Lemonade Mouth

Disney high school band movies was trending in the late 00s. This was one of them, and in my opinion, it was the best. You know the story. Some high school kids inadvertently find each other and they realize they have a great band together. There are hurdles along the way, but at the end they're a great band, and the movie also includes some great music. They enter a competition; maybe they win; maybe they lose; but at the end they realize they're great friends. And there's a romantic component thrown in there.

What I like about this movie, and it speaks to contemporary politics, is one scene with a girl in a wheelchair. They band plays at a school dance or something. I don't know. But the band is playing an awesome song, and shown are people in the crowd dancing and smiling and having a good time. A girl in a wheelchair is shown, and she is smiling and dancing as best as she can in her wheelchair. What that tells us is that first of all a kid in a wheelchair felt comfortable enough to go to the high school dance. Second of all she was having a good time.

Years ago that kid in the wheelchair may have just stayed home. But now we're all one. We're all together. Whether we're black, immigrant, handicapped, gay, whatever.. We're all going to accept you, and whoever you are you can enjoy the band, dance however you want to dance, and you're part of us and accepted in the group. That says a lot.

Lemonade Mouth gave me hope for future Disney movies. With the recent Disney movies that we have been getting lately, none of them good, Lemonade Mouth stands out being one of the best DCOM, ever. I know that's a big statement but I truly believe it. It was never as successful as say, High School Musical but it was still good and deserved more recognition. This movie came out when I was 10 (I am now 16,) and I still enjoy watching it.

A lot of the actors were relatively new in 2011 but everyone did a decent job. I'm not going to lie some of the actors weren't as good as others and there were moments where the acting wasn't the greatest, but it's not like it's trying to win an Oscar or anything. If you watched Disney Channel or Disney XD then you would of noticed familiar faces like Bridget Mendler (Good Luck Charlie, Wizards of Waverly Place) and Adam Hicks (Zeke and Luthor,Pair of Kings.) There were also some new faces like Blake Michael who would later go on to star in the Disney Channel show Dog With a Blog. Naomi Scott was also new back then but has made a bit of a name for herself starring in the 2017 movie Power Rangers. Haley Kiyoko was very good as Stella and you may also recognize her from Wizards of Waverly Place. All of the main actors had great chemistry and you could really see that in the film. They truly made you feel how close they are as a group.

I'm not going to lie the music in this movie was actually very good. I didn't expect to enjoy the songs as much as I did.She's So Gone, sung by Naomi Scott, was probably my favourite song in the whole movie her vocals are incredible.

The story line is what really makes this movie incredible. I always like a story about the underdogs coming out on top. I love how they had the school treat athletes like they were better because that is how high school is. I liked how each of the characters had there own story line and we got to see each of them develop. The friendship between the five though was what really made this movie great. Unlike this movie they focused mainly on the actual friendship between the five and less on relationships. Sure there was obviously something between Wen and Olivia and Mo and Scott but it never overshadowed the friendship between the band.

Overall this movie is a must see and is enjoyable for all ages.

I found most of Disney Channel's original movies to be abysmal, cheesy messes with so-so acting and plots that could make Inspector Gadget: The Movie look like Shakespeare in comparison. But I found Lemonade Mouth to be an organic, well-acted, clever movie. It has some thought-provoking, inspiring themes that puts it aside from pretty much every other DCOM out there. The songs are catchy and pretty well-performed. And let's not forget the teen actors that all give likable, believable performances. I'm a musician in real life, and though my school has an incredibly well- funded music program, the thought of losing it still lurks and chills me to the bone. This movie suggests that music programs are important and allows us to express creativity and self-expression and that being yourself is the most important thing you could ever do... And though that seems to be the theme of many Disney Channel movies, it rings true to all of us. This is, in my humble opinion, the very best Disney Channel original movie, and I will keep watching it whenever it comes on.

Five disparate high school kids are sentenced to detention in the basement. Principal Brenigan (Christopher McDonald) uses corporate sponsorship to support only the sport teams. He relegates all the other groups into the basement. Miss Reznick (Tisha Campbell-Martin) is the music teacher who is facing funding cuts. Stella (Hayley Kiyoko) is the rebellious new girl who is the least successful of her family. Olivia (Bridgit Mendler) is the awkward loner who is hiding some devastating family secrets. Mo (Naomi Scott) is dealing with a selfish boyfriend and her conservative East Indian father. Charlie (Blake Michael) is the drummer forced to live up to his soccer star older brother. Wen (Adam Hicks) is angry that his father is moving on with a young girlfriend. The five new friends form a new band to compete in the local talent contest.

I like all five young actors and their characters. With that, the movie can survive the cheesiness and the standard tropes. The music from the five is good enough. The story is hitting all the traditional kiddie movie ideas of rebelling against the system. Christopher McDonald and Tisha Campbell-Martin fall victim to the need for adults to act wacky in kiddie movies. The young actors and their characters' journeys save this from being a bad Disney TV movie.

I personally found this movie to be extremely inspiring. You would think that it'd be your typical Disney musical but I think that Lemonade Mouth took it to a different level. It's not just a High School Musical where students from different cliques come together with a common interest despite what their friends think. With Lemonade Mouth the obstacles were not only at school but at home. It touched on some major teen issues.

It spoke about true friendship, through life's struggles Not to mention, the songs had soul. They didn't just have funky/hip beats, the lyrics had meaning.

Lemonade Mouth really defies all odds. In regular band there is only one leader singer, despite who writes the song. With this band they got personal as each song meant something different to each member and the one that related most sang that song. I found that really interesting. It gave the band flavor, as it had different voices.

This movie teaches you about the meaning of true friendship, overcoming family problems, dealing with relationships, the right way to deal with bullies and following your dreams at all costs.

This is truly a movie for all ages! Honestly, more appeal to teens and pre-teens.