The theatrical debut of the monster Disney Channel hit "High School Musical" raises several urgent questions: Will the TV movie translate to the big screen? Will Troy (Zac Efron) stay in New Mexico to play basketball for the local "U. of A." or go to New York to be the Romeo of Juilliard? What will become of his made-in-heaven romance with the brainy and beautiful Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens)?

And, for the love of Bob Fosse and all that's holy, what is Gov. Bill Richardson putting in the school lunches out there?

Set in the preternaturally clean and well-lit East High School, "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" offers a resounding "yes" to the first question, splashing brightly across the screen like a spilled bag of Skittles. A nonstop barrage of poppy power ballads and ambitious production numbers, this is a movie that unapologetically subscribes to the "more is more" school of entertainment, with each sequence proving somehow more dazzling than the last. Like last summer's "Mamma Mia!," it's also a movie aimed laser-like at one constituency: the fans. But unlike that train wreck of miscasting and forced cheer, and despite its own synthetic, over-processed production values, "High School Musical 3" exudes genuine appeal, thanks to director Kenny Ortega's brilliant choreography and a gifted cast.

-- Ann Hornaday (Oct. 24, 2008)

Contains nothing offensive.