#1980s #AllPosts
It’s back to Grease’s Rydell High again, in the so bad it’s good sequel…
A musical sequel about the new boy’s love for a Pink Lady.
Grease 2 -Trailer, ParamountmoviesNL and photos © Paramount Movies
In 1978, a couple of years before my grandmother introduced me to the original Dallas (1978-91), a series that regular readers will have read about ad nauseam, I was obsessed with other things. Cats, Disneyland themed books and Blue Peter (1958-) were three of these. A fourth around the time of my 9th birthday was the musical film Grease (1978) with Olivia Newton John and John Travolta. I was the proud owner of the Grease soundtrack album, the bag and the tie-in book.
Then about 4 years later, the Grease (1978) sequel, the imaginatively named Grease 2 (1982) came out at the cinema. My youngest sister and I watched the sequel when it was out on VHS video (ask your mum) a few years after that. This second Grease film is one of two films I know by heart with the other being St Elmo’s Fire (1986).
Now they are both kinda cringe-worthy when you watch other more worthy 1980s movies. I had the Grease sequel’s soundtrack too but on CD I bought copies for myself and my youngest sister in the last days of Woolworths when they were selling electric fans for less than a fiver.
So now for the review of this romantic musical sequel. Grease 2 is set in 1961 starring the then little known leads of Maxwell Caulfield – in his pre-The Colbys (1985-87) TV days – and Michelle Pfeiffer in one of her earliest film roles.
There are a few members of the original cast in the school the most notable being Didi Conn who returns as Frenchy. Frenchy provides salient points of the first Grease film for the benefit of those who hadn’t seen the original and just in case staunch fans had forgotten the storyline.
The film tells of Sandy’s cousin the terribly English, Michael Carrington (Caulfield). And ironically Caulfield played Miles Colby who married a Carrington in The Colbys. (But that is not important right now.) He is the new boy in the new term at Rydell High. Michael falls for the pretty Stephanie (Pfeiffer), the leader of the Pink Ladies. Initially, she is dating the leader of the T-Birds Johnny (Adrian Zmed).
Stephanie and Johnny go bowling with some friends. Steph falls out with Johnny and says she will kiss the first guy who comes into the bowling hall after Johnny flirts with her friend. Cue snog with Michael. Later Stephanie asks Michael to help her with her school work and as he becomes her confidant she tells him about her ideal guy, a biker type. Michael then earns money to buy a motorbike and wins her affection becoming the mysterious biker guy she’s craving.
Steph falls for this alter ego with the school not realising it’s Michael as he doesn’t take his helmet off. Michael plans to tell her about this alter ego discussing the situation with his own confidant the ever present Frenchy. And singing about it.
Simultaneously, to the Michael/Stephanie story, there is a back story about a talent competition to keep the rest of the cast busy. Or they spend the rest of the time singing about whether or not they should put out with each other.
As a guilty pleasure, it should be warned that this is a movie you will watch from start to finish. The songs are a bit contrived at times and you can almost guess when a musical number will begin. But it is guaranteed that by the end of the film, you will remember at least one of the songs by heart.
Luckily the very catchy Girl for All Seasons is sung more often than most, so hopefully, this will stick in your head more than the awful Reproduction song which takes place in a Biology class. The dance routines are pretty infectious and are enthusiastically carried out by the leads and supporting actors alike.
The film is worth watching to catch a glimpse of the early careers of Caulfield and Pfeiffer who have both gone on to bigger and better appearances on film, TV and stage despite the initial reaction when the film had come out. Pfeiffer is an Oscar-nominated actress and appeared in movies such as Scarface (1983) and The Witches of Eastwick (1987).
Caulfield has appeared in the TV soaps Emmerdale (1972-) and Casualty (1986). In the supporting cast, Zmed went on to be William Shatner’s sidekick in TV’s T.J. Hooker (1982-86) (minus the singing). And Pamela Adlon to Californication (2007-14) with David Duchovny. The other recognisable support, Maureen Teefy was first seen as the main lead character of Doris in the film Fame (1980). But sadly for many of the supporting cast and here to kinda quote – albeit in opposites – in the Fame title song, their career appears not to have lasted forever and no one remembers their names.
