The many merits of Grease 2

'Whoa oh, turn back, Whoa oh, turn back the hands of time. We'll turn back!'
Michelle Pfeiffer and Maxwell Caulfield, Grease 2, 1982.

As the Easter holidays approach, I’m reminded of the films that helped pass away the days off from school. Between watching Return of the Jedi from a base I’d created out of duvets and chairs, to feeling a little sick from the multitude of Easter eggs that I’d scoffed in front of Beetlejuice. Grease 2 has always shared a special place in my heart.

You may be smirking at my admission but I believe this 1982 classic is the ultimate bad movie. What’s not to love? From the dizzying choreography of ‘Score Tonight’ to the show stopping ‘Girl for All Seasons’, this musical delivers. Not to mention it’s the film that introduced the world to the talents of Michelle Pfeiffer. I will even lay my reputation on the line and state that her character, Stephanie Zinone, is the coolest unsung heroine of modern cinema! That smile, that dress sense, that sassy way she demands more ketchup. Don’t believe me, then watch this little clip…



In Grease 2 we find the role of girl wants boy reversed. When Michael Carrington (cousin to Sandy Olsson no less) arrives from England to join the unruly teenagers of Rydell High School, he quickly falls for the head of the Pink Ladies, Stephanie Zinone. Unfortunately nobody but a member of the T-Birds can date a Pink Lady. To make things more difficult for Michael, Stephanie has an image of her perfect man that doesn’t quite match his preppy A-grade persona.



Wow, what a killer song. Anyway, needless to say Michael sets about transforming himself for Stephanie. Not exactly a positive message about being yourself, but I guess deep down we’d all like to be someone’s ‘Cool Rider’.

Grease 2’s pièce de résistance comes in the number ‘Reproduction’. Substitute teacher Mr Stuart attempts to explain the birds and bees to his class but quickly falls foul of the student’s lustful drives. Watch out for the girl with pigtails in this scene, she steals it.




'(Love Will) Turn Back The Hand Of Time' is probably the most honest depiction of love ever committed to screen. Forget Bogart and Bergman, Mitchell and Leigh, or Kate and Leo, this is the real deal...



Ok, so it’s not a perfect movie and regrettably for the majority of people it will never compare to the original Grease. For example, the new T-Birds, led by Jonny Nogerelli, are as cool as John Prescott doing the conga. And I have to skip the song ‘Do It For Our Country’ for fear of losing my lunch down my cardigan. Plus, Maxwell Caulfield has the singing voice of a fourteen year old going through puberty. But these are just minor flaws in an either wise masterpiece of bad cinema.

The likes of Glee and High School Musical should look on in awe at the magnificence of Grease 2. A timeless love story, full to the brim with show stopping numbers and the coolest chick this side of Kate Moss. So to paraphrase Michael Carrington ‘I think it’s kind of terrific’.