High School Musical

The other night, having nothing else to do, I popped in the DVD of High School Musical just to see what the "fuss" is all about (My younger sister owns the HSM dolls, clothes, towels, movies, CDs, video games, sheet music, etc). Though not usually drawn to the musical genre or Disney Channel dramatic fare, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this film held my interest and entertained me for its duration.

Plot-wise, HSM doesn't deviate too far from standard Disney programming. When new girl to school Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) begins to form a relationship with school beau Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), it draws the ire of popular girl Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) and facilitates an overhaul of East High's social cliques.

What sets the storyline apart from, say, a typical episode of Hannah Montana, though, is the way the school stereotypes are portrayed. Instead of getting too preachy, Disney instead wildly accentuates those stereotypes and lets the simple messages of diversity and acceptance speak for themselves. Troy is the All-American boy every girl has a crush on, Gabriella is the stunningly beautiful girl next door, and Sharpay is the over-the-top princess who rules the school with her status.

Of course, HSM needs to (as a musical) ultimately be judged on the quality of its musical numbers...the category in which it succeeds fantastically. From the very beginning, when a karaoke DJ hands microphones to Troy and Gabriella and tells them "you might thank me for this someday", viewers will realize the quality of the musical numbers about to come. Though Efron does not provide his own vocals, he IS able to adroitly portray the conflicted Troy (basketball vs. singing) through acting and dance. Hudgens' tunes are usually softer, but very poignant ("When There Was Me And You", in which Hudgens flies solo, is my favorite piece in the film), while Tisdale is probably the most talented actor/singer/dancer of the bunch in her fantastically choreographed and special effects-laden numbers.

So, if you are a parent/older sibling who wants to know what make your child/younger sibling go crazy over HSM, I would encourage you to sit down and watch this film (preferably with them). Even the most jaded critics will be humming (or outright belting) the catchy melodies long after the end credits roll.

Troy Bolton is the captain of the high school basketball team but, at a New Year's Eve party he discovers a love for music while doing karaoke with a girl he just met – Gabriella. Going back to school after the break, Troy discovers that Gabriella is a new pupil there and that she is smart enough to not be part of his social circle and is a big player in the science club. As the high school musical approaches Gabriella and Troy have become closer and are tempted to go for the two lead roles. However, not only will this mean breaking up the musical domination of Sharpay and Ryan Evans but more significantly challenging the social moulds they are put in by themselves and their peers.

With a title that is pretty much a description of contents rather than a title, I pretty much knew what this film was going to be when I sat to watch it. I expected a typical high school movie plot (ie pick one from the five or six main generic ones in films) but delivered as a musical and for the whole thing to be as glossy and as cheerful as one would expect from the Disney film. The way that it is laid out means that it delivers just that – a cheerful musical that goes where you expect it to and does it with the spirit of a light Broadway musical. To those that pick up this film as one would a packet of potatoes in a supermarket (ie knowing that they want potatoes and that they are buying potatoes) then this will provide just what you want and should cover up the weaknesses inherent in it.

Even to the fan, these weaknesses will be as obvious as they are to the viewers that dislike the film. The plot is of course generic and will surprise not even the child audience it is aimed at. The message is writ large across every scene and is clunky almost the whole time. The cheerful pushing of this message of acceptance and being true to yourself is a bit like propaganda and lacks any reality – something many peer-pressured teenagers will tell you. The songs themselves are cheerful big numbers that are as clean and as wholesome as American pie (the ideal rather than the movie!); none of them are good and many will grate on those not used to musicals (although this is not really the film's fault).

The cast are probably the most annoying aspect for the casual viewer because almost to a performer they scream "stage school" and they do the exaggerated and facial-movement-heavy acting that one would expect from a school musical production. Of course this just about works within the context of the genre but I found it annoying because they didn't seem to have an off switch – so even in the smaller moments they are doing the same stuff as in the midst of a massive dance number. Hudgrens is cute and makes for a sweet lead. Efron is bland but probably offers the safe and sexless looks that a female tweenie audience appreciate. Coleman's performance is poor but I was amazed by how a woman in her late twenties can manage to look fifteen! Bleu is equally poor and together they fail to provide any teeth to the peer pressure that is key to the plot. Everyone sings and dances well enough and again, within the genre, they work even if they will get on the rag of the casual viewer.

