This weekend, I took a break from campus and midterms and returned to senior year ? High School Musical-style. The theater for the premiere of “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” was filled with seven to 11-year-old girls with rhinestone-covered HSM purses and their mothers, wearing their all-too-obvious “I’m to cool for this” attitudes.

I am not ashamed to admit I own the first two HSM movies, and could empathize with the younger audience’s excitement. For fans of the first two movies — as well as people who enjoy musicals and kid movies — HSM3 delivers 14 original songs complete with magical dance numbers, electric chemistry, big-screen sets and camera angles that surpass HSM2 and return more to the brilliance of HSM1. I do, however, recognize that as a piece of cinematic work, HSM is far from Oscar-quality, and should also not be assessed along the criteria of high cinema.

For those unfamiliar with HSM, the first two installments of the series were made-for-TV films aired on the Disney Channel. “High School Musical” (2006) follows Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) and the East High students in their junior year, and “High School Musical 2” (2007) takes place during the following summer vacation. HSM3 picks up in the middle of the state basketball championships, with 16 minutes left in the game. Troy and the Wildcats are losing, and the first song quickly begins as the team and crowd sing “Now or Never.” It sounds like an homage to “Get’cha Head in the Game” from HSM1, and induced major eye-rolls as Gabriella stands out in the crowd singing words of encouragement to Troy: “You can do it just know that I believe.”

All the key characters return from the first two movies. Gabriella is heading to Stanford and debates joining a freshman honors program, a decision which would result in missing the end of her senior year. Troy is still considering his options for college, including University of Albuquerque (where he could play basketball at his dad’s alma mater) and Juilliard School (which is considering him for a performing arts scholarship), and must weigh the expectations of his friends and parents against his own dreams.

Despite leaning toward elementary-aged audiences, HSM is appealing to many because it is a break from the real world. Little about the film resembles reality (i.e., breaking into song every few minutes), but it is that disconnect that has made viewers fall in love with the films. Through the characters’ innocence, my dream of living a perfect life in a musical (giant choreographed scenes included) is fulfilled.

Now, as promised, I will exit my fantasy world and analyze the movie as objectively as possible. While the sets and cinematography have undoubtedly improved from the first two installments, the writing (Peter Barsocchini) is cheesy and written with the youngest audiences in mind.

Barsocchini has used the same framework for every movie: a musical (or Midsummer Night’s Talent Show in the case of HSM2) that no one initially wants to participate in, then Sharpay living her high life and then Troy dealing with his father’s expectations that he place basketball above everything else.

Vocally, Efron has made strides of improvement since HSM1, but maintains a “tweenybopper” voice, as Rolling Stone Magazine dubbed him. Hudgens’ voice can be heady and shrill, but the two have obvious onscreen chemistry ? as they should with an off-screen relationship as well ? and appealing harmonies that conceal the sometimes lackluster vocals.

HSM fans will adore HSM3, and everyone else will avoid it like the plague. One of the last songs, aptly titled “High School Musical,” explains the appeal perfectly: “I wish my life could feel like a/ High school musical.”

3 out of 5 stars.