High School Musical 3

Never let it be said at the Magic Kingdom that they miss an opportunity to make that extra buck. For the final version of High School Musical, the Disney crowd released it to the theater instead of television. The decision was a no-brainer, the various road company High School Musical performers have been doing great business wherever they appeared including my home city. And certainly the box office for High School Musical 3 has justified this decision.

But this is the end for this particular class, the six stars are already way too old for High School Musical 3, we've got to graduate them. In the cast are the new people getting ready to take over for Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Ashley Tisdale, and Lucas Grabeel.

They are going out with style however and the plot such as it is has the cool kids from East High competing for a scholarship to the Julliard School of Music. Two representatives from Julliard will be at the senior show to award a scholarship and you already know that scheming Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) is going to do whatever it takes to get that scholarship.

In fact Tisdale's quest for the scholarship sets her up with an All About Eve twist in this plot. Jemma McKenzie-Brown plays a new girl from London who attachs herself to Tisdale. Now if any of the teen crowd that likes the High School Musical reads this review and decides to check out All About Eve, I will have done my job.

In fact the eventual decision of the judges is quite a good one and to appreciate it you would have had to see all three films.

High School Musical 3 is an appealing film as the others are, but it creates an incredible fantasy world which I can tell you didn't exist when I went to high school lo these many years ago. And supposedly we're far more sophisticated now and like realism in our cinema.

But those who've followed the series, see the original Wildcats one more time.

Okay, I am 100% completely for the High School Musical franchise! Have you noticed that the majority of people who have something derogatory to say about the series are 15+. Well, duh! You were young once too and no one constantly dissed the Lion King or Cinderella or Rugrats or whatever your "show" was as a naive, innocent kid. Lions don't talk or dance or sing, there are no such things as "fairy god mothers" and talking mice, and babies don't have imaginary worlds where they can talk in front of adults, yet no one hears them. What do you want Disney to do: turn High School Musical into a movie about kids who are sexually active backstage and smoke weed after rehearsals? There's nothing wrong with a nice, innocent, family movie, people! If Disney turned High School Musical into that, you'd be complaining WAY more, trust me! And yes, High School Musical may be like a fantasy high school world that we all WISH could exist, but it's not destroying the kids' brain cells or anything. Once they get to that certain age level, they'll realize that the "perfect, happy, HSM life" was all an illusional element created because it's Disney. So chill.

If you went in with that perspective, you'd see that High School Musical 3 was pretty enjoyable and that HSM actually has underlying themes that good do the kids some good! The songs were actually cool and different and were fun to sing along to. It's also sad watching the Wildcats grow up if you're really a fan---they're hearts can't seem to tear away from East High. Oh, and Zac Efron isn't too hard to look at either! Take your kids and have a NICE, innocent, enjoyable, afternoon at the movies to see this!

OK, I work at a movie theater and the main thing we've been waiting for is High School Musical 3: Senior Year, we knew it was going to be big, so a few co-workers and I got together for the matinée before all the kids rushed in, it was still packed surprisingly. But I've seen both previous films because my little cousin is just in love with all that pre-teen hoop-la, it's all good, every generation has something so lovey-dovey-cutesee-wootsee type of thing. But one of the things that made this film enjoyable was to see all the kids who were just participating with this film, I mean, I felt like I was in a concert, the kids were clapping with the songs, screaming for their idols, and just having fun, it was cool to see their reactions, to remember a more innocent time of being in love that much with something. But I felt like this was just a cute movie that is getting too much criticism just because it is High School Musical, give it a break and take it for what it is.

The gang is back for their senior year and everything is just perfect, they came up with a great idea for a musical to represent all that they're going through in this exciting year. But there is also a lot of pressure: Zack is facing a tough decision of which college to go to while Gabriella is planning on going to Yale University so far away from him, Sharpay and her brother, Ryan, are competing for a scholarship to Juliard, and Chad and Taylor are learning what to do with the rest of their lives while loosing their best friends to different schools.

Granted High School Musical is never Oscar material, in fact, it's downright like having a soda after school with the hot quarterback or sexy cheerleader, but like I said, it's for the kids. Seeing their reactions to this reminded me and my co-workers of a more innocent time, when I had the same excitement to see Spice World when I was 12 years old. We all had these silly things we loved at a young age and for some reason we become more cynical as we get older criticizing everything that the new generation has, so I'm cutting this movie some slack. It had fun songs, cute characters, silly situations, but great dance numbers and is just over all a nice film for the family. I do recommend it just for the fun of being with the fans and just having a good time, no matter how cheesy it is.

