High School Musical

***High School Musical*** is an American musical TV movie. It is the first movie in the *High School Musical* trilogy.

## Good Qualities

1. Great and likable characters. The two leads, Gabriella and Troy, aren't just your stereotypical nerd and jock. They are introduced as such at the beginning of the film, but then they get more development when they discover that they like singing. Chad and Taylor are mean at first, but then they become nice at the end of the film. Ryan is a hilarious, ambiguously gay ditz, Kelsi is a sweet cinnamon roll that is too pure for this world, and Sharpay is an enjoyable "mean-girl"-type antagonist.
2. Troy and Gabriella's interactions are cute and the two have great chemistry.
3. It has a great message for kids: to be yourself. In the movie, Troy and Gabriella like basketball and science/math respectively, but they also like to sing, and try out for their school's musical. Chad, a member of the East High Basketball Team, and Taylor, the captain of the East High Scholastic Decathalon Team, won't let them audition or else they won't win their respective competitions. In the end, all the characters learn that it's okay to pursue your dreams - no matter what anyone else thinks about them.
4. The acting is great. Ashley Tisdale's hammy performance makes her character, Sharpay Evans, very enjoyable to watch. However Zac Efron plays his character, Troy Bolton, with great sincerity. Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens also have a lot of chemistry.
5. Speaking of the actors, all the cast members are flawless dancers. "We're All in This Together" proves this.
6. Awesome and catchy songs, like "Getcha Head in the Game", and "Stick to the Status Quo", "Bop to the Top". "Breaking Free", Gabriella and Troy's callback song, is the greatest song in the movie, and "We're All in This Together" is arguably the most popular and iconic song in the entire franchise.
7. Great drama. In the climax of the film, Sharpay changes the date of the callbacks to the same day as the scholastic decathalon and the basketball game.
8. Funny moments. For example, the "weird kids" audition for the play by speak-singing "What I've Been Looking For", and doing an abstract dance. Miss Darbus calls this performance, "very disturbing", and advises the weird kids to see the counselor.
9. The dialogue is really clever, and some could even call the film quotable, with lines like "what the heck *are those two **DOIN' IN A TREE?!***" that are able to deliver some great laughs.
10. In the rooftop garden, the scene when Troy and Gabriella open up and admit to each other how much pressure they're both under and how lonely they are because of it. Troy even admits that the garden is the place he uses to get away from all the expectations. The fact he shares it with Gabriella - and so he can be himself, not 'the basketball guy' with her - is heartwarming all on its own.
11. The old school cinematography gives the movie a nostalgic tone.

## Bad Qualities

1. Zac Efron didn't even sing in this movie, his voice was dubbed by Drew Seeley. In other words, he lip-synced. Zac does his own singing in the sequels, however.
2. It can be too cheesy at times.
3. The plot and characterization are very unrealistic and over-the-top.
4. Depending on your view, this could be a knockoff of Grease that attempts to pander to kids.

## Reception

High School Musical was Disney Channel's most watched film in 2006 with 7.7 million viewers in its premiere broadcast in the US.

The soundtrack was released on January 10, 2006, and became the best selling album of that year, having sold more than 3.7 million copies in the US and 7 million copies worldwide. As of January 2016, the album has sold 5,000,000 copies in the US, making it the best-selling TV soundtrack since 1991 when Nielsen SoundScan started tracking music sales.

*High School Musical* is most likely one of the most divisive movies of all time. It has gotten a lot of praise from audiences, mostly for being part of their childhood. But some critics and other audiences have detracted it for its cheesy concept, for being a musical, and for being popular.