Weeper Rating: 0 /10
Handsqueeze Rating: /10
The Back-to-School Blogathon 2016, No 15 and the Always a Bridesmaid Blogathon, 2019 No 60
This film post was submitted as part of the Back-to-School Blogathon run by Pop Culture Reverie. It was also added to Hollywood Genes’ Always A Bridesmaid Film Blogathon. Other reviews with this cast include Michelle Pfeiffer in Fantasy Island, 5 David Bowie Movies, The Russia House, 5 Michael Caine Mini Reviews and The Witches of Eastwick and more… Maxwell Caulfield appears in About My Dream Date with those Dynasty Darlings, Electric Dreams, Beverly Hills 90210, The Colbys and Dynasty. Adrian Zmed in the Glitter (Pilot). Didi Conn in Three on a Date. Pamela Adlon in Say Anything and Californication. Tab Hunter in his Grease 2 role is reviewed in HERE and A Summer Place. Many of the cast are also reviewed in Grease.
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I LOVE grease 2. Underrated film!! Found you through bloghive group xx
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Thanks for liking this film – always good to know you not alone in a guilty pleasure!
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Oh Michelle! Even in her first leading role she’s already too good for her own movies, too cool for school.
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She was the coolest of the Pink Ladies for sure x
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I think I’m a sucker for movies where I know the song is about to start. It’s a great way for me to sound like I know what’s going on in the movie. And then I pretend to know the lyrics, hehe! But this is a cool review of the movie, I think I’m gonna look for it on my cable just to watch it now!
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If you can’t find the movie you can always try it with the trailer attached to the review x
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Oh I loved this film as a teenager – I fell completely for Maxwell Caulfield. Even though he is a hopeless actor. I’d forgotten that Michelle Pfiefer starred in this too – Too much time staring at Maxwell 😉
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Did you like him as Miles Colby in The Colbys?
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There is definately a great deal to find out about this subject.
I love all of the points you made.
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Very Nice !!!!
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I love love love Grease 2, I actually preferred it to Grease! 🙂
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What was it your preferred? Be interested to know…
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I absolutely love this film, I can watch it over and over x
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It amazes me just how popular this sequel is, as seems to be so well liked x
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I have watched the first one but not the second one , will add it to my to watch list.
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I really liked this film but I haven’t watched it in a while so I might have to watch it again this weekend
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Hope you enjoy it as much as you remembered it x
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I have seen the original movie a thousand times and I STILL love it but I have never watched Grease 2 because I assumed it would be rubbish. I have to admit, I am tempted now 🙂
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Go on, you know you want to.. was it the trailer that decided it?
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Trust me, you got this far, you can still do without it. Stick to the original, this one is terrible, including the soundtrack. It bombed for a reason.
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Not as good as the first but enjoyable nonetheless
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The first is definitely my favourite too, the second a wee bit addictable x
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We are definitely from the same era. This was OK, but not as good as the first.
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Good to know, reviewed a lot of “retro” movies you might remember! First one definitely better x
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Am I allowed to say I was never really a fan?! I think I was the only girl at school who was never into Grease at all! I did like the stage version we saw when I was at school but the films weren’t really for me! x x
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Of course you can say that!
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I loved the original Grease – watched it every day after school. Loved Grease 2 too but not as much as the first
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I used to watch Grease over and over and over. And now, my daughter makes me watch it over and over and over (together with Seven Brides for Seven Brothers which I am now also revisiting on a regular basis). Did watch Grease 2 many, many years ago but can’t really remember it but that it wasn’t too bad. Oh the joys of memory lane.
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[…] Grease 2 […]
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I’ve watched this a few times. (I’m old enough I saw it at the theater, at 20-something) Personally I cringe at a couple of the songs (in particular “Score Tonight”) and laugh my head off at the opening. But I admit a certain nostalgia for the young 20-something that saw it in the theater and wistfully wanted to be the heartthrob to Michelle Pfeiffer (or at least a reasonable facsimile. )
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Absolutely love both but the sequel is my favorite and always has been.
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I prefer it too, its good fun and love the songs and cast, Know the film off by heart almost.. looks like it was fun to make too.
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