Nobody is a stranger to director Kenny Ortega’s beloved “High School Musical” trilogy. While it has been years since I have sat down to watch them, bits and pieces of the movies and their soundtracks have reached me all throughout childhood. Only now, as a high school student myself, am I revisiting these movie musical masterpieces.
The trilogy’s first installment, “High School Musical,” follows Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and how his relationship with Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) inspires him to step out of his archetype as captain of the varsity basketball team and into the world of musical theatre.
What I noticed about the “High School Musical” series is each movie’s plot follows essentially the same formula, but what keeps these films from becoming stale are their soundtracks. By the first film’s second song, “Get’cha Head in The Game,” I began to remember why the three-part series and their soundtracks remain relevant 17 years later.
To me, songs such as the catchy “We’re All In This Together,” the hilarious “Fabulous” and the melodramatic “Scream” are what cement the “High School Musical” trilogy as such a timeless, monumental success.
Given the enormity of the films, it’s easy for viewers to lose sight of the surprisingly well-developed messages within them. The trilogy delves into themes of toxic masculinity, self-acceptance and complex relationships.
Despite the mature themes presented in “High School Musical,” the sheer ridiculousness permeating the series sometimes makes it difficult to take seriously. Between the egregiously unsubtle lip syncing, Gabriella’s nasally voice and the fact that, at one point, Troy asks to “get some fresh air” as he’s literally standing outside, I found it hard to believe I ever watched these films with a straight face. The unintentional comedy was definitely a highlight, rendering the series a work of campy craftsmanship.
Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale), the spearhead behind the movies’ most sensational moments, reigns as my personal favorite character. Despite the film’s efforts to gaslight you into believing she is the villain of the story, Sharpay is undoubtedly the backbone of “High School Musical.” Where she goes, theatrics follow, supplying the series with much of its conflict, humor and most dazzling musical numbers.
Amidst diehard “High School Musical” fans exists a hugely controversial debate: which of the trilogy’s installments is the best? The first, “High School Musical,” despite containing the most nostalgic moments and songs, stands as my least favorite of the three for its basic storylines and predictable resolutions. Furthermore, I award “High School Musical 2” with having the greatest soundtrack thanks to numbers like “Bet On It” and “Gotta Go My Own Way,” but even the sequel’s unforgettable songs don’t qualify it as my favorite. Upon rewatching all three movies, I can say with certainty that the best movie is the last, “High School Musical 3: Senior Year,” for its production, plotlines and tear-jerking series finale.
The third movie takes everything that embodies the “High School Musical” franchise and triples it; the jump in production value in “Senior Year” is striking. By this third movie, the series embraces its genre as a musical more than ever with elaborate sets, showstopping choreography and huge musical numbers, providing a refreshing deviation to the performances the audience was previously used to.
Moreover, the closing scene of “Senior Year,” I believe, is the greatest of the whole trilogy. It encapsulates the dual thrill and apprehension of growing up in a way that shifts the series’ typical carefree, fanciful atmosphere into one that feels much more real. When I was a child, the events of “High School Musical” seemed so distant that my 10-year-old self interpreted them as a fantasy, but the series resonates as surprisingly prophetic when you’re revisiting it as a junior in high school.
At first glance, “High School Musical” may seem like a trilogy of cliched movies with nothing to offer beyond surface level. To its core, “High School Musical” is a story about overcoming external pressures, encouraging its audience to embrace the things they love regardless of what anybody else thinks.
Through its lessons on self-approval and enduring friendships, “High School Musical” teaches us that, at the end of the day, we’re all in this together
