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The Movie
In case you haven’t watched any Disney-related channels this year, High School Musical was a runaway hit originating on the Disney Channel in January of this year. It’s the most popular TV movie ever for Disney, and the soundtrack hit Billboard’s number one with almost all the songs successful as singles. I don’t think even Disney was prepared for the overwhelming success of High School Musical, but it certainly has struck a chord with school-age kids.
The (very slim) storyline follows high school students Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) as they try to break out of the stereotypical roles their family and friends expect them to play and do what every kid longs to do—win the lead roles in their high school musical. But, will they have the courage to fight for their dreams? Can a “jock” and a “brain” really sing in lip-synching harmony? Will students come together in love and understanding for the big finale? Yes, yes and yes—and I think that is one of the keys to High School Musical‘s popularity with young kids: It’s what they all wish and hope their own high school experience will be like.
© Disney.
I hate to rain on anyone’s parade so I won’t relate how very, very different my high school experience was compared to the fictional New Mexico Wildcats, but let’s just say we weren’t all breakdancing with the marching band in the gym most days.
As a parent, there are a couple of things I really like about High School Musical. The kids in the movie are fashionable but not half-naked, which is helpful for those of us trying to encourage their tweens (pre-teens) to not dress like some of the questionable role models in movies and TV these days.
As far as romance goes, a little peck on the cheek between the two leads and some hand-holding is as far as things go. Pretty amazing, considering some of the interesting things I’ve seen on TV shows aimed at young kids on the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon lately. Plus, the dance scenes choreographed by Kenny Ortega (of Newsies and Dirty Dancing fame) are very high energy and fun to watch.
One of the signs of a successful musical is how embarrassed I get when one of the leads break into song and dance in the middle of a scene. When I have to avert my eyes because I feel badly for them I know it’s not a good sign. I never got that uncomfortable sensation watching High School Musical. All the kids are very capable both singing and dancing, and the songs flow pretty naturally from the situations onscreen.
Two versions of the movie are on the DVD: the original version and the sing-along version. The only difference is in the subtitles that appear during the songs during the sing-along. Both versions have been broadcast on the Disney Channel.
The Goodies
Music and more
The music and more section includes two music videos. “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” (3:00) is actually played during the credits and is shown here with the four main cast members (Efron, et al.) supposedly recording the song interspersed with scenes from the movie. The kind of funny part is watching Tisdale and Grabeel, who play brother and sister in the movie, try to sing the song without looking at each other directly, which would be creepy since it’s the most romantic leaning song in the film.
© Disney.
“We’re All In This Together” (1:32) is a remix of scenes from the movie cut together as a music video. The actual scene that includes the song is much more effective.
Backstage Disney
“The making of High School Musical” (8:45) – The standard “making of” featurette, with special emphasis on Kenny Ortega and his team of assistant choreographers. There were some interesting footage of dance rehearsals—from preliminary to dress, and what might be audition footage of Efron and Hudgens. I couldn’t tell if it was the real deal or recreated for the featurette, and the commentary is not specific.
“Learning the Moves” (4:18) – This is a short “how to” featurette showing viewers how they can dance just like Tisdale and Grabeel during the chorus of Bop to the Top. It was a good lesson for my kids to see the actors breathlessly try to sing as they danced in the studio—it’s a lot harder to do in real life than in a nice, dubbed TV movie.
Overall, the goodies were very disappointing. I feel like I’d seen more extras just watching the Disney Channel during the weeks High School Musical was playing. I don’t think it would have been too difficult to include the little features made to run on the Disney Channel, and I was very surprised to find them absent from the DVD.
Interface
The interface includes music and a few very short snippets from the movie. They did take the trouble to have different songs for each step of the menu, and little pretend Polaroids of the cast shower down while you make a selection. Since the menu is pretty limited it’s simple to navigate.
Audio and Video
High School Musical is presented in 1.33:1 full screen. It looks like what it is—a made-for-TV movie, complete with appropriate spaces for commercial breaks. Both the audio and video quality are very crisp and clean and workmanlike. I noticed some of the dialogue spoken during musical numbers did not come out clearly, most notably in “Stick with the Status Quo.” Otherwise the musical numbers segued smoothly within the scenes.
The Final Evaluation
The main problem with this disc is that you can almost get more bonus features by watching the Disney Channel and recording the sing-along version of the movie on Tivo. The movie itself is enjoyable and will be a hit in most tween households, but I have a feeling that Disney will release a much more extras-heavy DVD in the future. Save your $26.99 until then.
