OK, I am not a big High School Musical fan. When I first heard the songs my kids were playing the CD on a trip and I banned it after awhile. I sat through the first and second movies on Disney Channel, not exactly thrilled. My wife was to take the kids today, as it just opened here in New Zealand. At the last minute I got the honor of escort.
I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, it is a silly plot, high school was never like this, and the characters are more archetypes then real. My response is...so what. Films should be judged from the context in which they are presented. This is presented as a song and dance musical that children can enjoy. From that context, the filmmakers did a good job. The transition to the big screen was well thought out and planned. My girls enjoyed it, and were singing the songs. To me, that says it all. I think people are way to cynical and polarized these days. There is no way that this film should receive so many one star votes if people were voting objectively. It seems that unless people are being trashed, or some kind of drugs, sex etc. is presented as the REAL high school experience, then the movie is worthless. It is a sad comment on society if good natured fun is considered a bad thing that should be derided. High School Musical is not my world, nor is it the world my children live in. It is, however,a place where those experiencing it can put aside their cynicism for a couple hours.
I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, it is a silly plot, high school was never like this, and the characters are more archetypes then real. My response is...so what. Films should be judged from the context in which they are presented. This is presented as a song and dance musical that children can enjoy. From that context, the filmmakers did a good job. The transition to the big screen was well thought out and planned. My girls enjoyed it, and were singing the songs. To me, that says it all. I think people are way to cynical and polarized these days. There is no way that this film should receive so many one star votes if people were voting objectively. It seems that unless people are being trashed, or some kind of drugs, sex etc. is presented as the REAL high school experience, then the movie is worthless. It is a sad comment on society if good natured fun is considered a bad thing that should be derided. High School Musical is not my world, nor is it the world my children live in. It is, however,a place where those experiencing it can put aside their cynicism for a couple hours.