“Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure”
on Blu-ray/DVD
I really liked the character of Sharpay from the High School Musical franchise; she was the perfect antidote to the almost too-perfect Troy (Zac Efron) & Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens). Breaking a comic villainess out on her own can be risky unless you have the perfect script and balance. Ashley Tisdale does her best, but there is only so much she can do with what she has been given here. She is more than capable of being the lead in a feature, but unfortunately, Disney has done her a disservice with (what appears to be) a quickly slapped together production. The predictability of the plot doesn't bother me (think "All About Eve" meets "Legally Blonde"); what does bother me is how poorly it's done (think "Legally Blonde 2").
The plot has Sharpay being presented with an opportunity to star in a Broadway play; against her father's better judgment (he feels she isn't capable enough for something so big), she seizes the moment and goes anyway, promising to return if she doesn't become a success in 30 days. Trouble begins when she's thrown out of the penthouse apartment that daddy arranged for her (no dogs allowed!) and only gets worse when she discovers that the Broadway play was only interested in her dog, Boi. But wait...there's more. Boi has competition; a snooty little rich boy, Roger Elliston (Bradley Steven Perry) has a female dog, Countess, that they are interested in as well. And let's not forget the star of the show: Amber Adams (Cameron Goodman), a two-faced nasty diva who turns Sharpay into her personal toilet-bowl scrubbing assistant, giving Sharpay false hope that Boi might be picked over Countess. Helping her make lemonade out of these lemons is Peyton Leverett (Austin Butler), a handsome young man whose parents are friends with Sharpay's family. He just happens to know of an available studio apartment in his building AND just happens to be the perfect cheerleader who falls head over heels for Sharpay. Will Boi get chosen? Will Sharpay get her dream within 30 days? Can Sharpay put aside her ambitions and snobbery and find love with Austin? You'll have to watch the movie to find out.
On the plus side: Ashley Tisdale is endearing in what could easily be a thoroughly unlikeable characer in the wrong hands. I also like the chemistry between her and Austin Butler; they balance each other very well. The rivalry between Sharpay and Roger is enjoyable, but really could have been developed a little more to better comic effect. It also appears that much of this movie was actually shot in New York City, giving it more of an authentic flavor.
I would recommend this one for the younger set; it is definitely family friendly and even though set in NYC, it doesn't really show the dark side of the city.
In the extras department, there are a few:
1. The Evolution of Sharpay: Tisdale hosts this look back at the development and maturity of her character, with clips from the "High School Musical" franchise. Interesting to see her through the years.
2. Bloopers: very short; fun...but short.
3. Austin Cam: During the movie, Austin's character (a film student) shoots Sharpay with his video camera. This featurette shows some of the behind-the-scenes footage that was captured as well as what Austin had to go through while shooting the faux footage of Sharpay. This is probably the most enjoyable feature.
OVERALL: it's fun, even though I was disappointed that they didn't give the character of Sharpay a better movie.
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