If you're 15 years old or younger, are American and have blood pumping through your veins, there's a 99.9% chance you've seen "High School Musical" ... and you probably love it.
If you only fit the last two criteria, you might have heard of the Disney Channel's made-for-TV movie sensation. You should know that the soundtrack to the original production was the top-selling album in the United States last year. Period. And the premiere of it's second installment a couple weeks ago was the most-viewed basic cable program. Ever.
Another movie that premiered a couple weeks back is called "Super Bad." It opened in theaters and brought in an ultra-hefty $33 million. That's a lot of money for the opening weekend of any movie, let alone a non-action-blockbuster type.
But what makes me happy to no end is that if "High School Musical 2" played in theaters instead of on TV, the 17.2 million people who watched would have blown "Super Bad" out of the water at the box office. If you figure approximately $7 a ticket, that would come to $119 million. Wow.
Why does this make me so happy? Because both movies are about teenagers in high school -- that's where the similarities end. "High School Musical" is a squeaky clean production aimed primarily at "tweenagers," and "Super Bad" is an R-rated film with content more suitable for the college-aged. I have watched the Disney musicals; finding a sexual innuendo or anything that could be construed as a double-entendre is impossible. I have NOT watched "Super Bad," nor do I have to because I read a lengthy content analysis. That sealed it.
I am so sick and tired of the movies that highlight teenage boys who only care about one thing and teenage girls who hop in bed with them. Enough, already! We get it. The boys-stopping-at-nothing-to-lose-their-virginity-before-graduation movie ceased being funny the twelfth time it was made.
I must warn you, before you venture into the world of "High School Musical," it is cheesy to the Nth degree. At times, wince-inducingly cheesy. But it's wholesome and fun and makes you think there is hope for our youngsters yet if this is what they're fixated on. Even though the plots are predictable, the characters are endearing and there are moments of realism. And with any luck, you won't be able to get those songs out of your head.
I'll take that over a college comedy masquerading as a teen movie any day.
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5 comments:
I haven't seen High School Musical.... yet. I've noticed it in the racks at the movie rental place and thought, "Hmm, I wonder if that's any good?" I'll look into it :)
Okay, now I'm gonna have to rent High School Musical. :)
Thanks for the movie reviews!
And if you watch High School Musical AND you're someone whose phone number I have, then I will call you sing the songs to you.
Now if THAT doesn't convince you, I don't know what will.
A propos of your comment on my blog:
I sent an e-mail to the last address I had... a brief one... did you get it?
I watched it. Extreme cheese would be a correct evaluation. But cheese is good on lots of things: nachos, burritos, scrambled eggs. It's one of those things that should be incorporated in everyone's diet, unless of course you are lactose intolerent because then it only makes your stomach hurt. All that to say, I did like the movie.
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