Plot
The captain of the East High basketball team and the key member of the academic club shock the student body by teaming to audition for the upcoming school musical in a Disney Channel Original Movie that's all about being yourself and following your dreams. Troy (Zac Efron) is best known as the player who keeps the East High basketball team on the scoreboard. Of course, life isn't always about athletics, though, and as Troy slam-dunks on the boards, beautiful and brainy Gabriella (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) is raising the reputation of East High as the key member of the school's successful academic team. Despite their outgoing natures, no one would ever peg Troy and Gabriella as theater types. When word gets out that this popular pair has secretly chosen to reach for the stars and try their luck on the stage, the students of East High are about to learn an important lesson in teamwork while gearing up for a musical performance that will have their audience dancing in the aisles. ~ Jason Buchanan, RoviReview
Although this Disney telepic won incredibly high ratings among its target audience and spawned a chart-topping soundtrack CD, High School Musical is at best a middling attempt at reviving the old-time "tuner." To start with the good news, the young cast is extremely appealing, and their energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to the material (as well as their teen-magazine cuteness) go a long way toward making Musical work -- and help to explain why so many teens and 'tweens found it so engaging. Kenny Ortega has staged the musical numbers sharply; the choreography itself is of varying quality, but Ortega captures them well on film. And certainly the basic theme -- whether it's better to be yourself or to be what is expected of you -- is one that resonates with the viewers Musical is reaching out to. Unfortunately, that theme is carried out via a screenplay that is trite, superficial, unbelievable, and actively annoying -- at least to most viewers over 18. There are also large credibility issues, including whether the drama clique at any high school could be as popular as presented here; the cartoonish manner in which the drama teacher is written and acted; and the fact that the leading male is supposed to be a major contender for a basketball career, despite the fact that a generous guess at his height would put him at no more than 5' 10". To make matters worse, the adult characters are one-dimensional stereotypes, Ortega's direction is overly obvious, and the score, with one or two exceptions, is bland pop pap. Still, many people will be very willing to overlook these flaws, finding the youthful cast and the basic idea more than enough to keep them entertained. ~ Craig Butler, RoviCast
- Zac Efron - Troy Bolton
- Vanessa Hudgens - Gabriella Montez
- Ashley Tisdale - Sharpay Evans
- Corbin Bleu - Chad
- Lucas Grabeel - Ryan Evans
- Monique Coleman - Taylor
Credit
Jason LaPadura - Casting, Natalie Hart - Casting, Jeff Johnson - Casting, Kenny Ortega - Choreography, Bonnie Story - Choreography, Charles Klapow - Choreography, Kenny Ortega - Director, Seth Flaum - Editor, Bill Borden - Executive Producer, Barry Rosenbush - Executive Producer, David Lawrence - Composer (Music Score), Mark Hofeling - Production Designer, Gordon Lonsdale - Cinematographer, Don Schain - Producer, Peter Barsocchini - Screenwriter| High School II (1994 Film), High School High (1996 Film) | |
| High School Musical 2 (2007 Film), High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008 Film) |
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