See...I wanted to hate this, but after being forced to watch it, I learned to appreciate it. The story and music are actually not that bad. Personally, I think the biggest problem with the movie was the direction. The transitions into songs were extremely abrupt, and I think the kids in it have a lot more talent than was allowed to translate to the small screen. Some would argue that these are due to the script, but I beg to differ.
Having said that, Newsies is one of my favorite musical films, and I was shocked when I learned that HSM was directed and choreographed by the same guy. The choreography was another point that I felt could have used improvement in the movie. The scene in the lunchroom had so much potential to be important to the story - what with the kids "crossing over" and "breaking the mold" - but came off as just another excuse for the characters to sing.
I think this show deserves to be performed live on stage, because the movie definitely does not do it justice.
"Art is always in crisis: you must work fast to write in the breath on the window."
-Edward Bond