High School Musical 3: third verse, same as first, a little bit shinier and sweatier

By Jackie Ammons     10/30/08 7:00pm

Most threequels don't make it in the box offices. In fact, they are usually absolute flops. Aside from the tremendously successful Spider-Man 3, other attempts, such as Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, turn out dry and boring and rely mostly on regurgitating the humor already used up in the first film. Disney's new High School Musical 3: Senior Year, however, is an exception to this rule. As the first of the High School Musical television films brought to the big screen, Disney produced a film whose quality goes beyond that of the usual threequel.As the title implies, High School Musical 3: Senior Year finds the characters of the original High School Musical cast in the midst of creating a play for their senior theater class while making decisions about where they want to go to college. Troy (Hairspray's Zac Efron) debates between playing basketball or further pursuing theater, and Gabriella (High School Musical 2's Vanessa Hudgens) faces saying goodbye to Troy when she heads off to Stanford. The supporting characters of Sharpay (The Suite Life of Zach and Cody's Ashley Tisdale), Ryan (College Road Trip's Lucas Grabeel), Taylor (High School Musical 2's Monique Coleman) and Chad (Jump In!'s Corbin Bleu) add to the flurry of college decisions and the school play.

Because the plot of High School Musical 3 is rather simple, it is the songs, the sets, the dancing and the costumes that make the movie stand out. Choreographer Kenny Ortega, known for his work in the other two High School Musical films, as well as in Newsies and Dirty Dancing, did an excellent job of coordinating dancing scenes that, at times, involve a very large cast. Additionally, Sharpay and Ryan's performance of "I Want It All" is memorable not only for their singing and dancing abilities but also for the number of flashy costume and elaborate set changes, with over 10 of each in just that song.

This third film combines the best elements of both of the other two High School Musical films: It has the catchy, feel-good songs of the first film and the more elaborate costumes of the second one. But High School Musical 3 shines on its own, for it is apparent that Disney invested greatly in ensuring its success as a big screen hit rather than as a made-for-TV movie, thereby making the overall quality superb.

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The one drawback of this third installment is that it carries over an undesirable element of the second movie: a song that parades Troy's emo side. In the second film there is a particular scene in which pretty-boy Troy jumps off of sand dunes and sings out his emotional angst without shedding a drop of sweat or mussing up his perfect attire. The third film also contains a scene where Troy spills out his emotions, but this one attempts to make him appear more manly: sweat drips down his face, and he dons his basketball uniform. The audience can only laugh or cringe at this scene's calculated seriousness in the midst of such a lighthearted film.

While primarily considered a child or family film, High School Musical 3 is a superb movie that will entertain not only its target audience but also anyone who appreciates a well-made musical. The singing, the dancing and the flamboyant costumes together create a flashy, colorful flick.

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