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Back in 2006, when the Disney Channel ran a cute made-for-TV movie musical, simply called High School Musical, I doubt that anyone expected it to become a massive preteen phenomenon. And I doubt that anyone even dared to imagine that, two years later, the third HSM movie would show up on the big screen—and that frantic crowds of little girls would show up for the early screenings, screaming and crying as if they were at a New Kids on the Block concert in 1992. But, well, here we are.
In this big-budget, big-screen production, director Kenny Ortega wastes no time building up to the musical thrills. High School Musical 3: Senior Year opens halfway through the state championship basketball game, with the East High Wildcats trailing. With a little bit of teamwork—and a flawlessly choreographed song—the Wildcats manage to turn the game around and win another championship.
As the team celebrates, though, team captain Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) can’t help but feel a little bit sad. His Wildcats basketball career has come to an end, and graduation’s just around the corner. Then his girlfriend, Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), leaves for Stanford, and he’ll be in Albuquerque, playing ball for his dad’s alma mater. Or at least that’s what his dad (Bart Johnson) and his best friend, Chad (Corbin Bleu), expect him to do.
But there’s more to HSM3 than doom and gloom. There’s a yearbook to publish, a prom to plan…and one last musical to perform. And when the kids find out that four of them are being considered for a Juilliard scholarship, the competition becomes fierce—especially where drama queen Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) is concerned.
HSM3 brings the over-the-top musical fun of big-screen musicals like Hairspray to its Disney Channel audience. It’s a modern-day musical fairy tale—complete with all the emotional ups and downs that come with being a teenager. Yes, it’s a little bit cheesy, but that’s part of the fun.
If you haven’t seen the previous HSM movies, you’ll have no problem getting up to speed—or relating to the characters. There aren’t many surprises here—just a pretty standard high school drama that’s sweet and funny and totally innocent. And although the story does drag a bit toward the end, even in its slower parts, it’s a cute and enjoyable teen movie.
But it’s the music that makes HSM3 special (as well as a whole heck of a lot of fun to watch). Once again, the musical numbers are brilliantly choreographed. And though many of the songs still aren’t as memorable as those in the original HSM, they’re back to the over-the-top theatrical style that made the first movie such a hit. And thanks to the bigger budget, those musical numbers are bigger and better than ever.
For HSM fans, HSM3 is definitely worth the hype. It’s much better than HSM2, and it’s bigger and flashier than the original. I’m not exactly sure that it’s worth the screaming and the crying, but fans will be thrilled to see the characters they’ve grown to love on the big screen. And though it’s sad to see the seniors graduate and move on, their time at East High ends just as it should (with a song, of course!).
Fans don’t need to fret too much, though, since HSM3 introduces fans to a number of underclassmen—and HSM4 is already in the works. It’s hard to say if these new kids will be able to fill the dancing shoes of beloved characters like Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Sharpay, and (my personal favorite), Ryan (Lucas Grabeel). But at least we’ll always have Senior Year.
DVD Review:
The Extended Edition DVD release of High School Musical 3: Senior Year includes around five minutes of extra scenes, along with an additional digital copy disc (so you can take Troy, Gabriella, and the rest of the Wildcats wherever you go) and a handful of special features.
Of course, there are the old special feature standbys, including eight super-short deleted scenes (with an introduction by director Kenny Ortega) and a blooper reel, which shows lots of dancing and laughing, along with a little bit of falling down. Budding pop stars will also want to check out the Music and More section, which includes karaoke-style sing-along tracks for all of the movie’s musical numbers. And, finally, there’s the Backstage Disney section, with behind-the-scenes features about the prom number (especially the rehearsals and the girls’ dresses) and a teary-eyed feature following the cast members’ last day at East High.
Although this special edition release isn’t quite as feature-filled as you might expect from a two-disc DVD (since the second disc doesn’t include any extras—just the digital copy), fans of High School Musical will definitely want to add this one to their HSM collection. You’ll enjoy the extra features—from the silly blooper reel to the sing-alongs. Just be sure to have some tissues handy—because you’re sure to shed a tear or two during the closing feature.
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