"High School Musical 3"

[jennyk]

Here (http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/highschoolmusical3/email/?1) is the first trailer for "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," which will be released in theaters in October. The first two "High School Musical" movies were released on the Disney Channel, but it has gotten SO popular, they decided to release the third one on the big screen.

I was really curious to see what the whole hype was about — every elementary school-aged kid, boy or girl, I knew or heard of were obsessed with the movies. My sister and I watched both of them last winter, and I really enjoyed them! They're pretty tame and pure (of course, since they're Disney movies), and the plots, music and dancing is very good.

Of course, Disney is milking it for all its worth! When my sister and I went to Walt Disney World in March, they were selling tons of HSM shirts, bags, accessories, etc.

What do you think of the High School Musical phenomenon? Are your children (or you) into the movies? Will you be going to the big-screen event?

[miriam]

I have not seen any of the movies, but then I do not have any children in the age group you mentioned. I do have a very good friend with such children and they think anything HSM is all that and a bag of chips!! (I think that means they like it a lot.) I am sure they will be first in line to see the big screen event. Horray for Disney for making something "safe" for children to be excited about.

[james_t]

What do you think of the High School Musical phenomenon? Are your children (or you) into the movies? Will you be going to the big-screen event?

Surprisingly enough, my boys got into the first movie - the music and dance numbers were good, it wasn't too mushy and there was even a little sports in it for them ("Getcha head in the game" was their favorite song), although I'm still trying to figure out how someone as short as Zac Efron could be such a studmuffin on the basketball court. I thought it was a bit cliched/predictable - normal for this type of movie - but a lot of fun.

The second one, not as much so. The whole "he gets successful and forgets who his friends are, then realizes who he really is" thing has been done several billion times already, and it came off feeling to me like they were just trying to milk something that was more popular than anyone thought it would be for more money.

My fear is that a movie will come off feeling the same way, but I could be pleasantly surprised.

[jennyk]

Surprisingly enough, my boys got into the first movie - the music and dance numbers were good, it wasn't too mushy and there was even a little sports in it for them ("Getcha head in the game" was their favorite song), although I'm still trying to figure out how someone as short as Zac Efron could be such a studmuffin on the basketball court. I thought it was a bit cliched/predictable - normal for this type of movie - but a lot of fun.

My sister pointed out that "High School Musical" is EXACTLY the same plot as "Grease." Cool boy meets new girl on vacation, she starts at his school, he's not the same sweet guy she met on vacation, he starts to change for her, his buddies get mad/concerned, then they all learn to be friends and sing a big happy song. The end.

The second one did have a cliched plot, too, but I didn't think it was any worse than the first one. According to IMDB, in the third one, the two main people, Troy and Gabriella, struggle with leaving each other at the end of high school, and the school stages a musical to express their hopes, dreams and fears. I'm sure they'll have a prom in there somewhere. (Movie proms are NEVER like real proms.)

Overall, I think it will be fun with very catchy songs, as usual. Yes, it will be quite cliched, but most of the kids watching it don't know cliches yet. I also really, really appreciate how clean it is. Everyone wears appropriate clothing, which is really something! The main relationship is sweet and models appropriate relationships for high school. And the bad girl (my absolute FAVORITE character, Sharpay) always learns her lesson (even though she goes bad again). I always say that I feel bad for parents of tween girls, but if Disney keeps cranking out wholesome entertainment like HSM and Hannah Montana, maybe there is some hope for them to not all turn out like Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears.

[james_t]

According to IMDB, in the third one, the two main people, Troy and Gabriella, struggle with leaving each other at the end of high school, and the school stages a musical to express their hopes, dreams and fears. I'm sure they'll have a prom in there somewhere. (Movie proms are NEVER like real proms.)

Sounds almost like a musical version of "American Graffiti".