High School Musical [Remix Edition]

Discussion in 'Disney News, Rumors and Current Events' started by Sheila Gallant-Halloran, Feb 15, 2009.

  1. High School Musical Remix"? ; http://www.dvdtown.com/reviews/high-school-musical/6755

    Lest anyone become confused, this is the original made-for-TV "High School Musical" movie that debuted on the Disney Channel on January 20, 2006. Teens and 'tweens liked what they saw in promo teasers, and "High School Musical" drew 7.7 million viewers--the biggest audience to date for a Disney TV offering. That was the first surprise, especially since the movie was filmed in just 24 days and the soundtrack recorded in five.

    But while the studio had been making live-action movies aimed at teens since teens started making out in the backs of their parents' cars, no one at Disney could have predicted the enormous response that would follow or that its actors would become megastars overnight. Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens won the Teen Choice Award for Choice Chemistry, and Efron also was named Choice Breakout Star. Kenny Ortega's energetic choreography earned an Emmy, and the "High School Musical" CD won Billboard Soundtrack Album of the Year. Just another Disney Channel movie? Not!

    It's safe to say that not many made-for-TV movies inspire sequels. But "High School Musical" was a concept that was almost too big for its medium, right from the start, with two sequels and a third in the works. Almost immediately there were HSM backpacks, lunch boxes, dolls, kitchenware, jewelry, clothing, games, and all sorts of products designed for young fans who couldn't get enough. It wasn't just teens and 'tweens who rallied around the merchandising campaign--it was grade school children of all ages. And watching alongside them were parents who were surprised to see such a high level of plotting, dancing, and energy on a crank-it-out Disney offering.

    Now, finally, the movie that started it all is out on Blu-ray, and it looks really good. The master remixers and remasters at Disney have cleaned up both the video and audio to try to give this film the treatment it deserves. Though they were working with the limitations of throwaway source materials, I can report that "High School Musical" has never looked better . . . and in 1.78:1 widescreen, for the first time!

    The movie is a clever "Romeo and Juliet" and "Grease" update that mixes themes that both genders can identify with. East High basketball star Troy Bolton (Efron) is spending New Year's Eve at a ski lodge with his parents, one of whom happens to be his coach. At their insistence he wanders down to the "kiddie" party and finds himself suddenly spotlighted and pushed onstage to sing a karaoke duet--with, it turns out, a pretty Latina named Gabriella Montez (Hudgens) who's been the brainiac wiz-kid at every school in her much-traveled life. Kindred spirits, they're both shy and they both secretly love to sing, and they turn out to be quite good at it. They click, and "The Start of Something New" truly becomes that when Gabriella turns up (as Sandy did in "Grease") as the new kid in school.

    At East High, though, it's "Stick to the Status Quo," and skate punks, brainiacs, jocks, and other cliques are expected to act according to type and socialize only with those of like mind. So how are Troy and Gabriella to get past that? Normally that would be enough plot for a made-for-TV movie, but "High School Musical" has a slight postmodern twist: it's not just a musical about high school; it's a musical about high school students making a "High School Musical."

    Troy and Gabriella's homeroom teacher is the drama diva, Ms. Darbus (Alyson Reed), who says everything with theatrical flair and who conducts auditions that are "American Idol" funny for their sheer awfulness and her delicious responses. But as far as rich brother and sister Sharpay and Ryan Evans (Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel) are concerned, the lead parts are already theirs. They've starred in every production thus far, and it throws their world off-kilter when they get wind that Gabriella and Troy might also audition. And when the four of them get a callback, it's benign Disney villain time as Sharpay does what she can to keep their rivals from winning. Throw in a state basketball championship that's on the line, and an academic competition that Gabriella's involved in, and you've got plenty of things going on in the space of 98 minutes.

    So what makes it so phenomenal? A number of things, really, starting with the cast. The new stars are warm, personable, and distinctive. There's no confusing them, and you end up liking all of them, even minor characters, who are given bigger roles with each new sequel-characters like best-bud jock Chad (Corbin Bleu), brainy Taylor (Monique Coleman), or the talented pianist-composer who represents the "geek" population (Olesya Rulin as Kelsi). What's more, HSM is an "attitude-free" zone, and the parents in this film are as likable as their offspring--no dopes here. The broadest character is, in fact, the drama teacher, but we see her in "down" moments too, which reinforces that her speaking with flair is part of her teaching. Among the young set, Sharpay and Ryan are played for comedy, but even that's more subtle than the typical Disney TV fare.
     

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