Overall then this is a film that does just what it says on the tin. It is a high school plot delivered as a musical. Those buying this product knowing the contents will probably like it because it does just what you expect and delivers a solid and slick musical to the extent that the weaknesses of the genre can be forgiven. However the casual viewer will find the so-so songs, soullessly slick delivery, stage-school performances and simplistic, cloying morals to be pretty big hurdles to get over.

Re-watching this as an adult made me realize that I had no idea what good writing was back then, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit.

Maybe because of the songs or the nostalgia factor, but I honestly feel like I can watch this over and over again and not get bored.

Even though I'm aware that High School Musical is not at all a "good movie", I can't deny that it's a fun movie. and nostalgia doesn't allow me to express anything other than love for it.

I definitely don't fit into the target demographic for Disneys' "High School Musical", and when my friends saw it in my DVD collection they threatened to disown me. At that point I figured I could either (a) say "HOW DID THAT GET THERE?! and quickly distract them by popping in Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket", (b) sheepishly admit that I'm a dork and in serious need of help, or (c) rabidly defend how awesome this movie is, accusing them that if they're too closed-minded to give it a try then their inner child must be dead and rotting in their dark pit of hearts.

I opted for (c).

As I said, this movie is fantastic. Directed by Kenny Ortega, known for many TV stints and music videos but perhaps best known as Michael Jackson's choreographer, you know immediately that this is a flick with some professional music and dancing. But for me, what I really liked was the theme of this movie, something unlike anything I've seen before. And I've been secretly watching teen flicks since the 80s with classics like "Sixteen Candles", "The Breakfast Club" and so on.

Through the ages, most teen flicks, if not all, have focused on one theme: the idea of outcasts & nerdy underdogs rising up and doing battle with the popular kids. True, it's a great theme that every teen (and every adult, for that matter) should understand. Dare to be different. Be uncool, and do it in the coolest way possible.

Here in "High School Musical" we get a reverse twist on that. The star of the movie (played by Zac Ephron) is already one of the cool kids, good looking, smart, sports jock. But he dreams of doing something as totally uncool as singing in the high school musical.

From there the theme materializes. This isn't just another "revenge of the nerds" type story, but instead it's a very individualistic, and dare I say existentialist, take on how to exist in society. Drop all labels, cross all boundaries, do whatever you want. There's a great line in the movie where Zac says to his father, "What if all my friends laugh at me?" and the father responds, "Well then they're really not your friends." Gems like this may be obvious in life, but they bear repeating to kids as well as wayward adults. Are you a 45 year old corporate executive who's afraid to quit your job and be a hairdresser? Watch this movie. Even if your situation is not as extreme as that, we all encounter pockets of resistance based on what people expect of us. And often, it's much harder to climb *down* from a successful position than it is to climb *up* from nothing.

Besides that, the movie is just plain fun. All the character are lovable, even the "villains" who in this case are the scary sister & brother team played by Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel. They reminded me of something out of an old Tim Burton flick (Edward Scissorhands) with their hilarious portrayal of the proverbial small-town big fish. Another memorable villain is the failed-diva drama teacher who always seems to be one measure away from breaking into "I'm So Pretty" (don't worry, she doesn't). Zac's female counterpart is played by Vanessa Hudgens who also does a great job of depicting the new transfer who doesn't know how or where to fit in.

Like I said, this is a great film with a solid message for all ages, as long as your inner child isn't dead. I'm not sure if this review was of any use to you, but it sure silenced the room when I shouted it at my friends. In short, this movie is for anyone who's not afraid to yell "I love High School Musical!"

While the film only came out 15 years ago, I felt a high amount of nostalgia watching High School Musical again. It was exciting to see the start of something new (pun absolutely intended) and the Disney Channel juggernaut that came from it.

The story was straightforward and predictable, the acting was mediocre, and the script was incredibly cringey at times, but I can forgive all of that because of the music. Every song in this film is a karaoke classic that I blasted in my mom's car to and from middle school. While it is not a cinematic masterpiece, this film brings back sentimental feelings and memories that make it a family favorite.