High School Musical 2
(2007) – It’s quite surprising that I never formally reviewed this film, as
it’s my personal favorite in the trilogy.
The summer after High School Musical finds the Wildcats working at Lava Springs Country Club; Troy (Zac
Efron) and Chad (Corbin Bleu) are on kitchen duty, while Gabriella (Vanessa
Hudgens) lifeguards for pampered twins Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) and Ryan (Lucas
Grabeel). What I like best about this
film is the way it deepens the character relationships significant. Troy and Chad get a trial-by-fire when the
former’s future calls, and Ryan gains some self-confidence by stepping out of
his sister’s shadow (indeed, Grabeel steals the show with a layered
performance). It’s not that you’re
looking at Oscar-caliber performances, but after the first film the crew
clearly know the strengths of their cast and play to those strengths, as when
Troy and Sharpay get the duet you didn’t know you wanted from the first
film. The songs, too, are catchier,
capturing the exuberance of summer vacation balanced by a fear of an uncertain
future. Wisely, Disney keeps the angst
at bay, never surrendering the zeitgeisty just-have-fun of the plot and
maintaining a high-energy infectious enthusiasm. If you’re not smiling during Troy’s “Bet on It” number (or, more likely, guffawing at the goofiness), then you’re likely too
cool for the room, a resident of Hipster Central, Population: You. The hallucinatory “Humuhumunukunukuapua’a”
alone is worth the price of admission for that weird moment when Disney meets
David Lynch. More of the same, really,
from the first film, just bigger and better, setting the stage for the third installment in the trilogy with, finally, a big kiss on the Lava Springs golf
course.That does it for this week’s edition of “Monday at the Movies.” We’ll see you here next week, but don’t forget to tune in this Friday for the Double-Oh-Seventh of the month with a very special returning star!
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