Yes, a fifth Toy Story has just been announced, but we will likely never get over the ultra-moving end of Toy Story 3. And, of course, there are musical breaks abound, with Hudgens' breakup ballad 'Gotta Go My Own Way' as the emotional apex, while Tisdale is typically fabulous in numbers like, well, 'Fabulous.' As EW 's 2007 review states, 'Puppy love is grand, but for anyone who truly appreciates the let's-put-on-a-show spirit that HSM embodies, I'm not sure that Sharpay isn't the real heroine after all.'

Soon, Troy ( Zac Efron) is in the midst of an actually realistic teen quandary, as resort bigwig Sharpay ( Ashley Tisdale) can use her considerable influence to open doors for him - but his friendships and relationship with Gabriella ( Vanessa Hudgens) may suffer as a result.īecause it's HSM, Troy chooses the loyalty option (friends!) over the advantageous one (opportunities!), but Efron ably sells the adolescent drama, which easily bests the other HSM movies. High School Musical 2 shows the East High Wildcats in the offseason as they turn to summer jobs at a country club in their native Arizona. The third chapter in the saga of Alex the lion ( Ben Stiller) and his Central Park Zoo pals… has timing up the wazoo.'įrankly, we think these kids are more fun when you take them out of school. As EW 's critic wrote, 'In animation, the next best thing to a grand vision is crack comic timing. The opening chase scene across Monte Carlo by an obsessed animal control officer (voiced by an excellent Frances McDormand) raised the cumulative blood pressure of the audience by at least a few points, and things just got more madcap from there.Įventually, the troupe meets up with a Russian circus for a finale to the tune of Katy Perry's 'Firework,' which truly is fireworks-worthy, helping cement Madagascar 3 as the most purely entertaining installment. Madagascar 3 took that staid formula and kicked the absurdity up about 10 notches.

The true high points of the franchise were the secret agent penguins and eccentric lemurs the quartet met along the way. The first two Madagascar movies were okay, following four disparate animal friends from a New York zoo who must somehow adapt to life in the wild.

Eclipse Child by Kirsten A. Everett