Most of us have probably at least heard of the phenomenon that is (was?) High School Musical. I was “introduced” to it through various media outlets. The hype was all about a sensational little musical that no one could stop talking of, but it hadn’t been a priority to see. During the hype for the sequel, the excitement reignited, so finally one rainy Saturday afternoon, I rented High School Musical.
High School Musical (2006) Disney TV Review
Most high schools have cliques. Among them there are the athletes, the surfers, the geeks, the cheerleaders and the brainiacs. If you don’t remain within the boundaries of your clique, the popular see to it that order again reigns. Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) is the basketball star of his school East High, and quite popular. With a championship game on the line, basketball is pretty much all that’s on his mind.
Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) is a shy, pretty newcomer who is no stranger to being the “new girl.” When the two serendipitously meet at a New Year’s party, Troy quickly sets his sights on Gabriella. Not expecting to see Troy again let alone go to the same school. Most surprising is they discover they both share an unexpected love of music, the two decide to try out for the school play. But making things difficult is the resident queen of drama, Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale).
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To be honest, looking back, I cannot pinpoint why I didn’t see this one sooner. 90-some percent of the time, even if they don’t revolutionize filmmaking, Disney movies are always fun. High School Musical fits this description. Its energy brought to the screen by the young stars is contagious. Zac, Ashley, Vanessa, Lucas and Corbin each do well in their role, and most of the time, act as they should: their age. A fact I was reminded of recently when I re-watched this for the first time in years.
There are some valuable lessons for each character, and through that, something the audience can learn. Like any film set in a dramatic high school scene, there’s lot of romantic scenes and moments. Zac and Vanessa were well cast together; they share a nice almost innocent chemistry. Then there’s the “main” event, which is the music. It’s a really bobby, peppy and wholesome sound. There’s also some high energy dance sequences, which deserve a mention as well. Under Kenny Ortega’s direction, it’s actually well-choreographed.
If you haven’t seen High School Musical, there’s nothing better if you want to relive nostalgic feels, and enjoy mindless fun. The subsequent sequels are all out on DVD now and are each equally enjoyable. Let the credits roll until the end of your DVD as there is a funny finish that will inspire one final laugh. One thing is for sure, the finale “We’re all in this Together” will leave you with a smile on your face, and humming the tunes long after the final credits are done.
Content: nothing to offend, it’s clean entertainment.
Photos: Disney