Film review: High School Musical 3

Release date & rating

24 October 2008. It's a U so anyone can go to see it!

The stars

Zac Efron is back as a more grown-up Troy. He's got a six-pack and wears gel in his hair now!

Vanessa Anne Hudgens plays his girlfriend Gabriella again. Ashley Tisdale returns as show-off Sharpay, and on the basketball courts Corbin Bleu is back as Troy's best mate Chad.

There are a couple of new faces too. 14-year-old Jemma McKenzie-Brown from Yorkshire plays Sharpay's personal assistant.

The plot

The gang are back at school after working through the summer (in case you missed it, they danced their way round a holiday complex to make High School Musical 2).

Jemma McKenzie-Brown is new to HSM

It's Senior Year now, which means they're all supposed to be concentrating on exams and getting into college. But it's pretty obvious they're still going to find time to make one last musical together!

Along the way there are some difficult choices for Troy and Gabriella though, who could end up hundreds of miles from each other when they go to different colleges at the end of the school year. And just who is the new English girl following Sharpay around?

Best bits

The dance routines are more spectacular than ever.

Troy and Chad make some shapes in a junk yard, and Sharpay manages to pull off some complicated moves wearing very high heels. If you thought her outfits were daring in HSM2, wait until you see these ones!

Gabriella (aka Vanessa) shows off her voice with some beautiful solos.

Fave characters

All the team have grown up and their acting has improved a lot.

Chad has some really funny lines in this movie. And I want to borrow all of Gabriella's gorgeous dresses!

Any weak bits?

Like all the HSM films, it is very cheesy and easy to predict what happens next.

There are lots of scenes involving Troy and Gabriella gazing into each other's eyes. I love romantic films, but I think some people could get a bit bored of watching them hugging and dancing together!

Hit or miss?

Definitely a hit. I preferred it to HSM2 - the songs and dances were much more dramatic. The cast is bigger because it is set back at East High instead of the holiday complex.

The ending reminds me of an old movie from the '90s called Sister Act 2. So if you love HSM3 you should definitely check that out too!

NR rating:

Have YOU seen it yet? Let us know what you thought of it! Send your reviews using the form on the right.

Your Comments

Come back after 24 October to read some of YOUR reviews.