High School Musical 2 (Blu-Ray)

Disney | 111 minutes | 2007 | G | Directed by: Kenny Ortega |
Blu-Ray reviewed by: Fusion3600

The crew from East High are ready for summer to kick off and while they will have to work, at least they've landed some of the coolest jobs around. Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgins) have been made part of the staff for the Lava Springs Resort, as have their friends Chad (Corbin Bleu) and Taylor (Monique Coleman). The friends count on a summer of fun and sun, but little do they know their new jobs come at a price. The resort is owned by the parents of Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) and the only reason the group was hired was so that she could keep Troy in her sights. Now she has all summer to woo him with her lavish lifestyle, but will Troy fall victim to her scheme?

In the world of movies, its next to impossible to capture the same kind of magic twice. That is why so few sequels have lived up to the originals, but when there is cash to be made, the studios won't let that slow down the sequel presses. High School Musical was kind of a left field success, a Disney Channel original that arrived with little fanfare, but would turn into a blockbuster that became the most watched show in basic cable history. So of course, Disney rushed out this sequel and while there is a little magic left, this is more assembly line than anything else. The original had such energy, but here things seem to be going through the motions, as if it were more machine than movie. More remake than true sequel, High School Musical 2 never tries to break new ground or find new visions, so we're left with a retread. But if your children loved the original, chances are they will like this sequel, so for the original's fans, at least give this a rental. This Blu-Ray release offers a stunning widescreen image, so if you're going to see the movie, this is the best way to check it out.

High School Musical 2 is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Now this is what I call high definition! This transfer shows off the movie's vivid, bright visuals in grand style. The colors are so vibrant here, you'll need shades, but the hues are always accurate and consistent. No concerns with contrast either, as black levels remain stark and dead on at all times. In terms of detail and depth, the movie looks almost three dimensional from start to finish. The image shows incredible detail in every scene, even long shots are impressive here. A few minor issues do surface here and there, but by and large, this is a knockout transfer and fans are in for a real treat.

The soundtrack is impressive too, but even this uncompressed PCM 5.1 option can only do so much here. While the visuals are slick and on par with major motion pictures, the sound design isn't that elaborate. So while this is a musical, the audio is rather basic and not as dynamic as you might expect. This is due to the source however, so don't blame this soundtrack, which does what it can given the material. The audio is good, don't mistake that, but it never hits the high levels like I wanted. Still, it sounds good and that is probably all we could ask in this case. This disc also includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 option, Spanish and French language tracks, and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.

The coolest of the supplements is a karaoke option, which allows you to either sing-a-long via subtitles of the vocals, or remove the vocals and go solo with your show tunes. This was a fun inclusion and while I don't plan on revisiting it, I am sure younger fans will have a blast with this. This disc also includes about forty minutes of footage taken during the dance number rehearsals, two music videos, an unused musical number, and a blooper reel.