From the outside, I fully expected to hate the High School Musicalseries. The premise sounded awful and the legions of teeny-bopper fans, who I couldn't distinguish from Hannah Montana enthusiasts, didn't help. But, I like musicals, so I hadn't completely ruled out giving them a chance.
I'm glad that I caved. True, the musical numbers are filled with more cheese than all of France, but laughing at the ridiculousness of the hyper-reality (evident in all other musicals, though cranked to 11 in HSM) is the gateway into the nutty fun that these films provide. Once you let go after the first song of the first film, you're in and can start looking for the next impromptu sing-a-long. No one was bothered when the Von Trapp children sang about cuckoo clocks or when the Jets and Sharks danced around NYC as if it were one big playground. HSM is simply the evolution of the musical, and if it's a bit kid-centric and corny, then we need to get our heads out of the '60s and accept where the genre is heading.
Besides the strange appeal of the cheese, the positive characters and messages are the lasting legacies of the franchise. The films feature high schoolers who are excellent role models, all struggling with authentic teen issues and handling them in exceptional ways. The kids understand the value of friends and family, believing in yourself, and doing the right thing. Combined with fun songs, the overarching positivity make for strong, quality filmmaking.
At the start of HSM, I was ready to turn off the TV. By the end of HSM3, I was hoping that more songs from the earlier films would make a final curtain call before it was all over. Give it a shot, let yourself go, and you'll enjoy it, too.