High School Musical 2

This is unironically the best film ever created that I have been able to view. Outstanding music, incredible story, and unbelievable special effects. Had me tearing up at the end. After watching, my life hasn't been the same. I listen to the soundtrack on a daily basis. The baseball scene is actually the best thing to lay my eyes upon. Best in the series.

This is honestly one of the most fun movies I have ever seen. I loved nearly every second of this film. With that being said, it's kind of terrible. Just watch it and have a great time.

This movie did not live up to the hype. The plot was alright but lacked in the heart and the message of the first movie. The first movie was great because it had a message of "be an individual no matter what". This movie didn't have any message.

Some of the songs were wonderful, but some were just awful. It was obvious that there was synthesizing on a lot of the songs, especially "Bet on It". The other issue is that while Zac Efron did his own singing in this movie, his voice did not pair well with Vanessa Hudgens like Drew Seeley's in the first movie.

Ashley Tisdale was much more enjoyable in this movie though, she was cattier and meaner and it was hilarious. Vanessa's acting went totally down hill from the last movie and was lacking believability. Lucas rocked this movie though. He should have had a much much bigger role! And I'm sorry, but I was far far too reminded of The Lion King when I heard "Everyday". Elton John, anyone? I'd prefer the sound mixing of the first movie with these new songs, they are good songs, but the over-mixing takes it away for me.

I liked the first High School Musical. Really I did. It was fun, cute without being cheesy and it appealed to most ages.

High School Musical 2 is a joke compared to the first. First of all you have tweeny Disney stars like Vanessa Hudgens and Corbin Bleu with their terrible acting, the songs were awful, the plot seemed like an idea someone came up with in a span of 10 minutes. Ashley Tisdale and Zac Efron are probably the only kids in this TV movie who can act. What happened to the characters personalitys? Gabriella was the worst, turned into a giggling, cutesy, boy crazy teen. I wanted to slap her every scene she was in. Disney we know you tried but it wasn't really that great. Please boycott High School Musical 3, I hate to see how that will end up.

This is a follow-up to the very successful Disney Original Movie "High School Musical" that was first shown a couple of years back. My kids loved the first one so much that they have practically memorized all the songs. Their favorites are "Start of Something New", "Bop to the Top", "Breaking Free" and "We're All in This Together". OK, OK, I liked it too.

Now this sequel has a different setting. It was not even set in the high school per se anymore, but in a posh New Mexico resort owned by Sharpay and Ryan Evans. Sharpay gets her claws out again to grab Troy Bolton away from his girl Gabriella Montez. She fixes it so that Troy will work a summer job at her resort, but to her surprise, Troy brings the whole Wildcats gang in with him, including Gabriella! There are more serious themes in this film. There are several serious confrontation scenes. There were serious choices that needed to be made by lead character Troy, more serious than whether he should sing at his high school musical or not. This time decisions involved loyalties, priorities, planning for the future while staying grounded now. Very difficult choices indeed for a teenager in high school to face. But of course, as this is a Disney Original Movie Musical, so we do expect a happily-ever-after.

The songs in the first HSM seem catchier for me, but of course, I'm biased since I have heard them over and over, and enjoyed my kids singing them over and over. But the songs here have a charm of their own. Let's see if they will catch on, and if my kids will want to watch this over and over when the video comes out.

The songs parallel those in the first movie.

"I Don't Dance" is sung by Ryan and Chad while dancing and playing baseball, in the style of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" video. I see it as the equivalent of "Getcha Head in the Game".

"You are the Music in Me" echoes "What I've Been Looking For," sung slowly at the piano with Kelsi by Troy and Gabriella. Although the alternate fast Sharpay version is sung this time with Troy, not Ryan.

"Gotta Go My Own Way" is the sad love song by Gabriella, much like "When There Was Me and You" in the first movie. Troy gets to sing a little with Gabriella in the new song though.

"Everyday" sung during the actual Talent Show at the end is the equivalent of "Breaking Free" sung at the Musical in the HSM1.

"All For One" is the new "We're All In This Together", the party song sung at the end by the whole cast.

Zac Efron sung all of Troy Bolton's songs in this second movie, unlike in HSM1 where Andrew Seeley get credited for the Troy songs (and appears in the HSM Concert in lieu of Zac!) Zac even has a solo highlight "Bet On It", where he dances ala Michael Jackson meets the Jets (of West Side Story) on the golf course.

Overall, HSM2 succeeded because the characters were all very familiar and well loved. Who could argue with rating of 17.6 million viewers on its premiere night, making it the highest Disney Channel Original Movie in history? Its soundtrack album is the second best selling album of 2007. None of the new songs though made so much of an impact on the singles chart like "Breaking Free" did the last time.

Despite the efforts obviously spent on this above-average sequel, I personally do not think it will match the enduring success of the first HSM, but I guess only time can tell how much legs this sequel has.