High School Musical Review

It's been a while since I've done this, but I figure writing a review here instead of where I usually do is better. You know, helps share my opinions out to more people and all that.

High School Musical. The name should say it all and bring back memories. Mostly about the usual high school stereotypes. You know the ones I'm talking about. And this TV Movie makes sure you remember by overstating the "status quo" within an average high school.

The plot is a bit like Romeo and Juliet. An average basketball jock meets a smart girl on vacation on New Years Eve. They unwilling are paired up in a karaoke song and find out that not only do they like to sing and do so very well, but they seem to have an interest in each other. Once school starts up, however, their passion for singing ends up causing a lot of problems for them.

The plot actually does play out like Romeo and Juliet, only with the high school stereotypes playing the part of the parents that don't like the other for stupid reasons. There's even a balcony scene in the third act! In fact, the entire ordeal is heavily romantisized. In an ironic kind of way, Disney appears to be using the formula that shows on the WB follow. Ironic in the fact that their male lead is from the WB show "Summerland."

The ending felt a bit too rushed and cheesy all the way around, yet it also felt like the ending to Grease. More on that later. The only thing that made up for the ended was the cute little stinger at the end involving a basketball player that has a passion for baking.

The actors and actresses play their parts pretty well. They are overstating their roles in the high school chain, so it's not so much a surprise when you see the Drama Club and female lead of every school show ever act like a prima donna. In that respect, there is some pretty good acting in the film.

Surprisingly (well, maybe not), the young actors can sing pretty well live. There are only two scenes were that happens, but it's still reassuring to know that they can sing. Seems to be the popular thing for actors to do these day. Sing, dance, and act. Unfortunately, most of the numbers are all lip synchs. I would have liked it to see some live singing blended in with the lip synchronization like with Moluin Rouge, but I guess that's asking too much from a TV Movie.

The music is pretty much your standard teenage pop with some hip hop thrown in to the mix. However, there are a few numbers that stand out. Some good, some bad.

The best number in the entire film is "Stick to the Status Quo." In it, the school is pretty much confessing that they do things that are against what caste they have been locked into. A large girl likes to dance, and she does pretty well, I might add. A skater boy plays the cello. But what really pleased me was the fact that it was your standard musical number. It wasn't trying to be cool or appeal to the teenage audience. It was an actual piece that could be easily done on stage and appeal to those that are a fan of musical theatre. It's one of the few things this film does effectively.

"Bop to the Top" isn't one of those moments. The only thing that made this number bearable was that it was inter-cut with other scenes leading up to the climax. The dancing was over the top, but given the characters that sing the song, that's forgiving. The song itself and the way it is presented outside of the cut aways feels very kitch. In some ways, the song feels more appropriate for the Disney Theme parks as parade music. It certainly has the loop for it.

The big female lead solo number "When There Was Me and You" is a beautiful song, but the way it was shot was too much like a music video. The actress even shifts her weight and moves like a pop star from the mid-90's. For such a beautiful song to close the second act of the story, it's a shame they had to shot it like it was going to air on MTV.

"Breaking Free" also falls into this mixed bag of emotions. While the perfect song for the climax of the film, the way they presented it was completely out of character given the three characters involved. Yes, three. The two leads and a very minor character that actually plays a big role when you think about it. The song itself, like the above, is beautiful to listen to. But the fact that there are props coming in from off stage and a backdrop falls when they actually start to sing feels very out of their characters. They wouldn't have prepared that well for a song they had to perform for a call back audition. It fits their rivals more, since they are the goofy bad guys in the story.

As mentioned, the finale feels a bit like the finale from Grease. "We're All in this Together" is a great way to end the film as it displays the entire case, both major and minor roles, in the classic Disney cast final bow dance. If you've seen any of their theme park shows, particularly the Tokyo productions, you'll know what I mean. There's quite a few of those. Unfortunately, as fun as that number is, one thing distracted me. The male lead in the cast apparently thinks he's Michael Jackson during this number. While he never really showed his pop star side until the "Breaking Free" scene, his stage presence during this number is rather distracting once you notice it. And you will notice it since he's the only guy in bleach white from head to toe with nothing breaking up the color, unlike the basketball players behind him who are also in white but have big red jersey numbers on them.

Overall, Disney Channel presented a pretty good movie. It probably won't win any awards like their Color of Friendship movie, and I'd be pretty surprised if this is produced by an actual high school somewhere in the US similar to what happened when Newsies hit the scene. But for what it is worth, you should at least check it out when it airs. If not for the plot, then for the music at the least.