Remember back to the days when you were in high school and you finally caught the eye of that certain someone – and then you both broke out in song and choreographed dance? Me neither, but the movies are a whole different world.
Troy is the popular kid in school who also happens to be the captain of the basketball team. He has lots of friends and is the type of person that all the kids wanted to be near. Then there’s Gabriella who is more of the studious type of person and also happens to be the shy new kid in the school. The only thing is that neither of them know is each others identifiable traits; they meet at a New Year’s party singing karaoke together. Both Troy and Gabriella learn of the other’s love for music and their similarities, but then it becomes a mystery if they’ll ever see each other again.
That mystery is solved when they discover they now attend the same high school, but now the problem of conflicting social groups of sports and academics vie to keep them apart. Their feelings for each other keep drawing them back together as both Gabriella and Troy go out for the school musical, and knock the socks off the drama squad. Yet another problem develops as siblings Ryan and Sharpay, the leads for all school plays, allow jealousy to get the best of them and do whatever they can to vanquish the new couple’s shot at stardom.
In a nutshell, High School Musical is an attempt to reinvent Grease. Think about it for a minute. Girl and guy from different worlds meet and have to part. They find out they are in school together, but in different cliques, and now other people are trying to keep them apart. The only answer is for musical numbers everyone knows and joins in on with no provocation.
Thing is, while it is no Grease by a long shot, I found myself really enjoying HSM more then I should have. The story is clichéd, but it keeps it all interesting with the catchy songs and cute kids. Honestly though, as it is made for and aimed at children to keep them entertained, which I know it does because my five year-old nephew is obsessed with the movie; it also will entertain any grown adult.
You are going to find yourself singing along with the songs and really hoping that things work out for Troy and Gabriella when fate is destined to bring them together at last. Some fantastic scenes, fun songs, and cool dance sequences are going to force you to enjoy this movie. And if you have kids, you’ll enjoy it on repeat.
The film is shown in 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and it looks beautiful. Having seen the film on both DVD and now Blu-ray formats, you can see the noticeable advantages to the high definition that were really missing in the DVD release.
The film is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and the dialogue, music, and everything in between comes through perfectly and sounding great.
Learning The Moves Led By Kenny Ortega – Ortega, the director and choreographer show with some other dances how they taught the kids the moves they know in the film. Then you get the chance to learn the moves yourself. (4:07)
Sing Along With The Movie – Consider it subtitles in song.
Music Video: “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”
Music Video: “We’re All In This Together”
Music Video: “Breaking Free” Remix
Music Video: “Eres Tu”
Music Video: “We’re All In This Together” Remix
Disney Channel Dance Alongs – The cast teaches some dance moves from songs “Get Your Head In The Game” and “We’re All In This Together.”
A High School Reunion – The stars are together and discussing life before the movie, how big of a hit the movie has become, and how it feels to be celebrities. (5:54)
Behind-The-Scenes Look At The Hollywood Premiere Event – The cast and crew at the premiere release of the DVD complete with red carpet, screaming fans, and Aunt Becky from Full House. (2:23)
Bringing It All Together: The Making Of High School Musical – Cast and crew go through all it took to put the film together. Your basic “making of” featurette talking about the dancing, actors, direction, and everything. (8:45)
Trailers – Pinocchio 70th Anniversary Edition, Earth, High Musical 3: Senior Year, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Bolt, and Disney XD
My review of High School Musical Remix on Blu-ray is just about exactly the same as my review of the same film on DVD. It’s still a cute film that will never be of Grease caliber but still can be enjoyed by both adults and children alike because it’s got that certain something making it appealing to all audiences. The special features leave a lot to be desired because they are rather lackluster, but that’s easily overlooked thanks to some catchy songs and fun characters in the feature itself. You know it’s funny because I don’t recall the special features being this dull and boring when the DVD crossed my path, but things do change. I sincerely suggest you take a look at this film if you’ve ever had any interest in the High School Musical craze that has swept the country because they only go downhill from here as the number behind the title rises.
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Walt Disney Studios presents High School Musical Remix. Directed by: Kenny Ortega. Starring: Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Ashley Tisdale, Bart Johnson, and more. Written by: Peter Barssochini. Running time: 98 minutes. Rating: G. Released on DVD: February 17, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
