High School Musical 2 is even better than the original according to early reviews of the teen musical that stars Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens.

Obviously bigger and in most ways better than the wildly popular original, High School Musical 2 is as certain a bet to find and please its target audience as you’re likely to find. Nothing short of a parental edict would keep most of the first Musical‘s fans away from this more elaborate, more high-profile sequel.

Still, it’s important to remember that marketers were following demand more than creating it. Kids turned Musical into a mega-hit while no one else was looking. It seems only fair Disney has rewarded them with a sequel that’s better than you might expect, and better than it probably has to be.

Zac Efron is a rising star in Hollywood.  The movie premiered on August 17th on The Disney Channel.