I have been thinking about starting a forum on this site for quite some time, and finally decided to go for it.

We’ve all had some really fun discussions on the blog using the comments sections, so I hope we can continue that here on the new forum. That way the comments sections can stay on topic, and we can all still talk about how cute Selena Gomez is.

And look at that, I just happen to have a picture of Selena using her laptop on the set of the Wizards movie.

Sorry, I’m getting distracted.

I’ve started us off with five forum sections: Announcements, Disney Channel Shows, Disney Channel Stars, General Disney, and Off-Topicness.

I these should be a good match for the topics I think will spring up here, but we’ll make adjustments as necessary. If you have any thoughts on our format or layout please let me know! I’m very open to making changes if desired.

Check out the New DC Fans Forum, Already!

And I’m not ashamed to admit that I teared up a couple times. Especially at the rooftop dance scene.

There are great caps of the big six characters: Troy Bolton (Zac Efron),

Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens),

Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale),

Chad Danforth (Corbin Bleu),

Ryan Evans (Lucas Grabeel),

and Taylor McKessie (Monique Coleman).

Although I wonder if Taylor is really deserving of being a “big six” character. Would anyone have really noticed if she had been replaced with a large rock? LOL

We also got a few good shots of Kelsi (Olesya Rulin),

and Tiara Gold (Jemma McKenzie-Brown).

Hats off to our wildcats!

(And when they make HSM4 they better bring Sharpay back after they left the door open for it.)

I just wanted to remind everyone that HSM3 comes out on DVD February 17, 2009.

I’ve already pre-ordered mine on Amazon. Right now it’s only $15.99 for the basic DVD.

So we start the movie with a tight shot on Troy, with East High behind and in crisis. Okay, not quite what I expected, but it did lead to a good setup for “Now or Never”

The after party was kinda unexpected. I thought we might have a plot point involving a stolen or missing trophy, but nothing happened there. They where playing Aly & AJ’s “Like Woah” when Troy and Chad got there, and they played a Jordan Pruitt song as well.

The tree house scene made me think of the tree house scene in kim Possible: So the Drama. Not that there was much similarity at all, but that’s where my mind went.

Sharpay sure knows how to make an entrance, even if it took two songs before we even see her. I loved how there where all the guys reacting to her hotness.

I like how, even with an expanded cast, everyone conveniently has the same homeroom. And it’s always just long enough to go over what they have to discuss.

“I want it All” played out on screen a little differently than I had imagined. And Sharpay’s outfit didn’t seem nearly as scandalous on the big screen. And maid Gabriella? OMG so racist, but so much fun too.

I had read a review that was highly critical of the well manicured roof of Eash High. It was absolutely beautiful how they did that, and in my opinion of the best scenes in the entire film. Okay, it wasn’t realistic, but it was a real treasure.

The Junkyard scene was a highlight. I’m no Troy or Chad fan, but it was quite a powerful performance. And the litle Troy and chad at ne point – that was unexpected. Troy’s later solo song through the halls of East High was equally if not more powerful. Quite reminiscent of his solo in HSM2. I must give Zac Efron credit for that.

The part where chad was trying to ask Taylor to the prom was like every guy’s worst nightmare. She knows what he means so she should just say yes already. [/guy code]

Tiara really is a mini-Sharpay. Not only does she get the info on Gabriella’s scholarship, she researches it online and gives it to Sharpay, who plants the seeds in Troy’s head.

Gabriella just left? That’s insane. Like, I know people who’ve done that and it drives me nuts.

So Sharpay got Gabriella’s part. If feels like we’ve been down this road before…

Gabriella refuses to come back, so Troy goes to get her. Wonderful, exactly what I would have done, well, you know, if gas wasn’t so expensive.

Sharpay’s greenish dress was awesome. On the same level as the orginal blue one from Bob to the Top, IMO. But what was the “rocket man” wearing? My goodness, I felt bad for Sharpay. And then, if that wasn’t enough, the Tiara stabs her in the back right after that? My goodness.

Ryan did “I want it all” in the musical within the musical. Seems kinda strange, but it does explain the girls in cat ears, sort of.

The on stage graduation type sequence was a little strange. If only beacuse it included things like the Julliard results. I suppose talent scouts must make quick decisions. I’m not sure about the necessity of having Chad run off stage followed by Troy. At least Troy’s dad realized they needed to get back to the show.

The finale & graduation number was high energy fun, like the other movie endings, but this one, and I don’t know why lacked something.

I did like the curtain call, though. I agree with one review I had read that called it “long overdue.”

——

So with the details covered, it’s clear that overarching theme for the film is a sort of self discovery, what do I do next? sort of thing. For Sharpay that means getting the Julliard scholarship. And yet… she doesn’t actually do anything to the three people she’s actually competing with. All she did was once again try to bump of Gabriella. For Gabriella, it’s more of an issue of how she’s going to leave, not where she’s going. And for Troy, well, he’s the one who really wants it all. And in the end, he pulled a rabbit out of a hat that let him keep Basketball, the theater, and the girl. Seems like a bit of a cop out.

