Yes, I am the heretic: I actually like Grease 2 better than the
original. I know, I know, Grease is a classic; it's got Olivia Newton-
John and John Travolta, great choreography and tons of memorable tunes
that have preserved for over three decades. But dare I say that I find
it kinda, well, boring? Sure, Grease 2 is total crap, I'll give you
that, but it is so much more enjoyable precisely because of its utter
godawful-ness. The first Grease is silly enough that you can't take it
seriously, but not campy enough to really laugh at. Where's the fun in
that?
Grease 2 is the kind of film that could only have been
made out of desperation. After the first film grossed a gazillion
dollars, Paramount and producer Allan Carr must have figured anything
with the Grease name on it would at least make another $100 million.
So four years later we got the needless sequel, with so few
recognizable faces still left from the original that this might as
well have been Happy Days: The Movie. Gone were Travolta and Newton-
John (you know your sequel is in trouble when the only returning cast
member is Didi Conn) and director Randall Kleiser, not to mention all
the spirit, energy and inventiveness that made the original such a
hit. So why even bother to see this movie? Well, I'll give you
a few reasons. How about Michelle Pfeiffer ("In her first
starring role!") looking like she would rather be anywhere else
but here, wearing tight pink spandex and singing crap tunes songs off-
key. Or Maxwell Caufield, he of zero charisma, playing Sandy's long-
lost cousin who tries to pull a Clark Kent by donning gay motorcycle
gear and seducing Pfeiffer. Then there are the songs - oh, the
terrible songs! - such as "Reproduction," "Who's That
Guy?" and perhaps the worst ballad ever written,
"Charades," sung by a constipated-looking Caufield. Unlike
the original Grease, it is hard to imagine even the best songs on this
misbegotten soundtrack being a hit, save for "Cool Rider" or
"Back to School Again," which may have crept into top 100 if
they had slapped a hit from the original Grease on the B-side.
But wait, it gets worse. Even if Pfeiffer and Caufield had
generated but a glimmer of chemistry, every other element of this
flick is so completely misconceived that there could have been little
hope in saving it. Promoted from choreographer on the first film to
director here was Patricia Birch, who I'm sure is a very nice person,
but so poorly stages the action that the most fun you'll have is
spotting all the cuts needed to hide Pfeiffer's lack of dancing
ability. The supporting cast is also no match for first film - how do
you go from Stockard Channing and Jeff Conaway to Lorna Luft and
Adrian Zmed? And has any film with Maureen Teefy in it ever truly been
good? Wait, the mind reels...just see Grease 2 and become a believer.
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
The holy grail
of DVD, at last Grease 2 is available in its original 2.35:1
theatrical aspect ratio. Paramount Home Entertainment has granted us a
very nice new anamorphic widescreen transfer, which looks pretty good.
There are a few speckles and a hint of dirt on the print, but it is
very minor for a flick now over two decades old. Blacks are nice and
color reproduction above average, but the image does look a little
dark. Detail is not the greatest, with shadow delineation suffering in
darker scenes, and the transfer is a tad soft. But in a weird way it
actually looks better than the first Grease DVD, primarily because the
print is cleaner and there is no annoying edge enhancement. I also
noticed no compression artifacts. Grease 2 is still the word.
Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?
Paramount has also
sported for a nice new Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, and surprise,
surprise, it is actually pretty good. This is a dated flick with
terrible music, but the 5.1 mix opens up the soundfield rather well.
Frequency response is about on par for a film of this vintage, with
cramped highs and blah midrange, but better than expected. Stereo
separation across the fronts is fairly expansive and dialogue
appropriately directed to the center channel. There are also a few
zippy rear effects, although nothing substantial and there is little
consistent ambiance. The .1 LFE is perfectly fine considering the
material. No revelation, but better than this flick probably
deserves. 
Also included are English and French Dolby 2.0
surround options and English subtitles and Closed Captions.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
Nope, nuthin'. Not
even a trailer. What, no Michelle Pfeiffer and Maxwell Caufield
reunion commentary!?
DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get
when you pop the disc in your PC?
No ROM extras have been
included.
Parting Thoughts
Grease 2 stinks, but
so what? It is so much fun to laugh at you can't go wrong. Alas, this
DVD delivers a nice transfer and 5.1 remix, but little else. It's only
saving grace is that Paramount has priced it at $19.95 so you probably
can get it for $15 bucks or less. Long live Rydell High!
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