Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens in "High School Musical 3"
courtesy of Disney Home Entertainment
“One More High School Musical”

Is the third time the charm? Well watch the latest installment in the “High School Musical” series and find out. “High School Musical 3” is a movie so clean that it squeaks, but that’s a good thing since it is aimed at pre-teens and early teens. There is no raunch, no profanity, and no sexual promiscuity in this latest story about high school seniors. It shows a view of the American teen that would fit in with ‘Father Knows Best” and “Ozzie and Harriet.” Is it realistic – no! But is it hopeful – yes! And since usually what we see is the worst of the teen scene, it is nice to have a different view just this once.

As the movie opens it is senior year at East High and the Wildcats are in a battle to be state champions. Team Captain Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) is rallying his team for one final victory. He is being cheered on by his girlfriend Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens). His best friend Chad (Corbin Bleu) is also on the team and he is being cheered on by his girlfriend Taylor (Monique Coleman).

Meanwhile school drama queen Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) is planning how she and her brother Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) can make it big on the stage. She is also planning to convert the senior musical into a show spotlighting her talents. But then Troy and Gabriella get involved and that makes things more complicated.

In this movie the plot is not the thing. What counts is the freshness of the talent, the brilliance of the choreography, and the singability of the songs. This is where the first two “High School Musicals” scored and this one follows that lead.

But with HSM3 there is something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. The old is the cast. The leads have been there in all the other “High School Musicals” and they are still basically at the same level as when they started. The new is the fact that instead of being a TV musical this one burst forth on the big screen. Smart move, Disney.

The borrowed are some of the dance numbers featuring Zac Efron. One solo number looks like an audition for the new version of “Footloose.” Rumors have Efron taking over the Kevin Bacon role and his dance moves look like the exact ones Bacon did in the film. In another dance sequence Efron does the classic Fred Astaire sequence where he dances on the floor and then the walls and then the ceiling. Hey Zac, or maybe hey choreographer/director Kenny Ortega, this stuff has all been done before.

Finally the something blue is the tears that will fall when kids realize this is the last HSM which will feature this cast. To the number these folks have said it is over with after this bow out. Now there will probably be more HSM’s in the future but not with this specific cast. I can’t believe Disney would let something so profitable end.

The members of the cast are all exuberant and exciting. All of the cast members are better dancers than singers and when they really click with Ortega’s choreography the movie hits its high points.

The film delivers everything that was promised by the buildup from the first two shows. HSM3 the movie is the crowning glory of this franchise. This DVD with all its extras may put you in a diabetic coma but a little sugar overdoes is nice every once in a while.

What would you do if all of your loved ones woke up blind one morning? Would you feign blindness so you could follow them into a “protective” camp? And how would you protect them and yourself? These and other pertinent questions are raised in the new DVD “Blindness.”

This movie stars Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo and Danny Glover and they are all three terrific. Moore’s performance dominates the movie and heightens the intensity of the story. It is a film that is difficult to watch at times but it is always interesting. The great thing about watching it on DVD is that if it does become too hard to watch you can pause it or stop it and pick back up later.

But however you watch it, watch it! This is a unique movie that should be seen. Julianne Moore alone is worth your time and effort.

Another DVD worth watching this week is “Miracle At St Anna.” This movie is directed by Spike Lee. It is based on a true incident that occurred in World War II and involved members of the Buffalo Soldier Division – an all black unit.

Derek Luke and Michael Ealy head a strong cast that brings this story of heroism and determination to the screen. They tell a story that would not be believable were it not true and each performance brings credibility to the plot.

This film did not find its audience when it was released to movie theaters. It should be able to find its audience with the DVD version. It is a good movie with enough extras to warrant your making a purchase or at least a rental.

Fo9r the kids this week also brings “Phineas and Ferb: The Daze of Summer.” There are five episodes of this show featured on the DVD from the folks at Disney. Each episode has the famous or infamous stepbrothers finding a neat way to spend the dazzling days of summer.

Your kids love this show on TV and now they can watch the fun on DVD. So get it today and let them join in the Phineas and Ferb fun!.

The older kids will enjoy “Wizards of Waverly Place: Supernaturally Stylin’.” The Disney star that I think is the brightest, Selena Gomez, stars in this Disney series and makes all the antics of being a “wizard in training” fun. Gomez can take the simplest laugh situation and make it funnier than you thought possible.

So get this DVD and let Gomez work her charm on your family. Get them “Wizards of Waverly Place: Supernaturally Stylin’.”

College freshman come home for Thanksgiving break and have a variety of experiences in the DVD “Palo Alto, CA.” Ben Savage, Johnny Lewis, Justin Mentell and Aaron Ashmore star along with Tom Arnold (no he doesn’t play a college freshman, but in Hollywood you never know).

This is a “coming of age” movie and that type of film always seems to appeal to someone. Usually these movies are just crude and crass but this one does actually have some ingenuity to it and there are some differences from the average film of this type.

So take a chance and get the DVD of “Palo Alto, CA.” It isn’t the best movie ever made but it does have some appeal.
 

 

 

 

 

©2009 Jackie K. Cooper

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