High School Musical Locker Pack (Includes High School Music 1 & 2 and the Live Concert) [DVD] [2006]

The Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical is a combination of backstage action and Grease without the unwholesome habits. Scoring record ratings at the time of its US January 2006 broadcast, it's a smash hit with tween audiences (ages 6 to 10), but appealing for all ages. At a New Year's Eve party, Troy (Zac Efron of the WB's Summerland) has a chance meeting with Gabriella (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) when they share a karaoke song. Lo and behold, when school resumes, they discover that Gabriella has just transferred to Troy's East High School, a campus divided into tight cliques of jocks, cheerleaders, brainiacs, and skater dudes. Eager to recapture the magic they'd discovered during karaoke, Troy and Gabriella consider auditioning for the school's upcoming musical, much to the dismay of the school's frost queen/theatre goddess, Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody). Problem is, Troy is also the star of the basketball team and Gabrielle is being recruited to compete in the Scholastic Decathlon. Will they give up their cliques to start something new, or will they do as the show's first big anthem urges and "Stick to the Status Quo"? Well, this is a Disney movie, so maybe the sacrifices won't be that hard, and even the hints of romance are mild. --David Horiuchi

High School Musical 2 [2007]

What time is it? Time for High School Musical 2, the sequel to the Disney Channel smash that became the most-watched US basic-cable show ever. School is out, and Troy and Gabriella are looking forward to a summer to remember, but Troy also needs to make money so he can go to college. As it turns out, Sharpay, the self-proclaimed primo girl of East High, has her eye set on primo-boy Troy, and gets him a job at the country club her parents own. It looks great for Troy when Gabriella and the rest of the Wildcats are hired also, but when he gets preferential treatment from the club manager (Mark Taylor) and others, it puts all of his relationships in hot water. Everyone's back from the original movie, including Zac's buddy Chad (Corbin Bleu), Sharpay's brother Ryan (Lucas Grabeel), and Gabriella's friend Taylor (Monique Coleman). And the songs on the hit soundtrack often parallel the originals and are just as catchy: the Troy-Gabriella duet ("You Are the Music in Me," which is later Sharpay-ized into a rock version), the sports-flavoured hip-hop number ("I Don't Dance," but this time on the baseball diamond instead of the basketball court), the Gabriella lament ("Gotta Go My Own Way"), the climactic stage duet ("Everyday"), and the mass-ensemble closer ("All for One"). But the sequel doesn't just stick to the status quo. Other songs include a flashy opener ("What Time Is It"), Sharpay's poolside feature ("Fabulous"), a percussive ensemble number ("Work This Out"), and Zac's solo ("Bet On It"), and the dances are even bigger this time around, relentlessly high-energy and often spectacular. In addition, the "let's put on a show" angle is only a subplot and the romance is now front and centre--which means High School Musical has lost a bit of its innocence. But it's still wholesome viewing for tweens of all ages. --David Horiuchi

High School Musical - The Concert [2006]

To bridge the gap between the smash-hit Disney Channel original movie and its 2007 sequel, the cast of High School Musical embarked on a North American tour in 2006-2007. If you missed out on the experience of hearing thousands of screaming tween-age kids (probably 80% girls), never fear: the concert is now on DVD. The almost-complete cast comes out to perform every number from the movie, plus numbers by Vanessa Hudgens ("Say OK"), Corbin Bleu ("Push It to the Limit," "Marchin'"), and Ashley Tisdale ("We'll Be Together"), all promoting their solo albums. It's not a stage version of the show--while there's choreography and video clips, the songs aren't performed in order and there's no plot explanation. And at 56 minutes, it's a bit shorter than the actual show was (missing some solo numbers and stage banter). But the kids put out tons of energy and continually thank their fans. Also on hand are Lucas Grabeel, who serves as MC, and Monique Coleman. The only principal absent is Zac Efron (who was filming Hairspray), but Drew Seeley (who co-wrote "Get'cha Head in the Game" and reportedly dubbed Efron in the movie) does a good job filling in. --David Horiuchi