At first, I was disappointed with how they where underusing Ashley Tisdale, but they made up for in in the second half. The two new Wildcats where forgettable. Even if they had one half naked scene. Tiara Gold will be interesting to see again, but she’s not a very likable bad girl. Not in the way that Sharpay was likable. I did find it somewhat interesting how Sharpay offered to help run the drama department after graduation, might they bring Sharpay back for HSM4?

Overall rating, four out of five. I will have to get the DVD when they release it.

The nominees are:

Chris Warren Jr - Plays Zeke Baylor in High School Musical 3

Son of actress Brook Kerr performing ran through the blood and through the family. Chris already had a pedigree in film acting before joining the High School Musical with performances in films like ‘Love and basketball’ and ‘Hardball.’ He has also had appearances and roles in various children’s and daytime TV programmes.

Corbin Bleu - Plays Chad Danforth in High School Musical 3

This nineteen year old has successfully managed to break the acting and music industry since his first appearance in High School Musical. Corbin is one of the few HSM stars to get work in another Disney Original Film as he followed up High School Musical with a starring role in Jump In. This film helped him launch his debut solo track “Push it to the Limit” which burst in to the top twenty in America.

Jemma McKenzie-Brown – Plays Tiara Gold in High School Musical 3

Jemma is the latest addition to the High School Musical cast debuting in the third instalment as the new character of Tiara Gold a mini Sharpay. She is also the only British actress with a main role in the film franchise. Jemma has also appeared in ‘The Amazing Mrs. Prichard’ and ‘M.I High.’ Jemma is a student of the Sylvia Young Theatre School.

Olesya Rulin – Plays Kelsi Nielsen in High School Musical 3

Originally from Russia Olesya immigrated to America at a young age. Since then she has established herself as a young actress securing her first major acting role at fifteen. Olesya has appeared in a handful of Disney Original films outside of High School Musical as well as soap operas. She also has starring roles lined up in films with Jessica Simpson and Billy Ray Cyrus due out over the next year.

Lucas Grabeel – Plays Ryan Evans in High School Musical 3

Lucas has been involved in many Disney productions and as well as being an actor is a singer songwriter having worked on various Disney soundtracks. Following on from his work on High School Musical Lucas has secured various guest roles on a variety of hit TV series like Smallville and Boston Legal. Lucas is also involved in three films due for release over the next year.

You can cast your vote here: http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com/awards/index.php

Jemma McKenzie-Brown makes her premiere as Tiara Gold in high School Musical 3.

Considering this latest incarnation of “High School Musical” has the added line of “Senior Year” to its title, I think we can all be pretty sure this is the last we will be seeing of Zac, Vanessa, Ashley, Lucas, Monique or Corbin in the halls of East High. Unless of course someone wants to make “College Musical.” Instead, should this feature film version of “High School Musical” be a huge hit, I think Disney may keep its franchise alive by introducing us to a brand new class of kids.

That’s exactly why I think such a big deal has been made about the three new cast members making their debut in HSM3. Disney held an international casting search involving over 1,000 teen actors across the United States, Canada, and the U.K. to find three sophomore Wildcats. Matt Prokop, Justin Martin, and Jemma McKenzie-Brown were the lucky three plucked out of near obscurity.

17-year-old Matt’s biggest role to date was a small part in “Hannah Montana”. 14-year-old Justin played Simba in “The Lion King” on Broadway. British born Jemma had a role in a BBC show called “The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard.” After this film comes out October 24th, I have no doubt their names will become as familiar to pre-teen and teenage girls everywhere as the rest of the HSM cast.

I traveled to the set and had a chance to sit down with the three newbie’s who seem to be fitting in with the group quite perfectly. Ashley Tisdale has taken Jemma under her wing. Vanessa Hudgens admits to whipping out her English accent around Jemma. Corbin Bleu has the gang over to his room almost every night to play video games. Everyone is giving the trio tips on how to stay grounded should fame strike. According to Matt their main advice was not let fame go to their heads,

“Be yourself mainly. That’s the one thing they said. With all of the success, just don’t change. Just be who you are and true to yourself.”

Matt, who before this role never sang or danced, plays Jimmie “The Rocket” Zara, a basketball player who idolizes Zac’s character, Troy Bolton. He told me being famous is not why he took this part,

“I think we’re all in it just to be an actor and just enjoy acting more than the fans and the fame. It’s all about a career.”

Justin is Jimmie’s “partner in crime” as he calls it, Donny, who is the basketball teams ball boy. He’s a small little guy with a huge personality who wants to be the next Will Smith or Denzel Washington. Justin’s big personality landed him at the hospital though with a bad bruise while on set a few weeks ago,

“I have no gymnastics or tumbling background and I decided I was going to do a back flip on some cement and it didn’t work out well.”

Jemma comes to East High as Tiara Gold; a British foreign exchange student who has her sights set on Sharpay and becomes her personal assistant. She told me that from the moment the news came out she was cast her life changed,

“My friend wrote me and said just type in McKenzie-Brown in Google. I typed it in and flash, flash, flash. Matt Prokop, Justin Martin, Jemma McKenzie-Brown all over. It was crazy!”

Those Google searches are only going to grow and grow when the film comes out on the big screen this fall!

I think it’s crazy how just being announced as a star in an upcoming DCOM gets people so much attention. Just look at what’s happened to Demi Lovato – And Camp Rock’s still a week away!