High School Musical 3 (Disney)
It Squeaks
High School Musical 3 is a movie so clean that it squeaks, but thats a good thing since it is aimed at pre-teens and early teens. There is no raunch, no profanity, and no sexual promiscuity in this story about high school seniors. It shows a view of the American teen that would fit in with Father Knows Best and Ozzie and Harriet. Is it realistic no! But is it hopeful yes! And in a year when we have seen the worst of the teen scene it is nice to have a different view just this once.
As the movie opens it is senior year at East High and the Wildcats are in a battle to be state champions. Team Captain Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) is rallying his team for one final victory. He is being cheered on by his girlfriend Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens). His best friend Chad (Corbin Bleu) is also on the team and he is being cheered on by his girlfriend Taylor (Monique Coleman).
Meanwhile school drama queen Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) is planning how she and her brother Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) can make it big on the stage. She is also planning to convert the senior musical into a show spotlighting her talents. But then Troy and Gabriella get involved and that makes things more complicated.
In this movie the plot is not the thing. What counts is the freshness of the talent, the brilliance of the choreography, and the singability of the songs. This is where the first two High School; Musicals scored and this one will probably follow that lead.
But with HSM3 there is something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. The old is the cast. The leads have been there in all the other High School Musicals and they are still basically at the same level as when they started. The new is the fact that instead of being a TV musical this one bursts forth on the big screen. Smart move, Disney.
The borrowed are some of the dance numbers featuring Zac Efron. One solo number looks like an audition for the new version of Footloose. Rumors have Efron taking over the Kevin Bacon role and his dance moves look like the exact ones Bacon did in the film. In another dance sequence Efron does the classic Fred Astaire sequence where he dances on the floor and then the walls and then the ceiling. Hey Zac, or maybe hey choreographer/director Kenny Ortega, this stuff has all been done before.
Finally the something blue is the tears that will fall when kids realize this is the last HSM which will feature this cast. To the number these folks have said it is over with after this bow out. Now there will probably be more HSMs in the future but not with this specific cast. I cant believe Disney would let something so profitable end.
The movie is rated G and it is well deserved.
The members of the cast are all exuberant and exciting. All of the cast members are better dancers than singers and when they really click with Ortegas choreography the movie hits its high points.
The film delivers everything that was promised by the buildup from the first two shows. HSM3 the movie is the crowning glory of this franchise. It will send you out of the theaters in a diabetic coma but a little sugar overdoes is nice every once in a while.
I scored High School Musical 3 a graduating 7 out of 10.
