Musicals On TV - Teen Beach 2

Disney, 2015
Starring Maia Mitchell, Ross Lynch, Grace Phipps, and Garrett Clayton
Directed by Jeffrey Hornaday
Music by various

The phenomenal success of Teen Beach Movie  practically guaranteed it a sequel. This one did even better with audiences, winding up as the biggest hit Disney Channel Original Film since the first one. Were critics right that this one loses at lot of that peppy Beach Party charm, or is it still all fun and waves for this franchise? Let's head to the beach on the last day of summer with Mack (Mitchell) and Brady (Lynch) and find out...

The Story: Mack and Brady are excited to be starting school, but they have a difficult time continuing their relationship when Mack throws herself into extracurricular activities and Brady can't bring himself to tell Mack about his hobby building surfboards. To their shock, Lela (Phipps) and Tanner (Clayton) from Wet Side Story appear on the beach after having followed them back. The duo absolutely adore the real world, especially Lela, who feels like she's finally discovering her true potential. Things aren't going as well in Wet Side Story. The characters have no reason to exist without Lela and Tanner bringing them together and are disappearing. Mack and Brady have to convince Lela and Tanner to return to their own world, before the movie and both of their romances vanish all together.

The Song and Dance: The plot here is a bit more convoluted, but Mitchell and Lynch do just as well as the two kids whose summer romance may end up evaporating with the change in the calendar. Phipps gets top honors as the biker chick who comes into her own and discovers that her feelings and abilities matter just as much as the guys'.

Favorite Number: The big opening number is "Best Summer Ever," as the kids at school and in Wet Side Story perform some high stepping moves to announce the end of summer and beginning of the school year. Lela and Tanner think that 2015 is "Right Where I Want to Be" as they reveal how much they love the modern world, despite it being clear that they don't fit in. They even encourage the grumpy kids in the cafeteria to "Twist Your Frown Upside Down." Brady, Mack, and their friends use wacky props and backdrops to convince Lela and Tanner that they belong on the "Silver Screen." It ends with "That's How We Do It," as Mack and Brady and Lela and Tanner reunite and everyone celebrates the newly-revamped beach party movie.

What I Don't Like: Despite some decent numbers, watching Lela try to bring out her feminist side and Mack and Brady's relationship woes isn't quite as fun or as charming as them ending up in the world of Wet Side Story. Frankly, the story gets a little too complicated for its own good, especially towards the end, when they try to send the movie kids back a second time. It also loses a lot of the spoofing of musical cliches that made the first movie so darn funny.

There's a few continuity bobbles, too. In the credits for Teen Beach Movie, we clearly see the entire Wet Side Story cast walk out of the surf and squeal over a local kid's cell phone. Here, though, Tanner and Lela come first, and we don't see the others in the modern world until almost half-way through.

The Big Finale: These may be my favorite Disney Channel original musicals to date. It's not as much fun as the first film, but it's still recommended for fans of beach party movies, musicals, or families with kids in the appropriate 8 to 14 target range.

Home Media: As with the first film, easy to find on DVD and streaming.

DVD
Amazon Prime