High School Musical 2 (2007)

This film is one of those incredibly rare things in the world of cinema: a sequel that is in fact better than the original.

The plot picks up right where the first film left off. It is finally summer, and the entire class at East High is beginning their summer break, and all of them are desperate for some summer work to both fill in their time and - more importantly - earn them some extra cash.

Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale), in an attempt to get closer to Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), convinces the boss at her family's country club, Mr. Fulton (Mark L. Taylor), to hire Troy to work there over the summer.

Troy accepts Fulton's invitation, but only on the condition that he also hire all of his friends, too.

And so, the whole gang is still together, most of them working in the kitchen. But Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) is the pool's lifeguard, and she and Troy are always trying to spend every available moment together, despite Sharpay's constant attempts to not only get Gabriella fired, but break up her and Troy so that she can step in.

The script - again by Peter Barsocchini - is just as 'Disney-fied' as the first film (that's a word now that I've coined it). The dialogue is incredibly stilted and unnatural, as the overarching plot (and more importantly, the need to have a happy ending to the detriment of any realism) takes centre stage and central importance.

Where the film truly shines, though, is in the songs. David Lawrence (also a returning talent from the first film) has written a whole slew of songs that are even better than the songs from the first film. Overall, the film feels much more like a musical than the previous one did, and the cast have all settled into their roles well by now. These few factors together make for a much more enjoyable film in my opinion.

Also returning is director (and choreographer) Kenny Ortega, who has pushed his cast even further this time around. The larger production numbers are incredibly well done, and the cast have also stepped up to the next level in their performances and execution of all the dance moves.

I also want to mention here Tom McKinley's excellent costume design. All the characters are well-defined by what they wear and - in particular - all of Sharpay's costumes are gorgeous. Working on this film must have been a lot of fun for everyone; it certainly is a lot of fun to watch.

As I mentioned above, this film is in all respects better than the first film. There was also a third film in the series, however, as with a lot of trilogies, the third part is a step backwards again as far as I am concerned (I will also be reviewing the third film, so stay tuned for that). This film is the clear standout as the best of the lot.

And the ending gets me every time.

7 out of 10.