If you feel uplifted after a musical's closing credits, that's a sign of a good movie.

High School Musical 3 ticks that box easily. Although over-acted and cheesy at times, there's an overarching sense of fun.

There's an energy buzzing through the movie sustained by some well-choreographed dance scenes and rousing songs.

One of the best dance scenes occurs in an old scrapyard where best mates Troy (Zac Efron) and Chad (Corbin Bleu) play out their dilemmas in a scene with plenty of grunt and energy showcasing funk and breakdance moves.

Another memorable scene occurs on a school rooftop where Troy asks girlfriend Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) to the prom. For someone who supposedly can't waltz, he doesn't take long to pick up the basics, and the duo are soon twirling away among rooftop gardens, all the while singing sweetly about falling in love.

While these two might have been well-matched in their dance scenes, not everyone was completely in sync in the group dance scenes. You make allowances for that though, as they are supposed to be high school students, not trained dancers.

The same goes for the singing. It was by no means brilliant - in fact Tisdale who played the attention-seeking Sharpay was very ordinary - but the others were okay.

The movie is obviously aimed at teenagers, but it has a wider appeal.

Kids will enjoy the fun storyline, dancing and singing, and adults can either reminisce or maybe even take a few things away from it.

Don't worry if you haven't watched the previous two films. Although additional character history would have rounded off the characters, the movie stands alone just fine.

The story centres on a handful of high school students' final year, and how they handle moving on to another chapter in their lives.

There are decisions to make about which university to attend, and how to say goodbye to friends and relationships, in between getting ready for the end of year musical and the prom.

Troy, captain of the Wildcats basketball team, is torn between doing what's expected of him - attending a basketball oriented university or choosing one that also specialises in his growing interest in theatre.

There are some good messages in the movie about having the courage to be who you truly are, not what everyone else wants you to be, and about working through difficult decisions rather than running away from them.

There's the possibility of a further High School Musical with the introduction of the annoyingly likeable Jimmie ``Rocketman'' Zara (Matt Prokop).