High School Musical: It’s Just That

The opening night of the movie in London was memorable. Thousands of teenage girls and younger were waiting for hours for Zac Efron, the star in High School Musical 3 and it’s two prequels. These prequels weren’t planned as cinema movies but for Disney’s own channel. As it sometimes happens, the concept was more powerful than its makers and had to move out into the world. More space, more money.

High School Musical tells the story of an idealized dream high school. This tells you the story of all three parts of the musical. Because all characters are clichés, the stories are as well. You name it you get it. No surprises, but then no bad surprise either. It’s definitely a pretty little filmlet with pretty stars that sing prettily pretty little songs. That’s it. It all reminded me of the 1970s touring show Up With People, nice songs, nice people, nice show, otherwise utterly not memorable. Even the style of the song material was the same in the show as it is now in the musical.

But then, what can you expect from a film called High School Musical which, like its two prequels, tells the story of a high school musical that should be performed? But now comes the turn-around you didn’t expect. I’ve seen all three of them and I liked them.

The films are utterly enjoyable, because you need absolutely no brains to follow. You even might walk out for 30 minutes and come back and won’t be lost in the story, the plot is so predictable. The music doesn’t offend or excite, you may read a book with it and never even notice it is playing. The acting is just good enough for high school, so nothing to complain there either. It’s a pure Disney product in a fantasy world high school. But time and again I was reminded of my own high school. So all in all, it’s good value for the money. Just don’t expect any depth in story or acting.

The newest Disney product has been selling millions of DVDs and CDs in the United States and millions more worldwide. No wonder it went movie, the merchandizing potential is enormous. It is just surprising that such nondescript music is selling like that. But probably it’s also because of Zac Efron who has become the load stone of many crushes.

Zac Efron and his girl friend and co-star Vanessa Hudgens have presented themselves as very likeable and clean young actors in London; as Britney Spears did when she was employed by Disney. They both seem to be mother-in-law’s dream matches and as squeaky clean as the movie they just played in. It is to be hoped they remain that way.

Being such inoffensive persons, it beats the imagination why they were attacked during a night out in London. It is quite unutterable, what spite can do to a person. Another unsavoury side link were topless photographs of Zac showering offered on eBay by a user zerimarr. That’s just plainly tasteless, and probably Photoshop; and eBay took ages to clean these bids out, as usual. It is time that people started to respect the right to private life again, even if somebody is a star. The film is a good start to instruct your children about that as well.