Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: When my daughter's happy, surf music
Likes: Teen Beach Movie, Disney
Dislikes: High School Musical
Hates: Quickie DVD releases of TV content

The Movie
When last we saw Mack (Maia Mitchell) and Brady (Austin & Ally's Ross Lynch), they had returned from the movie reality of the 1960s surf film Wet Side Story (where they had been mysteriously transported by a giant storm.) Maia victoriously rode the big wave she'd wanted to conquer, and deciding to not attend an exclusive prep school, she's staying close to her new surfing buddy. Teen Beach 2 (apparently no longer a Movie) catches up with them as school gets started and their very different lives--Mack an overachiever, Brady a beach bum--pull them apart.

That is until Lala (Grace Phipps) and Tanner (Garrett Clayton), the leads from Wet Side Story show up in Mack and Brady's world. (Apparently the final scene of the first film never happened?) Things have been going haywire since the real-world duo left, with Lala not feeling like herself. On a mission to save their world, they get sidetracked when they find they like being in the real world, which put their pals back at the beach in danger. So it's up to the now-separated Mack and Brady to save the day. However, they may need some saving of their own. It gets a little unfocused, as the lack of plot overall leaves the film free to play with the themes of being true to one's self and the modern role of women in society, but it gets where it's going in the end without feeling sidetracked. That it has fun with the characters' awareness of the unusual fantasy elements of musicals makes it all the more enjoyable.

No matter what they're doing, the characters stand on their own, remaining clearly defined (verging on stereotypical) and a great deal of fun, with a pair of hugely likeable leads in Lynch and Mitchell. The rest are mostly quite memorable, be it big-haired, squeaky-voiced CheeChee, tough-guy Butchie or one of the many others. Bringing Lala and Tanner into the real world creates some great culture clashes, particularly as Lala starts to become aware of her new-found potential and Tanner remains loveably dim (while delivering one of the more serious and interesting character arcs.) Their cartoonish personalities are one of the film's driving forces, as they provide the humor as well as a contrast to modern cynicism, which is put to great use when Lala and Tanner use their quasi-magical influence to make a bunch of millennials enjoy life for a moment in a fun musical number. There are also a few new additions, like Brady's surfer-bro Devon and Mack's awkward pal Alyssa, but they serve mainly to establish the characters' real world and are somewhat sidelined otherwise.

Of course, this is a musical, so the song and dance numbers are why we're here, and they are a lot of fun, carrying over the beach party feel of the first film, just on a less exaggerated level. Because the film takes place in the real world, many of the songs have a less ‘60s feel, like Brady's powerful anthem "On My Own", the four-way ballad "Meant to Be", the Broadway-style "Silver Screen," and its excellent scene-swapping staging or the standout dance-off of "Gotta Be Me." The old-school vibes still get their opportunities to shine though, in classic numbers like the opening "Best Summer Ever," the Lala/Tanner duet "Right Where I Wanna Be" or the fun girl-group-ish "Fallin For Ya" by CheeChee and Seacat. Fans of the first one will be happy to know that you're sent off with another classic good-time song-and-dance scene.

The Disc
The film arrives on one DVD (oddly there was no Blu-ray release), which comes in a standard-width keepcase with an embossed slipcover. The disc offers an animated menu with options to watch the film, select scenes, adjust the set-up and check out the extras. Audio options include English Dolby Digital 5.1 and French and Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks, while subtitles are available in English SDH, Spanish and French.

The Quality
Making its debut on home video the same day as the film aired in high definition was not the way for this release to shine brightest, but while it may not boast that level of detail, it looks pretty darn good anyway, with the bright, vivid color the setting demands and a good deal of fine detail. Unfortunately, in crowd scenes, which tend to be any of the movement-filled musical numbers, some compression artifacts can be seen if you're looking for them.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack focuses its efforts on boosting the film's poppy music, and it does right by the songs, filling the surrounds (while offering some nicely distinct separations) and bringing in the low-end. Dialogue isn't ignored either, coming through crisp and clear. However there's basically no atmospheric effects to be found in the surrounds, which makes any scene without singing a bit empty.

The Extras
The only extra you're getting here is a a 6:15 featurette on the cast's rehearsals in Puerto Rico. Through interviews and footage of them working on their moves, they reveal how extensive the process was and their thoughts about it.Kids will eat it up.

Also in the package (at least the one we received and the ones first in stores) is a replica of Lela's necklace. Most pack-ins that fit inside a DVD case are of the chintzy variety, but this one is pretty impressive, with a good-size solid metallic resin charm on a string of faux-pearls with an adjustable clasp. As my daughter excitedly pointed out, before immediately putting it on, it looks almost exactly like the one in the movie. Well done, Disney.

The Bottom Line
Though some of the charm of the original's surf-film homage is missing and the girl-boy drama gets a bit tiring, the musical numbers are arguably better and the cheesier elements of Teen Beach Movie have fallen by the wayside, letting the film ride on the strength of the fun characters. And if my kid is any indication, the film remains compulsively watchable to its core fanbase. The presentation is quite solid (aside from some quibbles, and the one extra will appeal to the film's fans (while the necklace is a great bonus item.) Teen Beach 2 is a self-aware, fun musical that will entertain the entire family.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.