High School Musical (Encore Edition)

I rented this movie because it reminded me of the good times watching it with my girl who is now 24 years old. The music is really good and it's a classic musical ensemble. I don't usually like straight love stories but Troy and Gabrielle rock together. Somewhere there is an Xbox 360 with the High School singing game that we used to do... I always had to be Troy and never Gabrielle, but hey, I never minded. Soaring, flying..... #realdawnsly

Good movie

This film should have been a major theatrical release. The music is that good, and the performances by the young but highly talented cast are uniformly superb, led by the amazing Ashley Tisdale. From Les Miserables to High School Musical by age 20, she is a Broadway prodigy in a class by herself.As a composer/librettist of Broadway musicals myself ("Marva!", a musical play about famed inner-city educator Marva Collins), I can appreciate the extraordinary combination of effort it required to make High School Musical into the splendid production it is. All of the songs are first-rate, but "We're All In This Together," "Stick to the Status Quo," and "Get 'Cha Head In The Game" are particular standouts. You'll find yourself singing them endlessly.There are good reasons why the musical recording of this film is the first television soundtrack album to top the Albums Chart in twenty years. Those reasons are the songs. They are uniformly melodic, intelligent, and professional--rare qualities in today's music scene. I cannot recall any other album that actually made me wish that many of the tunes had been of longer duration! Several of the excellent numbers on High School Musical are only 2 minutes long or less, yet pack an enormous amount of heart and quality into every one of those few seconds. What a contrast to most recordings, where a bare minimum of musical and lyrical ideas are stretched, prolonged with preludes, repeated, and repeated again to make up for the almost total absence of substance!The "Stick to the Status Quo" song warrants special mention because it brilliantly captures the reality of high school peer pressure within the context of an engaging large-cast production dance number. Who has experienced high school without feeling the stifling impetus to remain within rigidly defined boundaries of behavior, dress, and attitude? This song illustrates the foolishness of such self-imposed censorship without preaching, and is all the more a triumph because of that subtlety. If an athlete can bake, and a scholar can be into hip-hop, maybe there's hope for all of us.It would be inaccurate to pigeon-hole this as a "message movie," notwithstanding the worthy subtext of tolerance, individuality, and inclusion. This film does not overemphasize or exaggerate its theme. Rather, it is seamlessly woven into the overall fabric of the entertainment. In the same way, racial and gender equality and diversity are not spotlighted as obvious morals, like they might have been in a lesser work. Instead, these principles are taken for granted as givens in the lives of these young people, who never would think to question whether it is appropriate for people of different races to date, or whether females can be the most accomplished scientists and mathematicians around. The film is much more effective in conveying these noble messages because of the subtlety with which it handles them as part of the unquestioned structure of modern life.The musical-within-a-musical approach works well, too, because it makes room for a wide range of song styles, including a parody of the old Donnie & Marie Osmond song and dance shtick and a hot salsa number, "Bop to the Top," which is catchier than virtually any hit single within recent memory. These infectious yet funny numbers are nicely interspersed with the songs that are part of the main story as sung extemporaneously by the characters. And the wonderful high-energy choreography by the great Kenny Ortega is breathtaking, particularly in group-dance songs such as "Get 'Cha Head in the Game" and "Stick to the Status Quo."My daughter and I watched this movie without fail, every time it was broadcast on the Disney Channel. As a result, I can testify from personal experience that it holds up well under repeated viewing, and I do mean repeated. Because of the wonderful combination of song, dance, romance, humor, and inspiration this motion picture always seems fresh, even after many viewings. I believe "High School Musical" will transform popular culture in a highly positive direction, moving a new generation of young people toward a much broader appetite for music, dance, and drama. It will preserve the genre of melodic book musical for many years, at a point when its future appeared precarious at best. No one could have predicted this impact in advance, but now it seems clear. What a contribution!Bravo!

in my opinion children can learn from all the high school musicals and the best thing about high school musical is that you do not have to watch them in order

This was a really great movie. I really enjoyed the way it made me feel watching it. It just made me feel happy, carefree and like a kid again. I actually assumed this was taken from a stageplay. Where else do you see a basketball team (all male) break into a song on the Basketball court. (Think Grease).This movie makes us all think about the "clique stereotypes" we fall into, and how we need to think outside the "Stereo-box." The songs were wonderful! Reminded me of the music you hear for Sitcoms of the 80's and 90's. The kind of diddy's that stick in your head long after the show is over (I still have one of the songs going through my head, though I can't remember the name of the song.) Yet the storyline has a positive message.Sure the plot is a bit sloppy at times, and I kind of doubt that the school "Play stars" are the "villians" at many of today's high schools, but that may be what the movie makers were trying to show. Even sportos and band kids can get along. I also liked how "parents" to the most part, were left out of the storyline. Sure the father was the highschool coach, but the silly drama teacher was funny, and likeable.The main stars, the good looking basketball player, and the New female student "brain" were EXTREMELY likeable, and you wanted to see them succeed.Great movie, for the entire family!Two thumbs up! MC White says check it out!