High School Musical

[Maleficent13]

I know I'm late to the bandwagon, but I just watched this last night.

Somewhere, John Hughes is weeping.

Obviously, I didn't get the appeal. There have to be others out there, don't there? Or am I the only one, since all I've heard for a year is how wonderful it is? It's okay if I am.

 

[orljustin]

How old are you? It's targeted at teens. It has cute stars. It has cliques, school, sports, romance troubles - things tweens can identify with. It has catchy pop songs, some cheesy humor. There's no profanity or particularly awkward situations, so it's good for family viewing. My 4yoDD loves it. I enjoyed watching it the first couple of times as well.

 

[MomofKatie]

I think it's OK- but it is really aimed more to the 'tweens than teens. Hughes movies were aimed firmly at the 14 and up crowd- I think some of them were even rated R! Breakfast Club dropped the F-bomb quite a few times.

In today's world, I don't think many of John Hughes movies could be made without lots of cleaning up- taking out the "non PC" elements (Long Duck Dong, Asian jokes, etc). It's a shame- those movies are far and away better than just about anything out there for teens nowadays. There can be graphic violence and sex in taday's teen movies, but not a few "adult" words or non-PC humor.

 

[pozey]

I thought the movie was really good. I am well past the targeted age group (WELL PAST), but I thought it was a very well done movie.

But then, I will watch a lot of the Disney Channel shows with my kids - Hannah Montana, Suite Life, and others.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Kind of an apples and oranges comparison, I would think.

John hughes didn't make Disney flicks--

I thought the movie was well done and well made for its target audience..tweens and teens who watch the Disney channel. It is a *musical* and really isn't a farce or anything about going against the establishment which is more how i see JH's films.

HSM also has a side audience of elementary school kids.

 

[Maleficent13]

I assumed the intended audience was, well, high schoolers, thus the title. I totally get the appeal for the 4yo to 10 yo set. But I have had a number of adults who have recommended this movie to me.

I guess I just expected a more polished product, not a bunch of teenagers who looked like they robbed the closet of Julie Newmar.

 

[Dodie]

I guess I just expected a more polished product, not a bunch of teenagers who looked like they robbed the closet of Julie Newmar.

I agree with you. I love musicals (and the Brat Pack movies by the way) and I watched it after all the hype and thought - ehhh. Of course, I don't have kids and assumed it was aimed at high schoolers too.

 

[Christine]

I hated it. And I had to endure the concert with my kids!

 

[elgerber]

I am about 25 years past the target market and I think it's great. It's sweet and fun and clean, perfect for tweens. I LOVE the old John Hughes films, but agree they were targeted truly at high schoolers, whereas this is for a younger set.
We have also seen the stage production, and I thought it was even much better than the film.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Ohhhh Good!!!
I am not the only one!!!

I knew that the target audience is the younger set. And, I went into it expecting as such.

However, this movie just left me going....

I thought it was LAME LAME LAME.

Not one memorable character or performance.
Not one memorable song.
Not one memorable ANYTHING.


And, for this thing to be all the rage, with broadway stage productions, etc????

I don't care what age group a film is geared for. A lame film is a lame film.

Monster's Inc. is a cartoon, watched mostly by little kids... It is GREAT!!!!
High School musical is NOT.

PS: My DS 2nd grade class is going to see a production of this at our local theatre. I am sooooo temped to just keep him home from school that day!!! We rented the DVD because of this fieldtrip. DS did not want to watch ONE minute of it.

 

[The_Horned_King]

I love this movie!!! ( I watch it every time it's on..and i own the dvd)
First and foremost if you do not liek Musicals you will not like this movie!

John hughes didn't make Disney flicks--

I thought the movie was well done and well made for its target audience..tweens and teens who watch the Disney channel. It is a *musical* and really isn't a farce or anything about going against the establishment which is more how i see JH's films.

HSM also has a side audience of elementary school kids.

Jh's films were not musicals. They had a different audience in different times. This movie has a huge audience of elementary/middle school kids. 9 out of 10 kids I team are inthrawled(sp?) with this film.

While the plot is cheesy and been done a million different ways.it's somethign different due to it being a musical. We do not have enough musicals tody.
It reminds me of the "kids" musical of my day as a kid..Newsies!((Christian bale was amazing in that movie by the way))

Onother way to think of HSM is to look at it like a Mickey Mouse club movie. Most of the kids were on other disney shows and many of them are on them now.

Man I wish they'd Bring back MMC.

Inshort many of you are compaireing it to to movies that are way different then it. where they are animated comedys, or live actions commentaries on culture. HSM is a teen musical with a little drama. All the kids can see themselves in one of the characters. and in the end it shows how differnet groups really aren't that different and we all have somethign we are good at,and we should not be afarid to show it!

 

[Wishing on a star]

First and foremost if you do not liek Musicals you will not like this movie!

Inshort many of you are compaireing it to to movies that are way different then it.

Sorry, but I disagree. The fact that this was a type of musical has nothing to do with my opinion that this movie is lame.

This movie is the same genre and plot as 'GREASE'

GREASE is a classic. NO comparison. IMHO, I still think that HSM is lame.

 

[Maleficent13]

FWIW, I love musicals.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I thought it was LAME LAME LAME.

Not one memorable character or performance.
Not one memorable song.
Not one memorable ANYTHING.

Monster's Inc. is a cartoon, watched mostly by little kids... It is GREAT!!!!
High School musical is NOT.

Sharpay is a RIOT!

"We're All In This Together" et all--can't get them out of my head...much like "It's a Small World"

Oh come on....Creme Brulee? The cheesy dance numbers? The basketball? Really?


And I hated Monster's Inc.

Different people, different tastes..but HSM has a much bigger following than Monster's Inc. Though I will admit it is very....New Kids on the Block-ish and will eventually..."go out of style".

 

[NMAmy]

I guess I just expected a more polished product, not a bunch of teenagers who looked like they robbed the closet of Julie Newmar.

Well, I know it wasn't ME who recommended it to you!

DD loved it at first--she really liked the music--but she's over it now, I think. She made me watch it with her and then made me stop when I mocked it.

She's 16, btw, and used to me mocking stuff. I had a blast mocking Laguna Beach.

Note to Mal: Do NOT watch Laguna Beach. Unless, you know, you want to come to our house and mock it with me.

 

[Maleficent13]

No Laguna Beach, got it.

I admit, I did mock. I feel bad though, since I did it to my friend who loves the movie. But come on...one of the guy's names is Corbin Bleu. That is TOO easy (and shame on his parents!!).