Grease 2 ** (1982, Maxwell Caulfield, Michelle Pfeiffer, Adrian Zmed, Lorna Luft, Eve Arden, Sid Caesar, Connie Stevens, Tab Hunter, Joan Blondell) – Classic Movie Review 6946

The 1978 blockbuster musical hit Grease is followed by director Patricia Birch’s ill-fated Grease 2 in 1982 with Maxwell Caulfield and Michelle Pfeiffer. A few cast members from the original movie such as Dody Goodman, Sid Caesar, Eddie Deezen, Didi Conn, Dennis Stewart, Joan Blondell and Eve Arden reprise their roles.

And so it is back to school at Rydell High, but now it is 1961 and a handsome English lad called Michael Carrington (Caulfield) joins the senior high-school class. He puts on a leather jacket, restores an old motorbike, and sets out to win the heart of Pink Lady Stephanie Zinone (Pfeiffer).

Alas, lightning refuses to strike twice for Grease. The fun mixture is much less tasty than before, with a very tentative early appearance by rising star Pfeiffer, clearly unhappy in this retro musical froth.

There is a welcome guest cameo from Tab Hunter in Grease 2.

The star duo are attractive and appealing, but they lack the kind of chemistry provided by original stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. However, that is partly offset by the lively support from newcomers Lorna Luft, Adrian Zmed and Matt Lattanzi, and welcome old-timers Arden, Blondell and Caesar (re-appearing from part one). Also there are some fair tunes and good one-liners as well as welcome guest cameos from Fifties and Sixties luminaries Connie Stevens and Tab Hunter.

But the magic is not there in the directing début of Patricia Birch, who choreographed the original.

Also in the cast are Maureen Teefy, Alison Price, Pamela Adlon [Pamela Segall], Peter Frechette, Christopher McDonald, Leif Green, Dick Patterson, Brad Jeffries and Vernon Scott.

Grease 2 is directed by Patricia Birch, runs 115 minutes, is released by Paramount, is written by Ken Finkleman, based on the characters by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, is shot in Metrocolor by Frank Stanley, is produced by Robert Stigwood and Allan Carr, is scored by Louis St Louis and is designed by Gene Callahan.

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