High School Musical Review

This film focuses on completely the wrong thing.

Rather than take us through Troy and Gabrielle’s burgeoning romance as they and in turn everyone around them to learn that it’s OK to like more than one thing, they should be looking at the fact that Troy and Gabrielle are ninjas.

Why am I watching them both lip-sync poorly when there are scenes where they manage to elude people (as they’re embarrassed to be singing) by what I can only assume is Solid Snake levels of stealth, or an invisibility cloak. They should be assassins, not singers. I think I would have preferred a film of them just evading parents and friends.

Alas. I was twenty-one when High School Musical was released, so it completely passed me by. But I’ll give most films a try. So having now seen ninety minutes of breezingly asexual Disney teens jumping around and learning life lessons, I get it. I get why it landed so hard for so many.

It’s absolutely harmless. Even a bit fun in places. They’re all pretty and even the worst aren’t that bad. There are some catchy tunes and some solid choreography. I do get involved in things easily, so your mileage may vary, but it really is fine. Though they did do Efron dirty when it came to dubbing his singing voice. In retrospect we all know he can!

I’m not inclined to watch the sequels, but I am pleased I at least have some idea who the Wildcats are now. Go Wildcats!

I’m right there if they make a ninja based fourth film though.