6/10

Wow, this series has worn out its welcome. The first two installments were modest, harmless TV movies with fast-moving stories and some catchy songs. The third time was not the charm.

I must say, either my tastes have gotten much more discriminating or this cast is getting worse with each picture. I find Ashley Tisdale about as screechy and annoying as fingernails on a chalkboard, and she was worse than ever in HSM3. Ditto Corbin Bleu, so cheerful and peppy that it gets a little sickening. All of the "actors" come off like over-eager stage-children, but those two are probably the worst offenders. None of the case- and I mean none- are believable as real, human high school students.

It's funny to think that this time two years ago, I had no idea what HSM was, but now it's everywhere - it's marketed to death with pretty much every possible item you could want bearing the toothy grins of the cast jumping in the air. Main reason I watched the first and second on the telly over Christmas and Easter respectively? Go and ask my nine soon-to-be ten family friend's daughter, who always asks if I've seen it. Yep, you guessed it, she's a big fan.

So, since the first was such a success thanks to those under 12(who probably in secret, rule the world), Disney milk the cash cow for the last few drops and bring out another one.

Possibly, the only one in the cast that can act with a shred of conviction, given the superficiality of the material is Efron. And no, I don't harbour a fancying towards him, it just seems the other cast members are either too OTT and annoying(Sharpay, Tiara the new London schoolgirl transfer, Jimmy etc) or come across as unconvincingly with their 'cute' personals (Hudgens especially).

And I can't nor do I even imagine I can speak for everyone, but there were too many 'pass me the bucket, I'm going to throw up' romantic moments with Troy and Gabriella that were so saccharine they could cause diabetes(and they get most of the songs). The first one had less of these moments and was better for it(although I'm not claiming any one of these films is very good, as I don't think they are).

The cinematography has such bright, bold colours with the trademark red and white that near the end I was hoping maybe the sunny attitude the clothing has would be turned down a notch. The Barbie pink wardrobe adorned by Sharpay may suit the character, but still looks ridiculous - I hope no ones getting ideas to copy this look in their hoards ....

Now or Never is my fave song (can't get it out of my head, just like how We're All in This Together(which gets a slower arrangement for the colourful graduation in this film) and What Time is It? were my faves of the first and second films respectively. As mentioned before, I'm not keen on the ballads shared by Troy and Gabriella. Another song I liked was the I Want it All and the dream stage scenes with the song, I laughed at the boyband pop-video wannabe that was Boys Are Back. Anytime a song begins to play and the cast start to sing, I can help but laugh unintentionally - it's obviously, all very cheesy.

Overall: It's not everyday you see a group of young kids under seven all dancing around near the big screen itself near the front in the cinema when the film ends or slapping their hands on their thighs in time with the music for one of the last songs, High School Musical. I even saw some jumping around, pretending to do the moves show in some of the musical numbers!

It's squeaky clean and about as deep as a puddle, yet who am I to cast the first stone for something harmless children enjoy, as I had my moments aged 8-10 when I loved something equally as cheesy - Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers anyone? The plot hardly has a chance to get into depth, even if it wanted to though with more than ten songs to squeeze in (and some references to other musicals with the big stage set pieces), so when it does start with the drama it all seems contrived and I wanted a catchy song to bop my head to.

Yes, it's a guilty pleasure of mine, and yes, the opening is cringe-worthy with a close-up of a sweaty Efron in grimace playing basketball as are some other scenes, but in terms of feel good throwaway entertainment it works alright. Don't go in expecting hilarity as it only has a handful of mildly amusing and one laugh-out-loud funny moments with Jimmy near the end(not including my unintentional giggles). Oh and stay behind a few minutes for some few bloopers.

Nothing brilliant and this definitely doesn't top Grease which I think still portrays high school a bit more realistically (and with better songs to me), but I don't strongly dislike this nor would you catch any of the merchandise or even the DVDs in my room, never mind my home. It's a cheesy craze that's having it's time, so let the kids enjoy it for it's inoffensive happy persona. And ... Go wildcats! But please, let it end with the hats being thrown in the air - no more sequels Disney! Aren't the houses of your execs big enough?!