There was something that made me avoid watching this movie for some time after it came out, when I usually gobble up DCOMs like cotton candy. But one day it came on, and my little sister talked me into watching it with her. From the opening scene on, I was wishing that I was anywhere else than there. Gabriella was the too-gorgeous dork, which was obvious from the first scene. Troy was the obligatory supposed-to-be-good-looking male lead who was into sports, but really searching for something else.
So, my first thought when watching the movie was, essentially: "Oh, dear." By the time my brain cleared enough for another, it was time for "What a 'Grease' rip-off!" After vacation, it turns out that the girl moves to the guy's high school, where she is exactly who she was during their "moment," while he is the one who is constrained by his social role.
A play-by-play of the movie has already been given in a few other reviews, so I'll side-step that. Instead, I'll point out the things that made this movie horrible.
To start things off, we have the character of Gabriella. She is gorgeous, skinny, brilliant, and shy, but possesses an amazing voice that makes Troy fall for her almost immediately. Even though it is implied that she's quite modest, she uses the word "genius" when describing herself to her mother--and even though she doesn't want to be "the freaky genius girl," she is more than ready to correct the teacher in class with a smile that was too smug for my liking. Reality check: no matter if the teacher is wrong or not, the people who are truly shy and don't want to be thought of as a "freaky genius" don't speak up. Trust someone who's been in that situation.
My second reason: the high school cliques. Let me first say that I took part in many activities that related to a certain clique: music, agriculture, and Academic Decathlon. But none of the people in any of those groups were immediately willing to make me an outcast because I did more than one thing. If you want your kids to be brainwashed into believing that they will be shut-out in high school for trying to do more than one thing, please let them watch.
Something small that doesn't make the movie bad, but certainly made it worse was that Ryan and Sharpay, a brother-sister combo, are perfectly content to sing love-laced songs to try out in a musical. It's as if they couldn't find anyone else to sing with, which I find hard to believe.
The movie can't even strike a balance between the "randomly bursting out into song" moments and the "the characters are singing and they know it" moments. Most of the moments seem as if the characters know that they are singing: the karaoke scene, musical try-outs, and probably even the end number of the movie. But Gabriella randomly bursts out into song (complete with over-the-top 'dancing' maneuvers) when her feelings are hurt by Troy while staring into the camera lens in the way that no individual in a movie should do for extended periods, unless the're looking "beyond" the camera. And the basketball team manages a 'brilliant' musical number that none of them would ever willingly submit to. Pick one or the other, one or the other. But please, not both.
Perhaps the last issue I feel ruined the movie is how everything is catered to fit the plot. No real drama teacher would (1) let two kids trying out for a musical move the date to a day that conflicted with the only other two kids trying out, or (2) refuse to move it for the second two kids for something as important as an Academic competition and a play-off basketball game. No kids would hook up a computer to elaborately blackmail their friends just to keep them from trying out for said musical. The list of things that are too ridiculous, but are included because they fit the plot goes on and on for eons.
True, if your kid is under thirteen, this is the only high school musical available to them. If they're older than thirteen and want to watch a musical, have them watch "Grease" (not my favorite movie, but far better than this). Little kids should watch "The Sound of Music" or perhaps "Singin' in the Rain," while people mature enough to watch a true portrayal of high school cliques should tune in for the ever-classic "The Breakfast Club." Just stay away from this one if you have any taste in musicals and any level of common sense.
So, my first thought when watching the movie was, essentially: "Oh, dear." By the time my brain cleared enough for another, it was time for "What a 'Grease' rip-off!" After vacation, it turns out that the girl moves to the guy's high school, where she is exactly who she was during their "moment," while he is the one who is constrained by his social role.
A play-by-play of the movie has already been given in a few other reviews, so I'll side-step that. Instead, I'll point out the things that made this movie horrible.
To start things off, we have the character of Gabriella. She is gorgeous, skinny, brilliant, and shy, but possesses an amazing voice that makes Troy fall for her almost immediately. Even though it is implied that she's quite modest, she uses the word "genius" when describing herself to her mother--and even though she doesn't want to be "the freaky genius girl," she is more than ready to correct the teacher in class with a smile that was too smug for my liking. Reality check: no matter if the teacher is wrong or not, the people who are truly shy and don't want to be thought of as a "freaky genius" don't speak up. Trust someone who's been in that situation.
My second reason: the high school cliques. Let me first say that I took part in many activities that related to a certain clique: music, agriculture, and Academic Decathlon. But none of the people in any of those groups were immediately willing to make me an outcast because I did more than one thing. If you want your kids to be brainwashed into believing that they will be shut-out in high school for trying to do more than one thing, please let them watch.
Something small that doesn't make the movie bad, but certainly made it worse was that Ryan and Sharpay, a brother-sister combo, are perfectly content to sing love-laced songs to try out in a musical. It's as if they couldn't find anyone else to sing with, which I find hard to believe.
The movie can't even strike a balance between the "randomly bursting out into song" moments and the "the characters are singing and they know it" moments. Most of the moments seem as if the characters know that they are singing: the karaoke scene, musical try-outs, and probably even the end number of the movie. But Gabriella randomly bursts out into song (complete with over-the-top 'dancing' maneuvers) when her feelings are hurt by Troy while staring into the camera lens in the way that no individual in a movie should do for extended periods, unless the're looking "beyond" the camera. And the basketball team manages a 'brilliant' musical number that none of them would ever willingly submit to. Pick one or the other, one or the other. But please, not both.
Perhaps the last issue I feel ruined the movie is how everything is catered to fit the plot. No real drama teacher would (1) let two kids trying out for a musical move the date to a day that conflicted with the only other two kids trying out, or (2) refuse to move it for the second two kids for something as important as an Academic competition and a play-off basketball game. No kids would hook up a computer to elaborately blackmail their friends just to keep them from trying out for said musical. The list of things that are too ridiculous, but are included because they fit the plot goes on and on for eons.
True, if your kid is under thirteen, this is the only high school musical available to them. If they're older than thirteen and want to watch a musical, have them watch "Grease" (not my favorite movie, but far better than this). Little kids should watch "The Sound of Music" or perhaps "Singin' in the Rain," while people mature enough to watch a true portrayal of high school cliques should tune in for the ever-classic "The Breakfast Club." Just stay away from this one if you have any taste in musicals and any level of common sense.