being youths.Next, the ham acting, like it seems like they're copying the first movie's attitudes and then exaggerating them in an overly goofy way. The way the T birds act in this film is a good example. Also, the way they treat new English student Michael, harrasing him even before finding out he fancies one of the T bird's crushes Stephanie (Michelle Phiefer). Then the overly stereo typical way the movie portrayed nerds. Just like in the "Revenge of the nerds" films, they make them talk in that shrill voice wearing those goofy glasses and pocket protectors. Hear the nerd's jokingly shrill voice near the beginning when asking Michael "how long have you been in America?", or where they trip him outside the bus during the opening number, or during "Reproduction" one nerdy guy says in a ridiculous sounding voice "ohh, I think I'm gonna throw up".The songs in this film break out without reason too much, where in the first film, there's a reason for each song. And there were more better songs in the first.Here are the few things in the movie I liked which kept me from giving the film a rating lower than 5:There were a few good songs. I kinda liked the girls with Stephanie singing "A girl for all seasons", a nice catchy tune, the T birds' song "Prowling", and the song "Who's that guy?" while Michael is kickin it up on the motorcycle. The rest of the songs were either sub par or inappropriate.Even though some reviewers don't agree, I kinda liked Phiefer as Stephanie. She was cute, and I always found Phiefer beautiful, even like 12 years later as teacher in "Dangerous minds". I know she had those clothes, those shades, and that bubble gum popping, but that was sorta early 1980s style. Michael was an alright character too, he played his role straight, and was only wanting people to like him. And he wanted to start riding motorcycles, nothing wrong with that.This movie had some good, and definitely had some bad.

When I found out there was a sequel to the highly successful Grease, and the leading actress starring in it, I was certainly most intrigued to see what it would be like, especially reading the many negative reviews. Basically it is 1961, two years after the original T-Birds and Pink Ladies graduated, there's a new crop of senior students at Rydell High. The Pink Ladies are now led by Stephanie Zinone (Michelle Pfeiffer), her boyfriend is arrogant and rather immature new T-Birds leader Johnny Nogerelli (Adrian Zmed), their relationship is going sour. Clean-cut British student Michael Carrington (Maxwell Caulfield), he is the cousin of Sandy Olsson (from the previous film), she asked Frenchy (Didi Conn) to show him around and introduce him, Frenchy has returned to get her diploma and hopes to start a cosmetics company. Michael is quickly smitten when he meets Stephanie, she goes to a bowling game with Johnny, there is animosity between them, Stephanie retaliates by kissing the next man who walks through the door, who happens to be Michael. Bemused by the kiss, Michael asks Stephanie out, but she has specifics on her ideal man, she wants a "cool rider", he realises he will only win her affection turning himself into a cool rider, so to pay for a motorcycle he is paid by the T-Birds to write papers for them. At the bowling alley, the T-Birds are surprised by a gang of rival motorcyclists called the Cycle Lords, most of whom are members of the defunct Scorpions, led by Leo Balmudo (Dennis C. Stewart), before a fight starts, a lone anonymous biker appears, it is Michael in disguise, he defeats the enemy gang and disappears, Stephanie is fascinated by the stranger. Stephanie is surprised again at the garage when the Cool Rider appears, they enjoy a romantic twilight motorcycle ride, the T-Birds and Pink Ladies interrupt Michael as he is about to reveal his identity, before he leaves Michael says he will see Stephanie again at the talent show, Johnny is enraged and says he will fight the Cool Rider if he see him again. Stephanie gets poor grades, and Michael offers to help, Johnny sees them in discussion and demands Stephanie to quit the Pink Ladies for his "rep", she is still head over heels for the Cool Rider, but she has become smitten with Michael as he is, he ponders whether to continue his secret identity. Stephanie and the Cool Rider meet at the talent show, but the T- Birds ambush and pursue him, with Stephanie and the Pink Ladies following in a car, the chase takes them to a construction site with a concealed deadly drop, with his disappearance the biker is assumed to have perished, Stephanie is left heartbroken and inconsolable, later at the talent show she has a dreamlike fantasy, where she reunites with the mystery biker. The school year ends with a luau, Stephanie won the talent contest and is crowned queen, Johnny is hailed as king, the Cycle Lords show up and destroying celebrations, the Cool Rider reappears and defeats the gang, and reveals himself as Michael. Johnny is initially shocked but welcomes him into the gang, Stephanie accepts she can be with him, all couples happily pair off at the seniors' graduation, and sing and dance together. Also starring Eve Arden as Principal McGee, Sid Caesar as Coach Calhoun, Christopher McDonald as Goose McKenzie, Lorna Luft, Judy Garland's daughter as Paulette Rebchuck, Peter Frechette as Louis DiMucci, Leif Green as Davey Jaworski, Maureen Teefy as Sharon Cooper, Alison Price as Rhonda Ritter and Dody Goodman as Blanche. Pfeiffer, who made her breakthrough in Scarface a year later, is reasonable as the short-skirted minx, Caulfield is only slightly interesting as the nice British guy and his cool motorcycle alter-ego, original cast members returning hardly adds anything to proceedings. I will admit I liked the opening song "Back to School Again" by the Four Tops, some of the other song and dance numbers are reasonable, but the love story is almost a repeat, with the roles reversed, it is essentially just reusing the elements of the original Broadway adaptation film, and the result is a tired and nearly boring to watch, I didn't hate all of it, but is is a terrible musical sequel. Adequate!

I have no idea why people and the critics axed this movie as a bad "grease" joke. It's totally opposite. Haven't seen the first one ever(cause i do not like JT as an actor in general.OK maybe except Look Who's Talking movies). I accidentally watched Grease 2 on rerun TV. I have found both Michelle and Maxwell a very charming on screen couple. They had a great chemistry and portrait the main characters very well(Max was hot and Michelle OMG lovely). On the music side, I was blown away by the songs. If you're saying they are bad, you probably haven't even bothered to listen to them in full. Straight after watching I have ordered the CD. It may have not generated so many hits like the Grease "One"... maybe because of the short time-frame between these two movies. Like the other reviewers already said. Do not compare it to the original. Watch it as an independent production. If you haven't seen the Grease "One" watch this one first and then the original. I am sure you will like this one better.