Monday, October 27, 2008

Movies is Life: High School Musical 3: Senior Year







We all knew that this is coming. So let’s get on with it and over it.
High School Musical 3: Senior Year. We all know the story, the people, you can’t ignore the success of the franchise and the star in it.
After 2 successful instalment in TV, this time the musical finally got to the big screen.
I’m really glad that this time for the cinema, going to the big screen he producer have decided to take the music, choreography and the cinematography up a nudge.
The music is great, the starting of the movie is a bit cheesy, but that’s true to the franchise. But the cheesiness tone down a bit and more cinematic after the games.
Zac Efron as Troy, you can see that his acting skill has really matured. And thanks to the cinematographer and editor, they took more tight shot than long shot when Zac dances and skilfully twisted out some of the querky twitch we see from Zac in the 1st and 2nd movie when he dances. Those moves fits the hairspray character but not the cool Troy. So I’m glad that this time the movie shows the best side of Zac in every shot. That will surely further solidified his heartthrob status.
It’s a strange thing when people goes into the movie knowing that it’s a teenage Musical movie and they still giggle when it got too cheesy. Sigh when Zac is heart broken, Ahhh! when they kiss or win. The mixes of the sarcasm and adoration is not what I expected. But from my view I think the portion of cinematic and entertainment and the original element of the movie is perfect this time. though I hope the interchanges between dialog and singing would be more like the standard classic, more sensible dialog before going into singing too soon. The proportion of Sound of Music and Moulin Rouge is much balanced. It felt a bit rushy with HSM3 when they jump to singing and dancing too fast after a small dialog gap. Yet the balance is still better than the second movie.


The setting and arrangement of everything is relatively larger this time comparing to 2 of its predecessors, which gives the editor more spaces to create more dimensions than those of the 2 previous movies, which I’m glad.
Going back to the character, I hope that Corbin Bleu which I think is filled with talent have been given too few showing time. I’m sure that his colleague will agree that he is a better singer and dancer than some of them. A surprise is that I always thought that Lucas Grabeel have a sweet voice, but his voice actually appear to be more mouldable and have more range than all of them. He could be the best singer of them all. If Lucas if the best singer, and Corbin is the Best dancer, then Zac would be the best actor. Corbin, I’m sure by now is totally ready to go into more serious role by now. He’d be a great addition to the Gossip Girl Cast or the 90210 gang. Zac is however the most balanced actor, and compared he’d have more experience with the big screen production by now and he will continue to be the heartthrob status like Tom Cruise for the years to come for scoring perfect role in 17 Again and Foot Loose. Of course they are still a bit of stereotypical role that identified with his HSM and Hairspray role. But they are in some own way great training grown and movies that show talent. Because 17 he is imitating another actor manner and I’m sure the producer and director could see his talent in acting and Foot Loose will be a more adult role that could shoot him off from all the teenager role to a more serious adult ranging character choices later.

We all know that the love story between Troy and Gabriella can only go up more and more than be down play in the 3rd instalment so it’s no surprise that Corbin, Ashley and Lucas will have less screen time when compare and be more restricted by their roles distinct characteristics. There’s only so much space you can give to dramatic, scheming teen drama queen, or her following brother, or the best friend of the quarter back, which in this case the captain of the basketball team.
In a way the last scene explains it all and tells the audience exactly it is the last for the infamous 6. In my opinion, it is the right time also. It’s about time that they walk into their adulthood by now. It is a bit sad to see them going off on their own way. In the long Hollywood tradition as history shows, a couple of them may succeed in the business after this and one or two may be lost in a few years to the cruel competitiveness. I wish them all successes after this movie.
It is clear from the beginning to the end of the show too that the East High Junior year is ready to get into the franchise new instalment. It may be a TV series which gives the studio more time to develop the new comer and earn more money for them if the audience accept the new show. Or just another movies series, which in my opinion is more unlikely to ring up more buzz without their signature character, love story and the original heartthrob. Ashley though is signified in the end to be returning in the series coming back in whatever form, but I think it’d not be good enough follow up to garner the same amount of followers.
As Zac said, it is time for everyone to graduate and do something more matured. All the Best to all the gang of HSM.

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