10 Greatest Disney Channel Original Movies
7. High School Musical
OK, but before you start throwing tomatoes at your computer screen, think back to those innocent care-free days when High School Musical first came out, before it became a giant snowball of prepubescent squealing.
No, High School Musical probably didn't deserve to become the phenomenon it was, with a dedicated preteen fanbase that launched the career of one Zac Efron. But compared to the quality of original programming you normally see on the Disney Channel, even the most jaded non-fan has to admit that it really isn't that terrible.
High School Musical is a musical about some kids who put on a high school musical and deal with various identity crises, so it's a pretty straightforward movie on all fronts.
The paper thin plot and attempts at giving characters layers by having them be like, "I'm a stoner but I play the cello and none of my friends understand me for having, like, more than one character trait," are laughable, but you know what does work? The songs.
They are perfect little bubblegum soundbites tailored expertly to their generically attractive and generally charming performers. Kids went crazy. And if that many preteens loved it, there must be something to it.