Radio Rebel

What I thought at first was going to be just another Hollywood pubescent fluff piece, about a fifth of the way in turned into a heart warming fast favorite of mine! In HS, I was popular, but brutality shy, it HURT to socialize, but in college I got over it and became one of the most successful music content creators/ channel owners AND Music Promoters/ PR Rep/ Band Manager in the world. So a movie about a girl who dressed like me(seriously I have that beanie in5 colors, and several of the same shirts!) and who's painfully shy living out her dream life through her radio channel TOTALLY hit home! Everything she said was so inspiring, I think a lot of these kids nowadays could benefit form REALLY watching it for the message! It's extra cool that it's a hidden gem because a lot of the actors have gone on to star in a LOT of big shows and movies nowadays!!! Much love to this film!!!

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.

This is aimed at teenagers and even more so female ones (girls). Now keep that in the back of your mind, because if that does not apply to you, you might be judging this by different standards. Because this is full of cliches and some are not even dressed that well.

Add to that an ending that may make some/certain people cringe ... you might have a viewing experience that does not live up to the standards you expected. So Highschool drama and love and such things are being explored ... and you know finding oneself plus growing up and sticking it to the (wo)man ... one very weird moment for a few people at least, is a "I am Spartacus" inspired thing ... it does feel very wrong, no matter the good intentions behind it. But it might still be working with the target audience - especially because they might not have seen that particular scene/movie

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.