Grease 2

This is closer to a successful sequel than I expected it to be. But, as they say, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. If this were a standalone piece, one that does not specifically try to remind the viewer of its antecedent, it might be a worthwhile effort -- but it is not a work born out of its own idea, and it suffers continually from the ever-present comparison to the original. It might have been a better idea to make a “2” from elements that were wholly divorced from the first piece. There are some solid moments in this film -- some of the songs work better than others (particularly those focused around Michelle Pfeiffer, who is [or at least was] a better singer than one would have ever imagined) -- but the effort is uneven throughout, and overall the effect is one where the movie is less than the sum of its parts. So while I did enjoy watching a lot of this flick, I can’t quite bring myself to give it a PURR. The MEOW is not a slam by any means; the work falls just barely below the top tier. But true positive reviews must be earned on merit, and that merit just isn’t here.