preppy-3
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.
Jackson Booth-Millard
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!
