Studio: Paramount
Release Date: June 7, 2022
Rating: PG
Film: 1.5/5
Plot It’s 1961 and there’s a new crop of seniors ready to rule rockin’ Rydell High, including the coolest cliques on campus—the Pink Ladies and T-Birds. Michael Carrington (Caulfield) is the new kid in town, but he’s been branded a brainiac. Can he fix up an old motorcycle, don a leather jacket, and avoid a rumble with the leader of the T-Birds (Adrian Zmed) to win the heart of Pink Lady Stephanie Zinone (Pfeiffer)? This cool rider is surely going to try!
My ThoughtsGrease was a smash hit in 1978 and its adaptation from a Broadway play to the silver screen couldn’t have been any better. John Travolta and Olivia Newton John sizzled in the lead roles, the music was catchy and memorable, and the supporting cast provided help in all the right areas to create an iconic classic. Not leaving well enough alone, the studio decided to go back to the well four years later and release a sequel.
Everything that made the first so great is lacking here. While the two stars are very attractive, they have no chemistry. The screenplay is weak and shallow. The original songs are in a word, forgettable, if I’m being kind. Sure, “Reproduction” is a catchy tune, but I wouldn’t call it great by any means. Finally, the supporting cast is wasted for mostly throwaway lines and add no further meat to the story. In a lot of ways the screenplay is a bad rehash of the first movie with a similar story arch, but fails on almost every level.
One may ask…why did you request this? Well, it turns out that my step-sister used to watch this movie over and over again on VHS back in the late 80s and I had fond memories of some aspects of the show. Yes, perspectives do change after 30+ years.
The presentation is serviceable for the most part. The image can look occasionally overprocessed and soft, but he colors are bright and close-up details are good. The audio track is a bit inconsistent, but that’s mainly due to the studio-dubbed songs.
Video 4/5 (AVC)
Audio 4/5 (Dolby True HD 5.1)
Special Features:- Steelbook Packaging
- Blu-ray + Digital Code
Conclusion This trip down memory lane did not go as planned, that’s for sure. The film doesn’t hold up well after all these years. The best aspect is seeing the young, and hot, Pfeiffer in the lead role, but she’s not given much to work with. I expected a lot more and this didn’t deliver. Sure, the Steelbook cover is nice, but it can’t make up for the lackluster screenplay and forgettable music.
Reference Review System: JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
JL Audio F110 (X2 co-located and bridged as one sub)
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
M&K Sound X15+ Subwoofer
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner
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