People are always surprised when they find out Mike and I root for rival baseball teams. “How can your relationship withstand 18-19 games of head-to-head play?” they’ll ask incredulously. “I don’t think I could be with a person who didn’t like the same team,” others will state. Honestly, though, this is nothing for us. Our relationship has overcome far-greater fundamental differences, like Mike believing that Grease 2 is superior to Grease.
This argument recently resurfaced with the release of Grease: Live, which we have watched On Demand about 1,000 times in the last week (our kids are obsessed). Mike can’t handle the kids loving Grease, and is constantly going into his big sell as to why the inferior sequel is better than the original motion picture. Obviously, I can’t let that stand so…we present our case:
Mike: Grease 2 was Michelle Pfieffer’s first major starring film role.
Heather: Grease is based on a wildly successful musical, and several of the actors in the movie were in the Broadway production (including John Travolta, who played DOODY on stage! LOL)
Mike: Michelle Pfeiffer’s character was way cooler than Sandy and a total badass.
Heather: Michelle Pfeiffer’s character is a Rizzo-wannabe!
Mike: It has the greatest choreographed song and dance sequence set in a bowling alley in the history of film. (“Score Tonight” also gets points for the double meaning in the title.)
Heather: “Greased Lightnin'” has amazing choreography, and many lyrics with double meaning.
Mike: There are lots of cool scenes with motorcycles.
Heather: The car race scene at Thunderroad is a million times cooler than a bunch of motorcycles. Also, you can’t make out at the drive in on the back of a motorcycle!
Mike: There are many genuinely clever and funny songs like “Reproduction” and “Let’s Do It For Our Country.”
Heather: “Beauty School Dropout” and “Grease” are great, catchy songs.
Mike: Even the questionable songs, like”Who’s That Guy” and “Cool Rider” (“I want a cool rider/A cool, cool, cool, cool rider/I want a c-o-o-l r-i-d-e-r!”) are earworms that stay with you forever.
Heather: Meanwhile, the soundtrack of Grease is one of the greatest selling albums of all time, and “Hopelessly Devoted to You” was nominated for an Academy Award.
Mike: When I was a kid I had a crush on the twins.
Heather: Super, massive side-eye.
Mike: Christopher McDonald, aka Happy Gilmore‘s Shooter McGavin, played a T-Bird.
Heather: Hmmm. I’ll give you this one.
Mike: Did I mention it has Michelle Pfeiffer?
Heather: Stockard Channing, John Travolta, Jeff Conaway, Olivia Freaking Newton John!
Mike: I admit part of my love for Grease 2 is because my sister and I used to watch it all the time as kids. But still, I still think it’s a good movie.
Heather: This movie played at every single sleepover I attended from the years 1989 – 1995.
Bonus point: When Mike asked Annabel if she wanted to watch Grease 2, she said, “Are Sandy and Rizzo in it? Then nah.”
Mel G says:
Well played, Annabel!
Andrea says:
Sorry, Mike. Heather wins this one. The original is definitely the better film. It had a great cast and dialogue, and songs that are still played on oldies radio stations. Grease also had a long running show on Broadway with Megan Mullally and Rosie O’Donnell. Other than Michelle Pfeiffer in Grease 2, I don’t remember cast members and now that I think about it I don’t even remember the storyline.
Grease is the word!! (not Grease 2)!! lol
Amy says:
Same reasoning as Mike. My sister and I watched Grease 2 all the time as kids. I probably even saw Grease 2 before I saw Grease.
steph says:
I watched that movie just about every day for years…seriously obsessed as a kid. Grease 2 all the way for me!
sara says:
Grease! Sorry Mike—I can’t stand the sequel. I’ve watched the original probably 50 times and never sat all the way through the sequel. And Annabel is a smart girl.
Geena Hansen says:
Sorry Mike, but the sequel is awful! Grease all the way!!
Lindsay says:
I legitimately never knew there WAS a Grease 2.
stephanie says:
Samesies
Damita says:
I’ve got your back Mike! Grease 2 is my favorite of the two. Grease is amazing and I love it A LOT!!, don’t get me wrong, but I just think Grease 2 is more fun and the songs are a bit catchier. I also remember obsessively watching Grease 2 a lot as a child. I had the biggest crush on Adrian Zmed and Maxwell Caufield! Grease is far more superior as far as the acting goes, but Grease 2 is just a lot hipper, in my opinion.
I saw Grease 2 in the actual theater a few times. We didn’t have cable, so I used to check the TV guide to see when/if it was coming on and when it was, I would find some reason to have a sleep over at my cousins’ grandmother’s house (across the street from my own house, lol).
Damita says:
One more thing! In the interest of fairness, let Annie watch Grease 2 and then ask which is her favorite.
Lisa F. says:
For me, there is no debate. 1978’s Grease then, now, and always! BTW, I tried to like the recent live version, I just couldn’t. There was no “acting,” it seemed like all the performers were rushing through their lines to either 1) Make sure the performance fit within the 3-hour time window; or 2) Get to the next song.
Pattie says:
Sorry, Mike, but Heather’s right: The original is the best, hands down. But pretty young Maxwell Caulfield trumped JT. Maxwell was the only reason I watched the sequel as much as I did.
jen says:
Grease and Grease 2 are not even in the same galaxy. Team original Grease!!!
Stacey says:
Grease 2 all the way, because all the reasons above and Lorna Luft.
