The Stampede

Issue date: 11/7/08 Section: Features

First, let it be clear that this is not a review. This is merely a letter of defense, mainly addressed to those who scoff at the words "High School Musical," or HSM, for those who are on the inside. But now my eyes have been opened. The curtain has lifted, and I'm ready to stand on the stage along with everyone else and admit that I love "High School Musical."

I always thought that the people who liked this series were either crazy, had no taste in what makes a good movie or a little bit of both. I never saw the appeal of watching a handful of Disney Channel kids dancing and singing about their high school experience. Why would I ever choose to sit back and watch something that always seemed as if it were filled with pure Disney cheese?

Besides, the first two movies were both Disney Channel original movies, and today's Disney Channel original movies just don't compare to such late 90s classics as "Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century," "Brink!," "Can of Worms," "Halloweentown," "Johnny Tsunami" and "Mom's Got a Date With a Vampire."

Setting aside my blind distaste with the HSM franchise, I decided to sit down and watch the first two installments of the ridiculously popular series. To my surprise, I actually enjoyed the first HSM. From the moment Troy (Zac Efron, "Hairspray") and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) took the stage singing their first song together, I was hooked.

I was fully enthralled by the over-the-top drama that followed the rest of the Wildcats as they began working on their junior-year musical. It's just something that was so much fun, I couldn't take my eyes off of it.

With that said, as I began viewing the second installment of HSM, I was unhappy that the movie began focusing too much on the evil, manipulative and almost Emperor Palpatine-like character of Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale).

The second HSM was overly long and not nearly as memorable as the first. As I said, there was too much Sharpay and not enough Gabriella. With this minor quibble aside, the music and dance numbers of the musical were better than those in the first.

This brings me to "HSM3: Senior Year," which is undeniably the biggest and best of the series. Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Sharpay and Ryan are back in the latest installment of the series. This time around the HSM kids take their dancing and singing to the big screen. This allows the talented group of young performers to drive the film fully into classic movie musical territory.

Continued...

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