Four years after the phenomenally successful musical "Grease" was released, this follow-up appeared, with a rather similar format, but with mostly new, unknown, leads, and an indifferent audience reception.
The venerable Eve Arden, at age 74, leaves her staple sarcastic remarks behind, and again plays the high school principal. Like Olivia Newton John, Michelle Pfeiffer, as greaser Pink Lady Stephanie, was a knockout blonde, but was not known as a singer. Nonetheless, she sings 3 of the major songs. Maxwell Caulfield, as Brit immigrant, Michaeal, simply lacked John Travolta's physical charisma, film notoriety, and musical talent. He comes across as a class 'brain', not the type of cool motorcycle rider that Stephanie wants. T bird greaser Johnny(Adrian ZMed) has been Stephanie's partner, but they have been fighting recently. He will continue to be the main competitor to Mike for Steph's romantic attachment. Paulette is the other blonde Pink Lady, who spends much of the film trying to displace Steph as Johnny's moll.
The plot features the inverse of that of "Grease", in that Mike is the Brit clean-cut new square kid, while Steph is a bubble gum bubble-blowing, smoking, Pink Lady greaser moll. However, one look at Steph, and the aristocratic Mike ignores her low-class habits and greaser's moll status, and is determined to pursue her. However, she makes it clear that she only goes out with 'cool' riders. Mike hasn't any money for a cycle, so takes advantage of various requests by academic lightweights to write their term paper for them for cash. Amazingly, this eventually adds up to enable him to buy a cycle. Now, he practices becoming an expert cycle rider.
Finally, Mike feels ready to announce himself as a 'Cool Rider' candidate(Well, actually, his stunt double).. Wearing large gaggles to hide his identity, he makes a dramatic entrance in front of the menacing Cycle Lords cycle gang, when they are harassing students in front of the bowling alley. Cool Rider immediately, rides off, and, fortunately, the Cycle Lords follow him. Steph is intrigued. Later, Cool Rider stops by the gas station where she works. Before he has a chance to reveal his identity, the jealous T-Birds arrive, and he motors off.
Mike and Steph have lunch and agree to meet at the talent show. However, Mike arrives as Cool Rider. And when the T-Birds soon arrive, he motors off, they chasing him, until he disappears in the dark over an apparent cliff. Steph is broken-hearted at his apparent demise, and sings her heart out about this as her performance at the talent show. She is named queen of the show, and Johnny, representing the T-Birds, is named king. At the subsequent luau graduation celebration, the menacing Cycle Lords show up, creating pandemonium and wrecking things. In the midst, Cool Rider shows up, and, like the pied piper, this gang again chases him, restoring order. He loses them, and motors back, landing in a pool, where he reveals his identity. Shockingly, Johnny awards him with a T-Bird jacket. Now, there is no official impediment to pairing with Steph, and they take turns singing a love song, for a happy ending.
Sure, it's shot full of implausibility holes and other cheesy aspects, and is inferior to "Grease 1". But! I still find it sufficiently entertaining to recommend it, rating it somewhere between 'garbage' and 'a masterpiece'. Michielle largely saves it from ignomy.
The venerable Eve Arden, at age 74, leaves her staple sarcastic remarks behind, and again plays the high school principal. Like Olivia Newton John, Michelle Pfeiffer, as greaser Pink Lady Stephanie, was a knockout blonde, but was not known as a singer. Nonetheless, she sings 3 of the major songs. Maxwell Caulfield, as Brit immigrant, Michaeal, simply lacked John Travolta's physical charisma, film notoriety, and musical talent. He comes across as a class 'brain', not the type of cool motorcycle rider that Stephanie wants. T bird greaser Johnny(Adrian ZMed) has been Stephanie's partner, but they have been fighting recently. He will continue to be the main competitor to Mike for Steph's romantic attachment. Paulette is the other blonde Pink Lady, who spends much of the film trying to displace Steph as Johnny's moll.
The plot features the inverse of that of "Grease", in that Mike is the Brit clean-cut new square kid, while Steph is a bubble gum bubble-blowing, smoking, Pink Lady greaser moll. However, one look at Steph, and the aristocratic Mike ignores her low-class habits and greaser's moll status, and is determined to pursue her. However, she makes it clear that she only goes out with 'cool' riders. Mike hasn't any money for a cycle, so takes advantage of various requests by academic lightweights to write their term paper for them for cash. Amazingly, this eventually adds up to enable him to buy a cycle. Now, he practices becoming an expert cycle rider.
Finally, Mike feels ready to announce himself as a 'Cool Rider' candidate(Well, actually, his stunt double).. Wearing large gaggles to hide his identity, he makes a dramatic entrance in front of the menacing Cycle Lords cycle gang, when they are harassing students in front of the bowling alley. Cool Rider immediately, rides off, and, fortunately, the Cycle Lords follow him. Steph is intrigued. Later, Cool Rider stops by the gas station where she works. Before he has a chance to reveal his identity, the jealous T-Birds arrive, and he motors off.
Mike and Steph have lunch and agree to meet at the talent show. However, Mike arrives as Cool Rider. And when the T-Birds soon arrive, he motors off, they chasing him, until he disappears in the dark over an apparent cliff. Steph is broken-hearted at his apparent demise, and sings her heart out about this as her performance at the talent show. She is named queen of the show, and Johnny, representing the T-Birds, is named king. At the subsequent luau graduation celebration, the menacing Cycle Lords show up, creating pandemonium and wrecking things. In the midst, Cool Rider shows up, and, like the pied piper, this gang again chases him, restoring order. He loses them, and motors back, landing in a pool, where he reveals his identity. Shockingly, Johnny awards him with a T-Bird jacket. Now, there is no official impediment to pairing with Steph, and they take turns singing a love song, for a happy ending.
Sure, it's shot full of implausibility holes and other cheesy aspects, and is inferior to "Grease 1". But! I still find it sufficiently entertaining to recommend it, rating it somewhere between 'garbage' and 'a masterpiece'. Michielle largely saves it from ignomy.