Emese says:
My hubs and I also root for rival teams. I am a die hard Cowboys fan and he is a die hard Eagles fan.. We are inter-division rivals which makes us the “worst” kind. We were in Arizona for an Eagle game two years ago and the night before the game we went out to a local bar, I had all my Cowboy gear on and of course my husband was Eagled out. Random people stopped us and ask “how does this work exactly?” and made all sorts of comments we heard a lot of “no way, this doesn’t exist” we always have our clever come backs, like “we are mutual Redskin & Giant haters” or “we just don’t talk to each other on certain days of the season” but all in all we support each other.. unless we are playing against each other.
Now Grease (the original).. is mutually agreed upon the winner by a looong shot..
Brooke says:
Grease all the way. Although Grease 2 is so bad and so ridiculous that its good in its own way, the first one is far superior. And I think the only reason I watched Grease 2 so many times is because of Maxwell Caulfield’s British accent.
Jana Frerichs says:
This is so funny! As a kid, we watched Grease 2 ALL.THE.TIME. It was so much cooler to me then. And yes, every now and then I find myself with Cool Rider playing in my head all day. However, as an adult, Grease 2 just seems so much cheesier than Grease.
Anna says:
I love you, Mike, but Grease 2 is GARBAGE!
Cheryl says:
Original all the way, have never made it all the way through Grease 2 and don’t want to!
Molly says:
Even though I spent WAY too much time as a kid organizing fashion shows to the song Girl For All Seasons, I think Grease 1 wins just based on its wide spread appea, I will always have a soft spot for Grease 2 thoughl. And watching it again, I am shocked that my super strict parents let me watch either of them without a second thought.
Krista says:
I can’t even. Nope. Why did they even make Grease 2?
Chris says:
I am fortunate that my husband’s (formerly beloved) Rams moved from LA long before we met (no he won’t love them again now that they are returning) because I’m a die hard niner’s fan, and fortunately he’s a niner’s fan since the Ram’s left. Because I don’t see how that would have worked. Then again, I could never understand my parents with the Republican/Democrat dynamic either. I like less conflict…
I’d never seen either until I was an adult- Dad controlled the remote and we lived in an area that didn’t get cable. So, I’m not actually attached to either of them but I’d say Grease hands down. In the interest of full disclosure: my husband loves movies and both Olivia Newton John and Michelle Pfeiffer and he too says Grease all the way. Sorry Mike.
Lenora says:
Really, Mike?? Grease 2? I may be not remembering this right but didn’t that have motorcycle heaven?
Damita says:
Lenora, listen, motorcycle heaven was a dream/vision. Kind of like Frenchie in beauty school heaven with Frankie Avalon. LOL
Lenora says:
Still, just the cap on the complete ridiculousness that is Grease 2
JustAMom says:
Yes!! Motorcycle heaven!!
“remember…. I love you….. I won’t be far away…”
Auntie_M says:
Original Grease, allllll the way. Though I have to admit to Cool Rider definitely being an ear worm….like as soon as you mentioned it. But, still, Grease wins, hands down. Sorry Mike!
Auntie_M says:
I also remember that I saw Grease 2 in the theater with my aunt and wanted to die of embarrassment several times…Do It For Your Country and Reproduction, cases in point.
But Grease….ah! Those were the days!!!
Jeanie says:
I don’t think I’ve seen Grease 2. I know, I can hardly believe it myself. I’ve seen the original Grease many times and love it. Would love to see this latest Grease. Julianne Hough is about the cutest thing ever.
Jordan says:
1. Not a fan of the original Grease (sorry, Heather). At least I wasn’t a fan growing up; I don’t mind it now (but it’s not a favorite)
2. Never seen the 2nd one.
3. Annie’s reaction is all of us.
Jerilynn says:
Sorry, Mike, but you lose this polemic. The original Grease was the best ever. Nobody does Rizzo like the amazing Stockard Channing. And Beauty School Drop-Out cannot be redone, end of story. Next . . .
JustAMom says:
Totally team Mike on this one!!
Every time I take my daughter bowling I have to sing “Hey Johnny Johnny go for that strike……”
She is not amused, but I don’t care.
Madeleine says:
I also love Grease 2. My sister and I are on opposite sides of this. Great now I want to see it and listen to “the seasons” part of the talent show, my poor husband.
Grease is Ok its a classic. I give it that.
Amy C. says:
My two cents. Well, we all know that Grease will be the classic that spans throughout time. Grease 2 will always be seen as the bastard younger brother (or sister?). However, one cannot discount the level of talent that was in the second film as well as the first. Now granted the Australian virgin male lead was nowhere near a “Sandy” as Olivia Newton-John but Adrian Zhmed as a comical “Danny” was simply hilarious. The twins were neat and Pfeiffer did a relatively good job as well.
Grease shines because of Stockard Channing, the camera seems to miss her when she is not in a scene, she is that engaging. However, everyone who plays off her doesn’t suffer because she is in the scene with them but are almost enhanced because of her. She is like a freakin’ golden rod of talent. That, unfortunately, was sorely lacking in the second movie, despite the twins, that younger sister (who did a hell of a good job too, by the way) and Lorna Luft.
Katrina says:
I’ve never seen Grease 2. Sorry, Mike!
I guess because the cast is different, I just had no interest. And I still don’t. But maybe…just maybe, I’m doing a disservice to myself, with my obvious prejudice. If anything just to cast a vote here on which one is better, I should watch Grease 2 at least once.
Lissette says:
Seriously like a few people said, I never knew there
was a Grease 2. GREASE IS THE WORD! Mike loses this one and
Annabel is one smart girl!