High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)

Stars: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Olesya Rulin
Genre: Musical, Romance, Family
Rating: C+

The third and, thankfully, the final installation in the High School Musical series, High School Musical 3: Senior Year picks up as the Wildcats are preparing for their high school graduation and the spring musical.  Kelsi (Rulin) has signed up everyone for the show and Gabriella (Hudgens) convinces them to do it - because, of course, singing and dancing still isn't cool, even though this is the third film in the series about the same kids singing and dancing.  It's also revealed that four of the students (Kelsi, Sharpay (Tisdale), Ryan (Grabeel), and Troy (Efron)) are being considered for one scholarship to Juilliard.  Gabriella, meanwhile, has been accepted to Stanford and has an opportunity to go early, despite the fact that she's committed herself to the spring musical.

The overall story of this movie is somewhere in between High School Musical and High School Musical 2. Once again there is a complete revert to start in terms of character development, Sharpay, Ryan, and the Wildcat boys having learned nothing from their experiences in the first two films.  The whole "we have to convince everyone to participate in the musical because they think that singing and dancing is lame" plot is lamer than singing and dancing appears to be in this universe.  It's been done to death and just in the course of three movies.  Likewise, the Sharpay is an evil bitch plot has been done to death.  I'd be fine with it if at the end of each movie she didn't seem to grow as a person and realize that her actions are wrong.  This is also seen, to a lesser extent, with Ryan, although his turn face isn't nearly as complete.  I was, however, really satisfied with the way that the plot was resolved - although I was rather annoyed by Gabriella's behaviour.  To me, it was rather un-Gabriella like, although I will say that it was a nice change in pace; usually I'm annoyed by Troy's behaviour.

In terms of music and general production, High School Musical 3 is far better than it's predecessors, a clear sign of its inflated budget.  Of the three films this was the only one to be released in theatres, the other two having been TV movies.  The music isn't oh my God amazing, but it's catchy and even features a bit of a shout out to the earlier movies.  The singing is still good and the lyrics aren't too ridiculous.  The musical numbers are also a lot flashier.  They looked more like what you would expect from a Disney type movie.

High School Musical 2 (2007)

Stars: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Olesya Rulin
Genre: Musical, Romance, Family
Rating: C

High School Musical 2 picks up a bit after where its predecessor left off, at the end of the school year, as our favourite geeks and jocks begin to worry about summer jobs – and our ever villainous theatrical types prepare for their summer of leisure at the country club their parents own.  Sharpay Evans (Tisdale) now has her sights on Troy Bolton (Efron), and decides that in order to get him she should have him hired to work at her club.  Somehow, this transpires into all of the Wildcats being hired at the club, because evidently when you’re in a Disney high school you have to work with all of your friends.  Life’s just like that.  Because of Sharpay’s influence Troy is able to rise in the club and gain the attention of the University of Albuquerque’s basketball team, while his friends are forced to wait tables.  Oh, and Sharpay is also manipulating the scene so that Troy will sing at the club’s annual talent show with her and not girlfriend  Gabriella Montez (Hudgens).

Where to start…. The high point of this film would be in its music, which is for the most part a lot better than the music in High School Musical.  The singing itself is good in both, but in this one the lyrics aren’t nearly as cheesy.  Some of the dancing is, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.  I should note, that the comment on the music being better does not descend to anything sung by Ryan (Grabeel) and Sharpay, which was just all kinds of bad.  The story, is a completely different issue.  As clichéd as the plot was in High School Musical it was at least good.  In fact, it was very Shakespearian, clearly having been inspired in part by Romeo and Juliet.  This story is not as good.  Following the character development in the original movie, Sharpay does a complete heel turn and digresses back to her original character.  The same can be said of Troy’s basketball friends, who are right back at hating singing and dancing like they were in the original movie – they even sing a song about it.  Troy too is back to not wanting to sing and dance, despite having enjoyed doing so previously.  It kind of makes me wonder just what the purpose of High School Musical was – beyond setting up the cannon couple.  My one favourite part of this movie, however, was Ryan’s character development, as he goes from being his sister’s lacky to a genuinely nice guy.  Somehow, I suspect the change won’t stick for High School Musical 3.

High School Musical (2006)

Stars: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Olesya Rulin
Genre: Musical, Romance, Family
Rating: C+
 

This is a bad movie.  It is cheesy, over the top, juvenile, and really kind of lame.  The singing is good, but the actual music is rather ridiculous.  If you don’t enjoy lame, cheesy musicals, don’t see High School Musical.  That having been said, while High School Musical is lame and cheesy and overall bad, it’s also fun.  And good, but in a “why am I enjoying this” kind of way.  If you enjoy cheesy Disney musicals, then this is the movie for you.

Troy Bolton (Efron) and Gabriella Montez (Hudgens) have chemistry from the first moment that they sing together, at a New Years Eve party they both attend while on a vacation.  As circumstance would happen, Gabriella transfers to Troy’s school in the new year, and pretty quickly the pair begins to stir up trouble.  Troy is the captain of the school basketball team and as their biggest game of the season is coming up his team is counting on them to lead them to victory.  Gabriella is pretty much a genius, and the school’s scholastic decathlon team really hopes that she’ll join and lead them to victory.  Meanwhile, auditions for the school musical are occurring, and both Troy and Gabriella are interested in joining.  Attempts to thwart this desire come from all sides: the basketball team, lead by Chad Danforth (Bleu); the scholastic decathlon team, lead by Taylor McKessie (Coleman); and regular musical stars, Sharpay (Tisdale) and Ryan Evans (Grabeel).  The only person who seems to actually be on their side is pianist and show writer Kelsi Nielsen (Rulin).

Once again, this movie is silly and juvenile.  The singing is what I would expect from a Disney production, but the actual music is not – although, I do have to say, the songs are catchy, and after watching it I found myself singing the closing song, “We’re All in this Together.”  The plot is somewhat completely ludicrous, and utilizes the age-old trope of various cliques within a high school being set against each other.  The way that they all come together in the end, however, is rather heartwarming.  This isn’t a movie that you should really expect much from, or think too much about, but rather watch when you just want to be entertained.