A large amount of movies revolve around high school, although there is no distinct amount or percentage to point at, if you were to look up any category of movie a large chunk of the results will most likely focus on a group of teens. So of course quite a few movies revolve around the ending of high school as well as graduation. The day every student looks forward to and prepares for, when you get to walk across a stage in front of hundreds of people and flip that tassel over your grad cap. Surprisingly, it was hard to find movies that centered around graduating, yes there were many coming of age movies that roughly took place around graduation season, but none about graduating itself. So when someone jokingly offered up the beloved High School Musical 3: Senior year, I didn’t have much of an option to decline. Although I grew up on the first two High School Musical movies, young me never got around to watching the third, I suppose little me was so starstruck by High School Musical 2, with the songs and overall fun energy, I was content enough to glaze over the third. In order to really appreciate the build-up that led to the third instalment of the High School Musical trilogy, I decided to rewatch the other two movies before my watch of the third, and in complete earnest it was a very nostalgic moment. As I inch closer to my own graduation, reminiscing on the movies of my development, both the good and the bad, has been a fun way to look back at my childhood. Now to get to the reason everyone is reading this article, the review of the beloved High School Musical: 3, as always spoilers ahead.
Although a popular movie from many peoples childhood, the original High School Musical had a budget of only $4.2 Million, which may sound like a lot but a common D-list Disney film has a budget of up to $180 million. Lack of budget aside, it became a popular hit with the second movie coming barely a year after, and the third installment releasing a year after that. One of the first things I noticed while watching this movie specifically was the bump in quality it had compared to the previous two, while one could definitely see the cheapness of the first two parts of High School Musical; the third was noticeably higher budget with improved lighting, set design, and even editing.
The film mostly follows Troy and his journey through his last year of high school, facing the difficult decisions of his future. And although I don’t believe High School Musical needed three installments of the movie, (it starts to feel like a cash grab), I do believe that this movie finished off the trilogy very well, especially since the audience who grew up with it eventually faces many of the same issues the beloved characters do. Competing for a scholarship, picking between passions, and facing the realization relationships past high school can get complicated, are the most common issues a senior will face. So watching this for the first time in my senior year certainly made it more relatable as silly as it may seem.
Overall, I believe that the creators of High School Musical did the best they could considering it was a Disney movie. They were able to show viewers that having many passions is ok, along with reassuring them that relationships may change during different times, but that doesn’t mean they end. As ridiculous it may seem, considering the utter stupidity these movies have at times, they’re a good way for younger audiences to understand simple and common issues in a fun way. And for the older audience (like yours truly) it’s a nostalgic moment that allows you to connect with a younger, more impressionable you, before the difficulties and fond memories of high school . Or maybe it’s just a dumb movie about singing, theater, and basketball, who’s to say. Overall, High School Musical 3: Senior Year gets 3 out of 5 stars. If you’re looking for an iconic, funny and entertaining movie to finish off your senior year, this is definitely not the first movie to watch, but it should be on the list.
