Rating Disney Channel Original Movies - Shannon Furgeson

     It's often that I will be lounging around my house, bored out of my mind, and scrolling through Disney+ looking for a new movie to watch. A lot of the times I'll just end up re-watching Avatar or any of the Marvel Universe movies, but occasionally I'll be looking through and find a hidden gem: a DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie). I think the majority of Gen Z can agree with me that we pretty much grew up on these movies. And after re-watching a bunch of them in the past week, I'm going to rate some of them on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being the worst, and 10 being the best). I will also be assessing the plot, music, and romantic element. 

Geek Charming (2011)

The plot of Geek Charming is very stereotypical high school, where the popular girl has to spend time with the "loser" film kid as he documents her life for a school project. I love Sarah Hyland and she did a really great job portraying the role, but I'm not a huge fan of the school "cliques" and I think it dramatizes high school. There also is no original music which is a MUST, but *spoiler* Hyland's character ends up letting her walls down so that the film student can see the real her, not actually the facade she puts up as the popular girl, and they end up dating in the end. My total rating for this DCOM is 5/10.  

Lemonade Mouth (2011)  

When a group of five individual musicians end up in detention together, a band was bound to be started. This movie has a great beginning and I love how they came to be, but the rest of the plot is mediocre. That being said, the music in this movie is out of this world, and I love the theme based on the lemonade machine in the basement. Not one of my favorites, so I'm giving it a 6.5/10. 

Camp Rock (2008)

  

Small town girl Mitchie (AKA Demi Lovato) goes to a music camp with her mom's catering business and ends up in an elaborate lie about how she's actually affording to attend. The plot has a lot of potential and I think it really owns up to it. There are a lot of iconic scenes in this movie, and I think the fact that the Jonas brothers starred in this movie made it 10x better. The movie is pretty much based on a relationship, so the romance element is there, but it was a little cheesy at times. Overall rating is a 7/10. 

High School Musical (2006)

  

One of the classics, High school Musical is pretty well known. The plot is good, and I think the directors executed the idea very well. Again, the whole "clique" theme isn't my favorite, but the song Stick to the Status Quo really emphasizes how people shouldn't stick to what they know to act cool, but do what they really love. Of course, the music in this movie goes above and beyond, hence the "musical" in the title. I can also really appreciate how much the world loves this movie (and the sequels), especially because of the spin-off series, "High School Musical the Musical the Series." The romance between Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron really is the cherry on top, rating this DCOM a solid 8/10. 

Princess Protection Program (2009)

Starring both Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, this movie is absolutely incredible. A princess has to flee her country when danger strikes, and ends up living with a small town girl, who has to teach her the reigns and also help her run a tackle shop. The plot here is fantastic, and I love the whole transformation from the gowns and tiaras to shorts and ponytails. The music isn't extraordinary, and there is romance, but I think the plot and the actresses are what really carry this movie for me. 8/10 on the Shannon Movie Scale!

Starstruck (2010)

A high school girl goes to visit her grandmother in California, and ends up meeting pop-star Christopher Wilde. Not only does she meet him, but she has to spend her vacation time hiding him from the paparazzi. This plot is extraordinary. Not only does this movie take place around the beach, but it's humorous, it's exciting, and it makes me wish I met celebs more often! Not only is Chris extremely charming, but he adds to the romantic element. And, the majority of the songs in the movie are sung by him. I can say confidently that "Hero" and "Something About the Sunshine" deserve Grammys! One of my favorites and I think definitely underrated, Starstruck deserves a 9.5/10. 

Teen Beach Movie (2013)

When a high school couple gets one last shot at surfing together before outside forces split them up, they end up in another "dimension" which is really the movie Wet Side Story. They struggle with keeping the timeline the same, so they can end up going back home and out of the movie universe. I wouldn't necessarily consider this a "period drama," but I loved how they ended up in the 60's in one of their favorite movies. I can picture my sister and I learning all the words to the original songs and learning the dances, deciding if we wanted to be surfers or bikers! Based on those memories alone I would give this movie a whopping 10/10, but it really checks all the criteria I would say for a super awesome DCOM. The plot is definitely there, and of course there's a double romance going on which makes it twice as interesting, and the music and dancing really takes the cake here. I don't know if there is a dance scene more iconic than the "Cruisin' for a Bruisin'" number! 10/10!

The Princess Diaries (2001)

This movie might be older than me, but it is nothing short of extraordinary! A very dorky high school girl finds out her grandmother is actually the queen of a small country in Europe, making her a princess! The plot is all about her whole transformation into becoming a princess, and how she deals with her friendships and relationships throughout. I love anything about royalty, and I am obsessed with the transformation she gets (I am so jealous that I don't have some long lost royal family). Anne Hathaway really carries this movie, with an incredible acting job. This movie is also incredibly hilarious, and has that romance element I'm always looking for. If I had to watch only one movie for the rest of my life, I think it would be this one! It's a 10/10 for me!