High School Musical is a genuine phenomenon. After a 2006 made-for-TV movie and a 2007 direct-to-video sequel proved to be huge hits, Disney decided to make a third film for the big screen. HSM doesn’t represent any real school of today; heck the students of East High make the kids at Rydell High in Grease look like the delinquents in The Blackboard Jungle. None of these kids are depressed or suffer from fear of failure. In Disney’s version of high school, everyone’s a winner. My first reaction was to gag at the sentiment but the more I watched and the more I thought about it, in today’s world of such uncertainty, it’s nice to know there’s still some fairly wholesome entertainment available to kids.


The premise here is fairly straightforward. It’s senior year and the gang is bummed because high school will end and they’ll all go their separate ways. After winning the state basketball championship, Troy (Zac Efron) realizes that the end of high school will separate him from his girlfriend Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens). Meanwhile, ambitious Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) wants to stage a one woman show for the upcoming spring musical, so composer Kelsi (Olesya Rulin) gets most of the class to sign up. In the midst of all this, drama teacher Ms. Darbus (Alyson Reed) has some big news–Troy, Kelsi, Sharpay, and Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) are all being evaluated for a scholarship to Julliard.
In some ways, HSM 3 reminds me of the old Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland films. Those films were essentially designed to show off both stars cute factor and allow them to put on a show. Many of the plots gave the twosome excuses to unveil a song and dance number–that’s the way this 117-minute “extended version” plays out, too. It’s all about the show.
HSM 3 is easily the most choreographed and musically demanding film of the series. It6’s loud, exaggerated and fast. I was actually struck by the obvious Broadway influences in the film–the kind of elaborate staging, lighting and sets one usually sees on the Great White Way. My guess is Disney was likely influenced by the Broadway successes they’ve had with The Lion King and others and if they are planning a Broadway show based on High School Musical.
It’s the big musical numbers that make HSM 3 go. Otherwise, it’s the same stuff from the first two films. Recruiters are still after Troy to join his father’s alma mater and Gabriella is still fulfilling her mom’s dream of her attending Stanford. Minor characters like Troy’s best buddy Chad (Corbin Bleu), his girlfriend Taylor (Monique Coleman), and pianist-composer Kelsi get more screen time, and that should delight fans who will recognize far too many gimmicks from the first film. There’s a new character as well; Sharpay gets an assistant, a scheming little British exchange student (Jemma McKenzie-Brown). The additional five minutes that were added to this version are quiet moments that add a little more depth to character relationships.
The High School Musical 3: Senior Year 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC transfer rivals the film’s vivacious nature with plenty of bold color, but the hues often look a tad overpushed. Reds are especially problematic, and always seem on the verge of bleeding, especially during quick pans. Fleshtones have a slightly rosy tint.
The spotless source material renders a crisp and clean high-def picture with properly tuned contrast, but lacks the visual pop one expects from this material. Black levels, however, are strong and deep, shadow delineation is good, and fine details are evident in the close-ups. This Blu-ray looks good but it’s far from dazzling.
I also expected more out of the 5.1 DTS Master Audio track. The musical numbers enjoy good dynamic range, with some nice bass accents, but they never provided the sonic power I expected. Surround effects kick in with decent frequency and offer subtle ambient flavor, while front channel directionality is distinct and naturally balanced. Dialogue comes through clearly, too, and background music nicely shades various scenes without interrupting the action.
The High School Musical 3: Senior Year has a nice set of special features:
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 7 minutes) – Director Kenny Ortega introduces a selection of seven deleted scenes, most of which are only brief snatches of dialogue.
• Out of Sync: HSM3 Bloopers (HD, 3 minutes) – A montage of outtakes that reinforce the giddy, wholesome production atmosphere.
• Featurette: “Night of Nights” (HD, 7 minutes) – The cast shares its personal perspective on high school dances, then discusses the challenging choreography of the movie’s prom scene, which includes a romantic waltz.
• Featurette: “It’s All in the Dress” (HD, 2 minutes) – Costume designer Caroline Marx talks about the various prom dresses and how they aptly represent each character, while the corresponding actresses gush about their gown’s beauty.
• Featurette: “Cast Goodbyes” (HD, 6 minutes) – Efron, Hudgens, and the rest of the gang reflect on their “graduation” from ‘HSM’ films, what the trilogy has meant to them, the friendships they’ve formed, and shooting the emotion-packed final number.
• Sneak Peeks (HD) – Previews for Pinocchio: 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition, Race to Witch Mountain, Bedtime Stories, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Bolt, and Monsters, Inc.
• Featurette: “New Cast Profiles” (HD, 13 minutes) – A slick look at the three newest ‘HSM’ cast members, who Ortega hopes will carry the series into the future. Audition footage, production video diaries, and clips from the film’s world premiere show the integration of these teen actors into the ‘HSM’ family.
• Featurette: “Senior Awards” (HD, 2 minutes) – Find out which cast member wins “Best Hair,” “Best Dancer,” “Best Dressed,” and other goofy awards.
• BD-Live – Post your own pictures to a communal cyber yearbook, chat with friends and family while watching Zac and Vanessa duet, and test your trivia knowledge against online adversaries.
• Digital Copy – Take HSM3 wherever you go by copying it to a portable media player via iTunes or Windows Media Player.