"What time is it? Summertime!"
“I always liked the idea of being in charge of my future. Until it actually started happening.”
— Troy Bolton
High School Musical 2 is the first sequel to High School Musical, released in 2007. Like its predecessor, it is a Disney Channel Original Movie and a musical film directed by Kenny Ortega.
East High is gearing up for summer vacation, and Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) has arranged for Troy (Zac Efron) to be hired at her family's country club for the summer. To her frustration, Troy gets the members of the East High basketball team and his now-girlfriend Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) hired at the club as well. Troy's continued association with Sharpay causes friction with Gabriella and his friends — can they work it out in time for the country club's Midsummer Night's Talent Show?
In addition to the above, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, and Monique Coleman reprise their roles as Ryan, Chad, and Taylor.
The initial broadcast of High School Musical 2 set an all-time record. With approximately 17.2 million viewers, it not only became the most watched broadcast in Disney Channel history, but the most watched cable television broadcast ever.
A sequel, High School Musical 3: Senior Year, was released theatrically in 2008.
What time is it? Trope time!
- An Aesop: If offered the world, try not to lose sight of your true self.
- Aesop Amnesia: The Wildcats learn to support a friend's dreams in the first film but in the second, they shame him for getting a promotion.
- Ambition is Evil: Troy is hanging out with Sharpay because the country club provides a scholarship opportunity. The film however portrays this negatively as he is no longer true to himself, and he later gives it up for his friends.
- Almost Kiss: Troy and Gabriella are about to kiss when the sprinklers on the gold course go off thanks to Sharpay.
- All Women Love Shoes: Played with. Troy uses this on Sharpay by complimenting her on her shoes to distract her so that he could break away from her and make his date with Gabriella.
- Artifact Title: For a film titled High School Musical. This film has the characters go on summer vacation, spending less than ten minutes in their school.
- Betty and Veronica: Gabriella (the Betty) finds herself being competed against by Sharpay (the Veronica) for Troy (their Archie).
- Brand X: "Fabulous" originally contained the lines, "Fetch me my Jimmy Choo flip flops/Where is my pink Prada tote?/I need my Tiffany hair band/Then I can go for a float". In the video game "Sing It", Jimmy Choo became... eh, something... else? "Prada" became "leather", and "Tiffany" became "sparkly".
- The Cameo: Miley Cyrus has a small cameo during "All For One" (the camera briefly cuts to her during the final chorus).
- Camp: "Bet On It" is a pinnacle of camp. Troy huffs and puffs around the golf course with exaggerated facial expressions and choreography. He even randomly decides to play golf in the middle of the number.
- Clothing Switch: Memorably, Ryan and Chad did this in a scene after the "I Don't Dance" number, which led to a lot of Ho Yay jokes within the audience, mostly because it's never explained why they did that. All Taylor and Gabriella do is laugh and compliment their outfits.
- Corrupt the Cutie: How the film portrays Sharpay (the corruptor) and Troy (the cutie)'s relationship. Sharpay pulls out all the stops in an attempt to lure Troy away from his buddies, via "Look what I could do for you with all my nifty social connections."
- Counterpoint Duet: The final part of "Gotta Go My Own Way", with Gabriella singing and Troy responding in counterpoint.
- Dark Reprise: Sharpay forcing Troy to sing alongside her during "You Are The Music In Me".
- Establishing Character Moment: During What Time Is It?, despite being part of Twinkle Town, Ryan is noticeably ignored compared to Troy, Gabriella, and especially Sharpay when it comes to fan reception in school.
- Exact Words: Sharpay chastises her assistant Fulton for allowing Troy and the rest of his friends and girlfriend Gabriella to work at the club as she only wanted Troy. Fulton reminds her that she wanted Troy Bolton "Whatever it takes".
- Forced to Watch: Troy is forced to stay and watch Sharpay's performance of "Humahumanukanukaapua'a".
- Funny Back Ground Event: While Fulton and Sharpay are talking in the trophy room, Ryan is holding the Star Dazzle Award behind them, clearly envisioning winning it and bowing to an adoring crowd.
- Grew a Spine: After dealing with a long line of mistreatment by Sharpay without complaint, Ryan finally gets fed up when she reveals she wants to blow off performing with him in favor of Troy and stops being her lapdog.
