'High School Musical 3: Senior Year" (G) (out of four)

For anyone who wants to bash "High School Musical 3," don't even think about it.

Released as a Disney Channel Original Movie on Jan. 20, 2006, the first "High School Musical" became the most successful television movie that Disney ever produced. And so the mania began. Ice shows, more television movies, merchandise -- you name it, it's got "High School Musical" plastered on it.

Now, "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," up on the 50-foot screen, is poised to dance and sing its way into box office record books. In London, at least, "HSM 3" broke records with the biggest advance ticket sales ever in movie history, beating record holder "Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire."

For tween girls, the target demographic of the movie, seeing the Disney Channel hit at the movies will be better than getting a deluxe makeover at Club Libby Liu.

Case in point: When the advance screening started, the theater erupted in squeals when the girls saw Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) bigger than life. It was definitely a Beatlemania moment. Efron, with his perfectly coiffed hair and blue eyes, is also knocking every teen heartthrob, including Daniel "Harry Potter" Radcliffe, off of their thrones.

In case you're wondering, there is a plot. The film opens with the ever-popular East High School Wildcats, with Bolton as captain, of course, in the last 16 minutes of their game, but they are also in the last 16 minutes as senior basketball players for the 'Cats.Of course, in "High School Musical" tradition, this leads to a jaw-dropping choreographed song "16 Minutes" using the basketball players, basketballs, cheerleaders and the crowd in the stands for a synchronized song and dance fest .

The song features the lyrics: "16, 16, 16 minutes left; Better get it done; 16, 16, 16 more minutes; Get ready, game on! "

While there are scenes where singing and dancing comes out of nowhere, such as the aforementioned basketball game, there is a real high school musical brewing in the land of movie subplots. The "let's put on a show" routine has been done more times than anyone can count since Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland uttered the line as teen heartthrobs back in "Babes In Arms" in 1939. Well, the formula works, and it works in "High School Musical 3."

Before senior year ends, the kids at East High will put on their spring musical. With more talent than one can even find at a High School for Performing Arts, East High's student body is loaded with it. They have a girl who can write and compose all the original music, and a boy choreographer who would give Bob Fosse a run for his money. But this is Disney land, so you'll just have to buy into it.

Meanwhile, Troy, in addition to being a star basketball player, is also an incredible singer and dancer. Brainy Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) is also just too talented. Of course, there's no question that the duo will star as the leads in the school play, much to the chagrin of perpetually pink Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tinsdale).

The musical follows the seniors through daily life and chronicles the ups and downs of the last few weeks of school including college decisions, prom night, true love, and many goodbyes.

And even though Troy, Gabs, and the rest of the crew are all off to college, there's no mistaking that "High School Musical 4" is already in the works.

This film introduced three sidekicks who appear to be ready to take center stage. Meanwhile, those who need a dose of Efron can catch him in another film musical. After his success in "Hairspray," he'll take on Kevin Bacon's role in the upcoming remake of "Footloose."