Catholic Online Review: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL III Senior Year

See this movie! Take a date, take your kids,or go by yourself. In fact, see it twice at the theatre,(it will take two visits to hear all the dialogue over the clapping and laughter) and we think you will buy the DVD when it is released.

LOS ANGELES (Catholic Online) - We (Catholic Online) were invited to pre-screen Disney's newest sequel to High School Musical. Fully prepared to see a simple re-write and re-make of HSM I and II, we, along with the entire screening audience were surprised by the fresh, energetic, and splendid production in Disney's sequel to the wildly commercially successful musical films about teen age life at Eastern High School.

Sequels seldom work. This one does, and here are the top ten reasons, in my humble opinion, to see this film:

1.It is all new. Though building on the characters, themes, and musical excellence of I and II, High School Musical III is new!

2.Great Theme! The film opens in the championship basketball game with our hero's, the Wildcats behind. At half time, Coach Bolton sets aside the clipboard to deliver a simple speech. "You have sixteen minutes!" With this sense of reality, the team takes the floor with a new, and highly charged tempo. This is the theme of the entire movie! You only have a short time to live fully now.

3.Great Performances! Guess what? The actors and characters we were introduced to in I,and II have grown up. The familiar characters reprise their roles as seniors, preparing to transition to adulthood. Troy and Chad are anxious to enter the local state university and continue their athletic pursuits. Troy and Gabriella are still an "item" and she is heading for an honors program at Stanford. Sharpay and Ryan are serious in their pursuit of the performing arts, and Taylor, the class leader is ready for adulthood. What's different? The Senior's theme of prepping for adulthood is certainly fresh in the sequel, and the serious and the humorous is nicely blended in the dialogue. But the real winners here are the cast. They have matured in this three year, three picture marathon production schedule. When we first met the characters in I, they were fresh and enthusiastic, but were "young" in their skill sets. To witness their maturation in their craft is one of the joys of watching this film. To be sure, these young actors have years of acting in their experience resume, but we get to see them at their current best. Their confidence in expression, verbal and non-verbal, in dance, as well as their "presence" in every scene makes III a better film.

4.Barsocchini's writing is excellent! Peter Barsocchini has successfully avoided two traps that make teen coming of age movies predictable, and boring: First, some writers find it necessary to overlay their teen characters with the more typical "adult" expressions of angst and cynicism. Teenagers may be confused, and may have angst, and be desperate for self government, and self expression; but cynicism is normally learned and adopted after leaving home, and perfected in college. Second, he has skillfully avoided the temptation to make a "message" movie. Instead, he has carefully crafted dialogue for characters that have fun, suffer disappointment or confusion, and in the process, allows any necessary message to be nuanced. The writing for III clearly reflects the benefit of two years of close proximity with a small cast, and two previous films of character development, and the remarkable ability of Borsocchini to wordsmith weighty phrases delivered in a teen ager's vocabulary in few words.

5.New Music for every taste! Ten new and original songs compose the soundtrack for III. The music and the lyrics serve the story, the characters, and the need for youthful expression. Prediction: Sound Track for III outsells the previous editions. It is that good.

6.Energetic Choreography for every fan! The music and choreography once again under the capable direction of Kenny Ortega, energize the film. There is variety to satisfy every fan's appetite. Hip hop, break, funk, sport, ballroom, waltz and even ballet are the expression tools for the ten new songs. The sets are larger, the lighting is better, and there are more dancers, more extras and more moves. Our favorite characters have all added new skills to their repertoire of dance moves. The fans in the screening clapped, yelled, and on occasion just "ooohed." It works. The prom scene for most coming of age movies is so predictable it is anticlimactic. I actually expected the normal risqué dress, and "grinding". Here again, III delivers a prom number that delightfully surprises. It is classy. It is unique. It is a surprise. And it sets III apart.

7.Surprise after surprise after surprise! Rather than follow the exact and perhaps safe formula of the successful I and II, the collaborative team in charge of this project determined to throw in quite a few surprises. Without giving anything away, when Troy and Chad return to the auto salvage yard to scavenge some parts for Troy's truck, we learn that the junkyard was the play yard for the boys in their childhood, and they revisit their super hero, ninja fighting, and comic book style imaginations in a great choreography set to music. Two thirds of the way through the number a surprise twist made the entire screening audience immediately burst into laughter and clap. One of many script surprises.

8.Incredible sets, lighting, costumes and a great setting. The budget for this picture expanded to deliver a visual delight on the big screen. The sets, the staging in the actual high school cafeteria and gym, and the beautiful scenery of the Salt Lake area provide a great backdrop to tell this musical story. The costumes strengthen the individuality of our favorite characters, as well as the new cast introduced in this sequel. The preparation of a building roof top garden set against the mountains of Utah for Troy and Gabriella practice prom dance is simply a visual feast. Disney hires the best in the business, and they deliver.

9.You will remember the scenes, the dialogues,and the characters. We have all been to movies that were totally forgettable. We were not moved, entertained or provoked. They didn't make us laugh or cry. We felt cheated of money and time. I think it highly unlikely that any person that attends this movie will find it regrettable, forgettable, or a disappointment. In fact, I think we will quote the dialogue, remember the tunes and the lyrics, and pick our favorite characters. And, if it works well for you, you might even think back to your senior year. When Troy tries to wrestle through the direction of his post high school pursuits, he delivers, in my view, his best work to date. Every teen, and every adult has experienced the " I am so conflicted my insides are about to explode, and my skin is on too tight". This song, "Scream" delivered in a creative choreography on a visually engaging set is right on target.

10.You will feel better when you walk out of the theatre. There is a lot to like about this movie. Perhaps more important that what the movie delivers in creative writing, clever dialogue, upbeat and original music, superb sets and fine acting by a maturing cast, is the way it leaves you feeling. Even those of us who are not talented singers or dancers would perhaps express our spontaneous joy in song and dance if no one were watching. As it turns out, we like musicals most for how they make us feel.

To experience a wholesome immersion in the performing arts is uplifting to the human spirit. Great conversation, humor, music, and thought provoking drama are food for the soul. When motion picture studios can deliver this experience without finding it necessary to degrade your life experience or insult your values in the process, the experience is worthy of our participation. To be truly catholic is to be truly human delighting in the creative processes and enjoying all of life, authored by a loving God. HSM III Senior Year is a nice step in this direction. Thank you Disney Studios.

High School Musical III: Senior Year opens nation wide October 24th. Highly Recommended by Catholic Online for the whole family.

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