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osprey_archerI very much wanted to like Grease 2, because it’s an unpopular movie and I very much wanted to write a dissent, but alas, it is in fact not very good. In theory, the story is an interesting reversal of the original Grease: clean-cut English newcomer Michael falls for bad girl Pink Lady Stephanie, and remakes himself into the “Cool Rider” of her dreams (and climactic solo number).
In practice, the movie never really gets off the ground. Whenever it seems to be gaining a little momentum, another musical number stops it dead. In the original Grease, the songs were well-integrated into the story: they advanced the plot, gave insight into the characters, and featured the main characters. In Grease 2, often the entire student body bursts into dance together, and our heroes get lost in the shuffle.
The movie has a few good points. Michelle Pfeiffer’s Stephanie Zinone, leader of the Pink Ladies, is a highlight, and the identity porn of the Cool Rider plotline is fun - although they could have gotten far more out of the concept than they did. But that’s really the problem with Grease 2 in a nutshell: the concepts are good, but the execution is lacking.
In practice, the movie never really gets off the ground. Whenever it seems to be gaining a little momentum, another musical number stops it dead. In the original Grease, the songs were well-integrated into the story: they advanced the plot, gave insight into the characters, and featured the main characters. In Grease 2, often the entire student body bursts into dance together, and our heroes get lost in the shuffle.
The movie has a few good points. Michelle Pfeiffer’s Stephanie Zinone, leader of the Pink Ladies, is a highlight, and the identity porn of the Cool Rider plotline is fun - although they could have gotten far more out of the concept than they did. But that’s really the problem with Grease 2 in a nutshell: the concepts are good, but the execution is lacking.
