Which of the first two High School Musical movies is better? The first has iconic status, with numbers like Get Your Head in the Game, and All in this Together, and a subsequent broadway tour. I watched it a few days ago over facetime with my girlfriend and it held up perfectly since I last saw it, which may have been as many as eight years ago! Everything about this movie situates it perfectly in the early 2000s excess of Disney Channel: from the massive ensemble numbers, to the pristine high school setting, and even down to the costumes. However, I had two major gripes with this film: one, the dialogue, and two, the audio mixing. The dialogue in this film is just hilarious. I don’t usually use the word corny when I review a film, but when I do, it’s for a reason. Here’s an excerpt from IMDBs quotes list between the two love interests: “Gabrilla Montez: In my other schools, I was the freaky math girl. It’s cool coming here and being… whoever I wanna be. So, you wanna do the callbacks? Troy Bolton: Hey, just call me freaky callback boy!” Yes, this is a Disney Channel TV musical, I’m not expecting Tarantino dialogue, but nonetheless much of it seems very haphazard. On the topic of the audio issues, though the songwriters did an amazing job, in post-production the movie really lost steam. Soloists sound perfect, but backing vocals and instrumentals made me think I had a hearing issue, being so quiet that there are awkward long silences during dance breaks and large ensemble numbers. It really pulled me out of the action. But other than that, it’s a great story about unity and fun, perfect for a gloomier day.
The second film, however, is clearly the better of the two. The cast moves out of school to a summer gig at a country club, and the entire movie features beautiful landscapes from Utah. The story this time is a key part of what makes this movie amazing. Troy alienates his friends while pursuing his future, and has to learn to do the right thing and prioritize the right people, a story that a lot of us can relate to. My favorite number of the series, I Don’t Dance, takes place on a baseball field and features amazing choreography and just an overall jam. The whole cast comes together basically in a much more solid way than in the first film. Everyone just seems to be having so much more fun, and the audio issues from before seem to be fixed. Also, the dialogue is actually quite snappy compared to the first. It takes the formula from the first film and expands it in every way possible. In all, both are amazing, fun, and enjoyable films anyone should watch, with amazing music, choreography, and if you are nostalgic for the time these came out, you will have a blast.
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