Let me start by saying that I’ve always felt that each movie should be judged against the standard to which it aspires. For instance, you would never judge Independence Day against Citizen Kane (at least, you’d be barmy to), and you’d never debate the enjoyability of the latter against When Harry Met Sally… If you’re looking for a big, damn action movie though, you know where to go, and likewise for classic, complex character studies or romantic comedies. Neither of the other two are trying to be the Greatest Movie of All Time, but they succeed marvelously in what they’re trying to accomplish.

This brings me to today’s meme: “Favorite Guilty Pleasure Movie.” I take a bit of issue with the terminology, as I don’t feel guilty about liking any movie that is a pleasure to watch. The question is, what did the movie set out to do? Are they trying to merely entertain and they succeed? Brilliant. If they fail, it sucks, or if they do it cheaply or by underestimating the audience, then I’ll have an issue with it. Are they trying to reinvent some genre or forge a new path and they’re partially successful? They’ll get points for trying. If they’re trying to be deep and fail by cheap tricks or poor craftsmanship though… You get the idea.

All of this brings me to say that I think Grease 2 is a fabulous flick. Perhaps it’s only nostalgia. It was on constant rotation on cable the summer before I entered Junior High (back when cable required a big box that was just a switch, and had two channels, maximum). I recall watching it repeatedly with Michelle, and it was a cornerstone of our conversations for weeks. I wanted to be Michelle Pfeiffer, and who wouldn’t? I wanted her wardrobe, her cool confidence, and I wanted my high school life to be just like that. I was in for a let-down, but the movie has never been anything but a delight.

It’s got catchy songs, some clever lines, actors who (mostly) wholeheartedly commit to their parts, and leads whose sheer gorgeousness makes you happy to look at them for two hours. Sure, it takes itself a little too seriously with the drama of the “Cool Rider’s” possible death, but Pfeiffer was trying to hit one toward the bleachers so she’d have a chance at a career as a serious actress. It worked out well for her, and the supporting players make up for the shmaltz.

So, by my opening argument, you could say that the standard to which it aspires is the original, and that it falls woefully short. Well, most sequels do, and I don’t actually find Grease to be a towering work of genius anyway; it’s more catchy and the talent was far greater than in this cast, but it wasn’t trying to change the world either. I do know that I’m out-voted on this one; I don’t think I’ve ever seen a film with a lower rating than Grease 2 on imdb.  I read a number of the reviews linked to from there though, and one said, essentially, that it was a crap movie, but he couldn’t help being sucked in every time he came across it. It’s just one of those movies that holds my attention, gets me singing along with it, and makes me happy for a couple of hours. I don’t think it’s aspiring to more than that.