- Hands-On Approach: Sharpay maneuvers Troy into giving her a golf demonstration with their bodies uncomfortably close to each other.
- Happily Married: Sharpay and Ryan's parents are shown to be a loving and wealthy couple.
- Hidden Depths: "I Don't Dance", wherein theater kid Ryan also proves to be pretty good at baseball, and jock Chad at dancing.
- Identity Breakdown: Downplayed in Troy's solo song "Bet On It," since despite lines like "It's no good at all to see yourself and not recognize your face," Troy is ultimately defiant about not letting anyone define him but himself, rediscovering his identity in the process.
- I'll Take That as a Compliment: When Sharpay confronts Ryan about hanging out with the Wildcats.Sharpay Evans: When did you become... one of them?
Ryan Evans: You know, I'll take that as a compliment. - "I Want" Song: "Fabulous". Sharpay sings about how she just wants fabulous things.
- Jacob and Esau: Sharpay is definitely her father's favorite. On the flip side, Mrs. Evans seems to prefer Ryan.
- Kick the Dog: Many of the other characters in the second film believed that Sharpay kicked the dog when she banned the employees at Lava Springs from performing at the annual Star Dazzle awards for petty reasons. Even Gabriella, the nicest character in the film, actually got angry for the first time and confronted Sharpay for this.
- Mistaken for Cheating: Troy is forced into spending more time with Sharpay instead of Gabriella. Not that he wants to be with Sharpay.
- Not Always Evil: Mr. Fulton is only so stern because he's under orders from Sharpay.
- Not What It Looks Like:
- Everybody sees Troy teaching Sharpay how to play golf and thinks they're getting closer.
- Troy comes across Ryan and Gabriella dancing together. They're just friends but he clearly interprets their new camaraderie as romantic.
- Parental Bonus:
- Chad and Ryan switching outfits after "I Don't Dance". And they're eating hot dogs.
- Ryan's father trying to "straighten" out his increasingly flamboyant hats.
- Rage Against the Reflection: During the song "Bet On It" where he muses about his motivation, Troy expresses frustration at his reflection in the country club pond.
- Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: Sharpay and Gabriella for Troy, with Sharpay enticing him with her social connections and scholarship opportunities, while Gabriella's working for her at the country club. Naturally Troy is only ever interested in Gabriella, but Sharpay does succeed in breaking them up. (Obviously, it doesn't last long).
- Running Gag: Troy and Gabriella's attempts to kiss are always interrupted.
- Sickeningly Sweethearts: Troy and Gabriella have a very new-relationship feel in this movie, with lots of awkward smiles and sneaking away to try and kiss.
- Oh, Crap!: A lot of Troy's facial expressions when Sharpay appears are discomfort and horror.
- Sealed with a Kiss: The film ends with Troy and Gabriella kissing, after a film's worth of Almost Kisses.
- Shipper on Deck: The Wildcats go from plotting against Troy and Gabriella in the first film to actively supporting their relationship in this film. They even instigate their big reunion in "Everyday".
- Stalking Is Funny If Its Female After Male: Sharpay anonymously hires Troy to work for her, spies on him almost 24/7, has his manager track his movements, and blackmails him into singing romantic duets with her. All while he's highly uncomfortable and in a serious relationship with Gabriella. While Sharpay's clearly in the wrong, her actions are played as a frivolous teenage crush instead of anything more serious, and most of the blame falls on Troy for not getting rid of her.note
- Talent Show: The climactic event is a big talent show at the country club. Sharpay just wants Troy to sing with her, but he's reluctant.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Sharpay wasn't nice in the first film, sure, but this one blew her negative qualities up to ridiculous proportions. Justified in that she has more actual power over the others as a Rich Bitch club member, whereas everyone else is an employee. At school, the others are her equals and she can only manipulate things.
- Two-Person Pool Party: Troy and Gabriella share a romantic swim in a club swimming pool on their date.
- Was It Really Worth It?: The gist of "Bet On It" is Troy musing over how giving up who he is to get what he wants isn't worth it, and he won't throw his conscience away anymore.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Sharpay deliberately falls into a swimming pool to attract Troy's attention, hoping he'll save her. Unfortunately (for her), Gabriella saves her and she throws a fit.
