High School Musical 3: Senior Year

The thing about the High School Musical franchise is that you either love it or hate it. Ever since the first movie, it has always been like that. I, for one, will now be standing in the middle because I will review this film unbiasedly. I've to say, the movie was fun to watch. It has a very simple storyline, which was made complicated later on in the movie. The characters whom are now in their senior years has to choose where they have to go after they finished high school. This is the story about their hope and fears and choices they have to make. Simple enough...

What amazes me is the dance numbers which had me completely blown away. It was choreographed so sophisticatedly and so beautifully that it will leave the audience enthralled. From a simple waltz during the rooftop scene to a very complicated-sorta-breakdance in the junkyard scene. I give my applause to the choreographers and the dancers. Well done!

The songs, I've to say, are good and most are very catchy and fun to listen to. The lyrics have matured. They are mostly better than the songs from High School Musical and its sequel High School Musical 2. The lead singer of each songs sings the song greatly. My compliment to Efron for his rough and edgy voice and Grabeel for some nice and melodic pitch. Although I'm not quite fond with Hudgen's nasal high-pitch voice.

One thing that I'm not happy with this movie is the fact that most of the musical numbers and songs are performance scene. Whether they're rehearsing the play or the play itself. In a true musical the dancing and singing are the way the characters express their feeling or just a way they talk. It is apart of the story, the dialogue. But in HSM, some of it are performance scene. For example, the prom scene is actually the rehearsal of the actual play. This slightly takes away the musical feel to it.

A bit of a warning though. This movie is made FOR THE FANS ONLY. If you're not a fan, you might want to start with the first HSM and work it up or just stay away from the franchise. Because, if you're not a fan, you might find some of the scenes quite cheesy. From some of the dialogues, to the ending where the camera focuses on the characters' faces before the big red curtain closed, even the last song (entitled "High School Musical") during the graduation is slightly cheesy.

Other than that, I'd say it is a great movie for all ages, especially the young ones. And it is a great family movie if you want some times to relax from the rough actions and romance or even politics of Hollywood.

The songs and the dance moves will keep you glued to the screen.

Sequel to the TV movies "High School Musical" and "High School Musical 2" (neither of which I saw). A bunch of friends are getting ready to graduate from high school. There's Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) the school basketball champ who secretly wants to sing and dance. There's his girlfriend--sweet, squeaky clean Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) who is going to a college that is far away from Troy. Then there's Troy's best bud Chad (Corbin Bleu) who doesn't want high school to end. Then there's the evil Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) who wants Gabriella's part in the school play.

The script is horrendous. I laughed out loud at a few of the dumber lines and was constantly either rolling my eyes or smirking at the plot developments. However, I'm not the target audience for this--I'm a 46 year old guy. I saw it cause I love musicals and this has gotten raves from the critics. It's pretty obvious they're not cheering on the ridiculous plot but the musical numbers. They come out of nowhere but they're full of energy and life. They're also beautifully choreographed and some are really eye-popping. The whole cast can sing and dance and give their all to every single song. "The Boys Are Back" number between Chad and Troy is a true show-stopper. None of these songs will become classics but they're good enough. This is a musical aimed squarely at teenagers and pre-teens. The language is very clean (the G rating should tell you that), all the teens look clean and fresh, all the plots are predictable and family friendly and the whole cast goes at this full blast. This is truly a movie that the whole family can watch. A lot of people are jeering at this movie (notice the poor rating it has) but why? It's just an update of those stupid Beach Party movies of the 1960s. It's no masterpiece musical but it's fun, friendly and full of energy. I give it a 7.

Because the rest of it is pretty forgetful, not to mention in High School Musical 1 and 2 it was an ensemble, but in the third time around, it is downsized to three of the main characters, Troy(Zak Effron), Gabriella(Vanessa Hudgens), and Sharpay(Ashley Tisdale). The rest, Chad(Corbin Bleau), and Ryan(Lucas Grabeel), I felt did not have much to work with, they where in and out for the most part.

But it did have amazing dance numbers and had great songs, like the first two did, but Effron, Hudgens, and Tisdale just keep repeating themselves. It's entertaining at times dragging. I'll bet the cast is ready to move on after this one, I could see it on most of there faces. It was alright, but not exciting and energetic has the first two.

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.

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!