High School Musical - 6 stars out of 10

High School Musical - 6 stars out of 10

I'll admit it... "High School Musical" is a guilty pleasure for me. While it has been put down for its made-for-tv quality and less-than-perfect singers, there is no denying that its plot creates a social commentary of the life of any teenager and that its music is really catchy! I credit the writers for using the music to advance the plot as each song (even the show tunes) lines up perfectly/comments on what is happening within the story. I don't think that Disney could have ever imagined that HSM would become a phenomenon when they began production. It's success is obvious from its two sequels (including one on the big screen) and by boosting the careers of each of its main characters. Among the leads, the most impressive performances come from Ashley Tisdale who is so far over the top that you cannot look away, Monique Coleman whose small role leaves a large impression, and Lucas Grabeel, who is the only actor in the film with true singing ability. Although I do not support the severe amount of autotuning to the singers' voices (to the point that most of it sounds electronic), particularly Zac Efron, I still enjoy this story that teachers experience every day of work and the catchy tunes that get stuck in your head for weeks.