Teen Beach 2

Movie review by Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media
Teen Beach 2 Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 8+

Dynamic musical numbers, girl power sell super sequel.

G 2015 104 minutes
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Parents say

age 8+

Based on 8 reviews

Kids say

age 7+

Based on 25 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Teen Beach 2 brings viewers more of the dynamic musical theater that made the original Teen Beach Movie a smashing success. This story sees the fictional movie characters who hosted Brady and Mack in the original tale dropping in on their real-life counterparts in the real world, setting up many hilarious moments that emphasize the cultural and technological differences between the two times and places. Even better, it inspires empowering changes in '60s symbol Lela, who takes increasing confidence in asserting herself and standing up to the status quo. The story stumbles in a few spots, and a late plot twist may cause some dismay for fans, but that pales in comparison to the lively song-and-dance numbers and worry-free content that make this movie a fun watch for the whole family.

Community Reviews

Teenbeachman9456
Teenbeachman9456 Adult
May 15, 2022
age 6+

It’s obviously the best series ever to watch on Disney channel

I love it, So do my family! We enjoyed it. But I’d say they’re both great. The only part I was disappointed about is when they were singing the twist that frown song, and the I wanna stay here forever song. It was cringe and annoying! So if your trying to decide which you would wanna watch, start with the first one first because if u start at the second one first, it wont make sense and have a lot of questions. I would rate it 8/10

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Merladie
Merladie Adult
April 11, 2020
age 9+

Didn’t make sense

If you watched the first teen beach movie you probably feel in love and got your hopes up when you heard they made a sequel. Watching the sequel however is a major letdown. Whoever made the second movie didn’t pay much attention to what happened in the first movie. In the first movie Brady (the main boy) loves this movie called wet side story, but every time he talks about it Mac (the main girl) says she doesn’t understand how he can watch that. She literally has never even watched the entire movie through. The second movie during one of the opening scenes they have a “meetaversary” for their three months of being together, and they talk about how they meat through their common love of the movie wet side story. The first movie made it seem like they had been together way longer than 3 months. The other thing is they introduced the necklace as a way to get to and from the movie world, because it had the same emblem as the surf board they used in the first movie. I was okay with this, what I was not okay with Is later when they act like all the need is a surf board with that emblem to recreate what happened in the first movie. They needed the surf board and a storm, not just to surf. Now to spoil the ending. So the two main people from the movie world come to the real world, and just like in the first movie this disrupts everything, characters from the movie start to disappear, but when they finally go back to fix it, they say that since the two main people from the real world “met through wet side story” that if they can’t save the movie they will forget each other. This ends up happening, and that completely erases the first movie. Now if nothing that did happen in the first movie had happened the main girl would be at a private school with her aunt, not still at public school. End of rant

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

TEEN BEACH 2 opens as summer draws to a close for surfing soul mates Brady (Ross Lynch) and Mack (Maia Mitchell). After three months of fun in the sun -- not to mention the magical foray on the set of Wet Side Story, a '60s beach-party movie that led them to each other -- they face the new school year with some trepidation, not knowing how the change will affect their summer romance. Trouble crops up quickly as overachiever Mack grows weary of Brady's nonchalance about school and vice versa, but when Wet Side Story's leading couple, Tanner (Garrett Clayton) and Lela (Grace Phipps), show up in their world, they must set aside their differences to get the characters back to their own world before they cease to exist.

Is It Any Good?

Lest we forget how masterfully Disney can capitalize on a good concept, this TV movie makes a solid case with a second round of energetic song-and-dance numbers guaranteed to delight fans. From the opening scene to the closing credits, this sequel strings together one far-out musical theater number after another, culminating in a visually impressive production that kids and tweens will love and parents will tolerate with ease. The topsy-turvy plot, which brings the fictional-yet-flesh-and-bones characters into Brady and Mack's real world, creates some logistical hurdles and dialogue that's flimsy in spots, but that's easily overlooked in light of the hilarity that follows two '60s movie icons experiencing 21st-century life (motion-sensor showers, Segways, and Siri!) for the first time.

One particularly bright spot in Teen Beach 2 concerns its prominent message of female empowerment. Inspired by having met self-assured Mack in the first movie, Lela starts thinking for herself and questioning her role in the carefully choreographed movie story, causing all kinds of comical chaos on the Wet Side Story set and eventually leading her to Mack's world. What ensues changes her for the better but has unintended consequences for Brady and Mack, setting up a surprising last-minute plot twist for both leading couples.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Teen Beach 2 presents its female characters. What differences exist between Mack and Lela at the movie's start? In what ways is Mack a positive influence on Lela as the story progresses? How do these two characters compare to others you see on TV shows and in movies?

  • Have you ever struggled with a relationship that's hampered by the parties' differences? Can every case be remedied, or are some beyond help? In what ways can differences be a positive force in a friendship?

  • Kids: Do you like this movie's musical-theater style? Do the song-and-dance numbers ever feel out of place in the story? Does watching this make you want the soundtrack?

  • How do the characters in Teen Beach 2 demonstrate integrity? Why is this an important character strength?

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