Movie Review: High School Musical 2
Common Sense Media Review
If the powers that be at Disney were at all jittery about following up on the unexpectedly tremendous success of High School Musical, their nerves sure don't show in the equally entertaining sequel HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2.
It's the start of summer break for the East High Wildcats, and lots of the students are eagerly anticipating a fun vacation. But for many of the teens -- including basketball star Troy (Zac Efron) -- the start of summer is a harsh reminder that they haven't yet nailed down jobs for the next few months.
So when Zac is offered a job at a posh country club, not only does he jump at the opportunity, but he gets his friends hired there as well. After all, what better way to spend the summer than working alongside girlfriend Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), longtime buddy Chad (Corbin Bleu), and a bunch of other Wildcats?
Little does Troy know that the scheming socialite behind the job offer was snooty Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale), whose daddy owns the club and who has her summer sights set on snatching Troy out of Gabriella's arms. But the bossy blonde bombshell is thrown into a tizzy when she discovers that Troy has arrived with an unexpected entourage. She redoubles her efforts to keep him from his friends and immerse him in her high-society life, tempting him with a flashy job, famous friends, and the promise of a college basketball scholarship if he devotes his time to her.
But the longer Troy struggles to fit in to this new world, the more he finds himself separated from his friends -- and Gabriella. Eventually he has to choose between this fast track to success and the person he knows himself to be.
For fans of the first High School Musical, the sequel picks up right where the original left off, not missing a beat with 10 catchy new songs and improved choreography. A little extra maturity in the cast only increases the characters' likeability, and the slightly more emotional storyline (Efron even seems on the brink of tears during one sad scene) will win points with older viewers who may tire of teen issues being too easily resolved on TV.
There's no doubt that tweens will flock to HSM2 like they did to the first, and, once again, parents can rest assured that there's nothing to worry about here -- unless you take exception to the movie's sparkling, sanitized view of teen life. There's no bad language, no violence, no drinking, and only one kiss (which, as in the original, is reserved for the end of the movie). Tweens who tune in will be treated to positive messages about relatable issues like overcoming cliques, valuing friendship, being true to yourself, and standing up for what you believe in.
Tween fans may also enjoy the tie-in soundtrack, as well as the HSM video game. And for more Disney TV-movie fun, try The Cheetah Girls, or check out HSM co-star Corbin Bleu in Jump In!
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that although this energy-packed sequel to the wildly popular High School Musical presents a fairly sanitized view of teen life -- wrongs are righted in the end, all parties walk away friends, etc. -- it also has plenty of positive messages about being true to yourself, following your own path in life, and valuing true friendship. Staying true to its squeaky-clean predecessor, the sequel spends more time on music than on making out (in fact, there's only one kiss, and it comes at the end), and there's really nothing here that's likely to concern parents of tweens.
Families can talk about how the media typically presents teen life. Do you think people get an inaccurate view of teen life from TV? Why or why not? Tweens: Do you find the characters and scenarios in this movie believable? Why or why not? Were any of the issues the characters faced similar to ones you've experienced? If so, how did you handle them? Families can also discuss how this movie compares to the original. How have the characters changed since the first High School Musical? Which do you like better? Why?
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
Join Us