It took me a good three hours before I could even think of how to start talking about High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Having already reviewed the first two entries in Disney's mystifyingly successful franchise, I knew even before paying for my ticket that I would have the exact same criticisms. But now that I sat through the House of Mouse's latest festival of bubblegum pop, I can safely say that HSM3 isn't as bad as its predecessors. It's worse.
As you might gather from the subtitle, HSM3 kicks off as senior year is winding down for the East High gang. Troy (Zac Efron) and his basketball team win the championship, Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) is busy editing the school yearbook, and brother/sister pair Sharpay and Ryan (Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel) maintain their stranglehold on the drama club. But when drama teacher Ms. Darbus (Alyson Reed) decides to model the spring musical after the East High troupe's senior year, everyone starts to question their plans for the future. Troy's plans to play college ball are put on the back burner when he finds out he has a shot at winning a scholarship to Juilliard. On top of that, Gabriella's upcoming move to Stanford puts hers and Troy's relationship in jeopardy, a dilemma Sharpay takes advantage of in scheming her way to starring in the big show.
Let's pretend for a moment that HSM3 actually deserves even an ounce of the popularity bestowed upon the first two movies. Since this is supposedly the final time fans will see the original cast, it's only reasonable that the filmmakers would put some effort into their last hurrah. But once you realize this is the same studio that unleashed Beverly Hills Chihuahua, you'll regain your senses pretty fast. It isn't just that HSM3 is an extremely corny and conspicuously peppy musical romp. It's also an incredibly lazy film, a big accomplishment considering how hackneyed the previous two flicks were.
But as cliched as they were, those movies actually had stories that gave them at least a little bit of narrative flow. HSM3, on the other hand, is two hours of stuff just happening, random events tied together by the flimsiest of plot threads. The script never decides on a main story, so it spends its time playing hot potato with the subplots, never concentrating on one long enough to make any sort of impact whatsoever. It's a clunky approach that makes the flick feel five times longer than it lasts.
Article comments
1 - godonlyknows
I honestly believe that you have no idea what you are talking about. If you can see it through the eyes of kids everywhere, you'd say it was the best of the three!
Critics are only worth something if they can honestly keep you away/ get you to watch something. Even though your criticism honors a two-thumbs down, people are still going to watch it again and again
2 - A.J. Hakari
I must respectfully disagree.
The way I see it, the job of a critic is to relay his or her feelings about a film in such a way so as to serve as a barometer for the reader's tastes. If a critic gushes about a film in such a way that might mirror how the reader would react towards it, that reader might buy a ticket. Just the same, if a critic condemns a stinker that sounds like something a reader would like, the reader might go anyway. In any case, what's important is that the critic articulated their thoughts in a way that lead the reader to make some sort of decision.
In short...I believe I've done my job. :-)
3 - Elle
I liked HSM 1. I enjoyed bits and pieces of HSM 2. I loathed HSM 3. None of it was memorable. All of it was crap.
Dad's toupee sent me into supressed gales of snickering. I was seated next to my 2 daughters so I didn't want to upset their or anyone else's movie enjoyment, but I am amazed I didn't cause myself internal injuries trying not to laugh at all that was ridiculous about this movie.
4 - jaaaaaaaa...
what does that "critic" know? Doing his job...yeah right. I agree with godonlyknows, it was the best out of three! it was the most dramatic, the most exciting, the least lame for sure. i actually think that hsm2 was crap. Not number 3.
5 - Jordan Richardson
jaaaaaaaa...
The critic's job is not to merely agree with you or with popular sentiment. Instead, it is to present an informed, educated, and fair opinion. This article has done that.
Besides which, get over it. You're talking about High School Musical. Nobody's gonna remember this shit in five years.