It's like Grease but with no cigarettes- High School Musical

I must admit when it comes to films for my kids, I tend to be pretty particular. I had avoided High School Musical for years thinking it was for kids maybe in 4th grade and up, but over Thanksgiving weekend my crew and I watched the first film- just titled High School Musical. I must say I was pretty pleased in how this film was made- no risqué topics at all.

So, we start off the movie and Troy (Zac Effron) and his parents are on a winter vacation and Troy's mom tells him to go out on New Year's Eve and have some fun. He gets drug into a karaoke song with Gabriella (Vanessa Anne Hudgens). Turns out the two have a good time singing together and they exchange numbers. Low and behold when Troy returns to school at East High, there's Gabriella coming in as a new student. But, turns out that Troy is known as a big jock on the basketball team where his dad is coach and they are vying hard to win a basketball championship. Little does he know too that Gabriella is a ‘brain' in school and is really talented in math.

So, here we are with kids from two opposite ends of the spectrum. They both have other friends, but there are tryouts for the musical at school. Troy really wants to try out, but afraid to because he thinks his teammates will make fun of him. Gabriella is scared to try out because she wants to fit in rather than stand out. Also, there are two other problems by the name of Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) and her brother Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) who are really over the top in their musical performances and have been stars in every musical the school has ever had and they even have their own choreographers and such.

Well, Troy and Gabriella still really want to try out- so they both sneak around on the day of tryouts and miss out. They sing together anyway and the drama teacher happens to hear them and invites them back to callbacks. This infuriates Sharpay and Ryan and they have to figure out a way to get them out of the way.

Meanwhile, Troy has another problem which is keeping the whole musical and singing deal under wraps from his teammates. He sneaks around a lot and leaves them suspicious. Eventually they find out about it and have a fit so he tells them he won't go to the callback. Gabriella finds this out and quits and turns out Troy did want to try out but just didn't know how to tell them. Bummer.

Eventually, Troy's teammates get a grip and realize they shouldn't be dogging him out about wanting to sing. So, it all gets back on again. That is until Sharpay and Ryan convince the drama teacher to hold the callbacks as the same time as the championship game for Troy and Gabriella's Math Decathlon.  Oh fiddlesticks! Well, anyway, they find a way to have the tryouts and they win the parts in the musical. Yay.

I must say this movie reminds me of Grease- only without the cigarettes, acting slutty to win John Travolta, and the whole pregnancy thing. A very toned down Grease if you will that is appropriate for my kiddos. Is it cheesy? Well yeah, to an adult's perspective, but put yourself in a 7 year old's shoes and you'll see this stuff is cool. Lots of dance numbers, catchy songs, and gosh I even find myself singing the songs. It's one of those movies that it all works out, and it won't have you on the edge of your seat, but I mean, it's for kids so it works for me. Overall, I thought it was a pretty sweet movie and no risqué topics that wouldn't be appropriate for my kids.