The saga continues in another "High School Musical 2" hit

The much-anticipated debut of "High School Musical 2" did not disappoint its millions of fans across the country, including my own daughters. I was a skeptical parent who finally succumbed to the HSM fever and watched the show, only to discover it was quite entertaining. So when I heard HSM2 was being released, I admit being caught up in the excitement. And it did not disappoint. We follow the story of the main characters, Troy and Gabriella, who are high school sweathearts, but have yet to share their first kiss. High school is now over for the summer. Both promise to spend time together and hope to make it a memorable summer. But Gabriella's rival, Sharpay, has other plans. She uses her influence to have Troy hired at the family country club where she can keep an eye on him. But to her dismay, Troy gets his friends jobs there, including Gabriella. Sharpay wields her influence by promising Troy access to the right people who will determine college scholarships at the local university. Along the way, Troy blows off his friends while he works the influential crowd. Of course this does not sit well with Gabriella who ends up quitting her job and leaving. Meanwhile, Troy's friends prepared to participate in the club's talent show, but Sharpay once again wields her influence to exclude club employees. But we know there's a happy ending. Troy comes to his senses, and the show must go on. Troy realizes he cannot abandon his friends and become someone he's not even though earning a scholarship is important. Once again we are treated to engaging musical numbers which capture each moment and relate the feelings and the relationships between Troy and Gabriella and their friends. The talent show finale is an excellent example. Troy and Gabriella reunite in a beautiful duet. I can't wait to see what they come up with for "High School Musical 3!"

Catchy tunes and fun characters in High School Musical

My daughters caught the "High School Musical" fever like millions of other children and teenagers last year. Friends of theirs had a DVD which they borrowed. Well before you know it, my girls are singing "Something New" and "Were All in This Together," among others, morning, noon and night. It was starting to drive me crazy. They were also trying to mimic the dance steps. I had to find out what the attraction was. Well little did I know that I'd become a "High School Musical" fan too! There are very few movies you can label "wholesome," and this is one of them. This musical has no profanity and imparts a positive message. As a parent, you can't ask for better than that. The main characters, Troy and Gabriella, are high school juniors who are randomly paired to sing a duet karoke style. They both like singing but have never nurtured it. Gabriella ends up moving to Troy's hometown and attends his high school. She's the "brainiac" and he's the star of the basketball team. Both secretly harbor desires to break out of their respective labels and sing in the high school production, but their friends discourage them. Who doesn't relate to high school peer pressure? In the end, Troy and Gabriella's friends realize they were wrong to do that and end up encouraging their friends to participate in the call back. They all show up to cheer their friends on and realize what amazing singers Troy and Gabriella are. Bottom line: break out of the mold and follow your dream. The musical numbers throughout the movie capture each moment beautifully and showcase the amazing talents of the young actors and actresses. Not only do they have to act, they must sing and dance as well. I don't think I'm going out on a limb for predicting a bright future for the cast of "High School Musical," especially the lead actors, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens.

More Beauty than Beast

I will freely admit that I, an adult of middle age, enjoy watching Disney movies. It's a guilty pleasure I have. If you look at it objectively, you have to concur that these animated movies are beautifully done. Those in charge of the script took pity upon the parents who will have to schlep their children every year to a movie theater to watch these movies by adding humor adults can appreciate. Even the songs are catchy! So recently I revisited the magic of "Beauty and the Beast." Here is a heroine, Belle, young girls can emulate. She's a young woman who loves to read and to learn. She's also a devoted daughter to her father. The story unfolds as a concerned Belle searches for her father who's late returning from an errand.
Belle shows much courage as she confronts a beast who has imprisoned her father. The Beast agrees to release her father, but in exchange, Belle must remain his prisoner. Over the course of time, Belle discovers that there's more to the Beast than meets the eye. Along the way we're treated to some amazing and creative songs which capture the moment and help illustrate the story. And what would a heroine be without her sidekicks? The ready, willing and able army of a "tea cup," "teapot," "candlestick", and "clock" aid Belle in "battle." These characters help round out the beautifully animated love story of one beauty and a beast. I know I won't give anything away by saying that the story has a happy ending. I highly recommend watching "Beauty and the Beast" with your children. It's nothing to be ashamed of. I proudly proclaim to be a fan!

SWAT -- Non-Stop Action

I watched the movie SWAT with my son the other day. I was a little nervous because even though he is a teenager, I don't like him watching movies with mature themes. Unfortunately, many action movies contain gratuitous scenes of sex and also have a lot of bad language. I don't mind violence. I mean we all love seeing gun battles. But I could really do without some of the other stuff.
That's why SWAT is go good. There is no nudity or "mature" scenes. Yes, there is a lot of cursing, but as my son pointed out, real cops do curse a lot. Let's face it. Today, kids have heard every word in the book even before they become teenagers, so I wasn't that alarmed.
What I really liked about SWAT is the action. Almost from the time the film starts, we get one fast paced action scene after another. The movie starts with the SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) squad responding to a bank robbery. The bank robbers have taken hostages and are threatening to kill them. The police want to negotiate. Two SWAT members, T.J. and Gamble, have other ideas. They decide to drop down from the roof and shoot the bad guys. In the fight, a hostage is shot by a SWAT member. The result is that both SWAT team members get in big trouble. T.J. agrees to hang up his gun and work in the equipment room. Gamble, who thinks he was right about the decision to disobey orders, leaves the force.
A new commander picks T.J. as part of his new squad. Soon, T.J. is back in action fighting the most dangerous criminals. Of course, it is no surprise when we see that Gamble has gone bad. Everyone knows that the final scene will be a fight to the death between T.J. and Gamble, but we still love to see it.
SWAT is a great film. However, one word of warning. It is not a "date" film so don't even think about it. Take the guys, not a romantic interest.