Radio Rebel - Unüberhörbar

It's a cheesy teen romantic comedy. Don't watch it if you're expecting anything novel or different, but it's not bad to watch if you want something easy on....

The Magic Kingdom's latest teen queen star Debby Ryan who is currently a rich kid's nanny in Jessie stars in Radio Rebel which is a pseudonym she uses as a radio talk show star. Debbie is a wallflower and opens to very few, especially not to Adam DiMarco the good looking singer in the rock band she's crushing out on.

But on the radio where few can see her she's Radio Rebel a free spirited young woman who tells kids to do their own thing whatever that thing is. Such non-conformity is not to be encouraged in her high school especially where the Grinch like Nancy Robertson reigns as principal. Robertson's on a mission to seek and destroy Radio Rebel and her influence.

There are so many of these hidden personality stories on the big and small screen they're too numerous to count. But a favorite of mine is an old Alice Faye film from the Thirties called Wake Up And Live. In this one Jack Haley with Buddy Clark's voice plays a mike shy singer whose voice goes over the airwaves when he sings alone in a studio to what he thinks is a dead microphone. This time it's the guy with the hidden personality. Radio Rebel has a lot of company.

But I did dig that Spartacus like climax the film has and you'll have to see what I'm talking about because I won't reveal.

I'm not going to deny, when I saw this film announced, first thought "sounds interesting", but then I read "Disney" at the bottom and I started regretting my first feelings and wondering if I suffered from mental insanity. But no, I'm still here, not locked in a safe room or anything.

Let's start with basics. Lesson one, children, grasping the standard Disney plot - unpopular girl with big dreams, a nemesis/Queen Bee who ALSO loves that same big dream and tries to make unpopular girl's life miserable in order to get it, a "hot" guy is thrown in between the process, the guy notices Unpopular Girl but then is dragged away by Queen Bee, a failed-attempt at character development and BAM! ...there's a dance, Queen Bee becomes Queen Fail and Unpopular Girl gets the guy.

While "Radio Rebel" DOES somewhat follow the basic scheme, it at least reaches a level of awesomeness. Don't get me wrong, I see the resemblance (or was it "copying of"?) "Pump Up the Volume", but what made it worthy of seeing was the fact that it adapted to what today's teens understood, lived, and would enjoy seeing. Debby Ryan (portraying main character, Tara) is a rising star that a lot of teens know and look up to - so her portraying a shy high schooler with issues of her own (the cute guy she's too afraid to talk to, the Queen Bee trying to bring her down, not being that close with her new stepfather, and have I mentioned the extreme shyness that could be mistaken for monastic silence?). It's what us average teens know and breathe. So while there's nothing sparkly in the scheme, it speaks to today's teens and that's what we like. Not to mention, there were a few giggles here and there. More to the "like" list.

So what am I saying? I'm saying that this film is different from the usual "same story, same boring" pattern that Disney movies tend to follow...while it was strongly based from "Pump Up the Volume", it still had strong elements that make me want to watch it again, particularly the lessons that shy high schooler Tara teaches us - to just be ourselves...to embrace it and not just hide it away in the dark (or in Tara's case, a recording studio), to go out into the sunlight, scream, and let our uniqueness shine in the daylight.

So, I don't know why everyone is hating on this movie. To all of you that says this is a remake of PUTV, it's still worth watching because this is more modernized. In fact, it's better for the kids of this century to watch because they'll actually understand it and relate to it. So don't be hating!

The storyline, characters, actors and the message is great. In fact, the messages (note the plural) are inspiring. All kids should watch this!

Radio Rebel is definitely one of the better Disney films out there and it's worth a watch. I think I said this a million times already, but WORTH A LOOK AT! I personally loved it.

Decent watch, probably won't watch again, and can't recommend.

I'm honestly not a big fan of Debby Ryan, though she definitely can own a role, and I'll even admit she basically carries this movie. Because I'm not a particular fan of her flavor, it may have affected my view of the movie though.

I'm very into her character of a high school ghost, shadowing as an airwaves vigilante though. The weirdness of being a "rebel" though is the company sponsorship angle. It allows for mechanical parts of the story, but feels a little antithetical.

The more interesting angle is the witch hunt for Radio Rebel: it takes some interesting turns, but ultimately lands in the predictable results.

It's a good enough watch, it's just nothing special.