High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Directed by Kenny Ortega
Disney, 2008
Starring: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale
Genre: Movie Musical
Watch if: You wish the everyone around you would burst into random song, you like light, fun movies, and you want to see Zac Efron angry dance in a shower of basketballs.
Best for: Tween and young teens (11 +) looking for a sweet, feel-good film.
If you like it, try:
Rating: 3/5
It's senior year at East High School, and everything is changing. Troy and Gabriella (who became a couple through the trials of auditioning for a musical in the first made-for-tv installment) are faced with the reality that they will soon be apart for college. Amidst the pressures of choosing a college, picking a prom dress and saying goodbye to good friends, the Wildcats come together to perform one final musical.
The third installment in the High School musical franchise, HSM: Senior Year is the first to debut on the big screen. Although this movie is designed for fans of the series (and there are MANY of them), its not necessary to have seen the first two to understand the plot ( I watched this one first, and then went on to watch the first and second).
High School Musical has been a huge franchise for Disney, and I was interested to see what all the fuss was about. These movies have obviously struck a cord with teens (especially young teens and 'tweens'), and after watching them, its easy to see why: HSM is a sweet, joyful and fun fantasy about the way high school life should be. The characters overcome the trials of cliques, fitting in and finding yourself through sparkly dance numbers and catchy songs. All three HSM movies talk about real concerns (especially concerns that young teens anticipating what High School will eventually be like) in a very safe way. Troy and Gabriella find love despite their differences, friendship triumphs above tension, and there is always a song to sing.
Wildcats everywhere, put your hands up in the air
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What I found interesting about this particular installment is that it deals with the fears teens have about leaving high school and embarking on a new phase in their lives - but this is not a movie that actual high school seniors would watch or glean any wisdom from. These movies are very much designed for early teens who are interested in the fantasy of high school in their future. I liken this franchise to something like Seventeen magazine - most seventeen year olds don't read Seventeen. It was at 13 and 14 that I really loved Seventeen, because it was a guide to a slightly older world that I was poised to enter. High School Musical: Senior Year works in the same way, talking about teenage hood to early teenagers in an appealing way.
Senior Year is a light, feel good watch. The production values are really high - Disney didn't skimp. The songs are catchy and there are tons of big musical numbers that make you wish you were dancing in the cafeteria beside Sharpay and the gang. For wholesome fun for the early teen set, this movie is a good pick.
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