The High School Musical and Camp Rock franchises were possibly the most widely known Disney Channel series that made most of our childhoods, but there were quite a few other underrated Disney Channel movies from the 2000s that are barely talked of. Heading into a more tech-savvy era of the twentieth century, some of us late millennials and early Gen Z people still crave for the drug of nostalgia from time to time.
It’s hard keeping up with the present, when your mind and heart keep swaying back to the old days and the act of sitting in front of TV screens and tuning into Disney Channel appears to be a blessing in disguise now. So, today, we’re once again headed back to those sweet old days as we take a look at some Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOM) we forgot about way too soon, although we shouldn’t have.
Underrated Disney Channel Movies From the 2000s
Jump In! (2007)
Ever remember living out a peer-designed life, only for you to find your one-true-passion out of nowhere and being swept over by love and excitement for it? Corbin Bleu’s Izzy Daniels can relate. Pressured as a teenager by his father to pursue boxing, Izzy’s young heart is introduced to the sport of rope jumping, ultimately taking his world by storm. While the film may have been about switching sports, it’s more about ‘jumping in’ and following your heart’s true desire despite what the world may be expecting of you.
Let It Shine (2012)
Gosh, the music this movie put out! It’s criminal how underrated this Disney movie starring Tyler James Williams, Coco Jones, Trevor Jackson and others is. Cyrus, an introverted rapper who likes to keep his thoughts and music to himself has a lot of lyrics penned down in his diary, but he can’t gather enough courage to put them out into the world due to his father’s association with the Church Choir, and of course, high expectations. Yet he gets on the ride to follow his ambition, all while trying his best to forge a deep bond with his childhood friend Roxie, who also happens to be a teen singing sensation.
Lemonade Mouth (2011)
Once again, can we please talk about the music? Not a single song from this movie’s soundtrack is a miss. The storyline, on the other hand, is very much a revived and Disney-fied rendition of The Breakfast Club. Five separate worlds collide upon their unlikely meeting in detention. Once they realise that they might be missing pieces of a bigger puzzle they need to complete their respective lives, and that puzzle being their mutual hidden love for music.
While fate may have put them on each other’s paths, forming a rock band doesn’t come easy as they also try to raise their voice against authorities demeaning them and fight back bullies. The film is based on the young adult novel written by Mark Peter Hughes, and stars Bridgit Mendler, Adam Hicks, Haley Kiyoko, Naomi Scott, and Blake Michael alongside others.
Life-Size (2000)
Starring a young Lindsay Lohan and Tyra Banks as the doll in question, Life-Size follows the aftermath of Casey Stuart’s mother’s demise as she starts isolating herself from any and every kind social situations. The 7th-grader happens to lays her hands on ‘The Book of Awakenings’, which holds a spell that can resurrect the dead. Chancing upon such an opportunity, she sees this as her cue to bring her mother back, but accidentally brings a doll to life instead, an event which changes her life altogether.
Sky High (2005)
Before we had our MCU heroes, Disney had its own squad of supes enrolled in Sky High, an exclusive school for the children of superheroes. The story follows the life of Will Stronghold, yet another teenager who’s the son of two superheroes. He watched his life switch gears from normalcy as his powers start kicking in, while he learns the true meaning of friendship, and comes face to face with a threat from a supervillain.
Adventures in Babysitting (2016)
Athough making up as one of the relatively newer additions to the DCOM list, Adventures in Babysitting made way for one of the most memorable Disney collaborations between Sofia Carson and Sabrina Carpenter, a duo we can’t get enough of. Leading the remake of 1987 film of the same name, the actors take us on a fun-filled adventure-comedy ride as Lola and Jenny, two teenager with their personalities ranging on the opposite far ends of the spectrum. Yet they have no choice but to put their differences aside and track down a young boy whom Jenny was babysitting, which is obviously followed by a killer music track featuring both singers/actors.
Up Up and Away (2000)
The Color of Friendship
Starstruck (2010)
Invisible Sister (2015)
Girl Meets World‘s Rowan Blanchard stars as Cleo, who turns her athletic sister into Invisible Sister, played by Paris Berelc. The term itself is a double play on the words as she may have quite literally turned her sister invisible and in turn be forced to step in her place and play for the school’s lacrosse team, but she was the more socially invisible one out of the two initially.
We’re not here to dig into the plot holes or the scientific significance of the points made by the movie, but for the idea of sisterly love, and how even two completely different people from the same family can eventually bond with each other if they really put their mind to it, no matter what actually may have kickstarted the operation in the first place.
Avalon High (2010)
When the leading pair is as cute as a button, and also turn out to be the reincarnation of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, things are bound to take an unexpected turn. Starring Britt Robertson and Gregg Sulking as the main character duo, the story begins with Allie transferring to a new high school, Avalon High, where she has an epiphany about the aforementioned concept, and has no choice but to take out the traitor in their midst.
Looking at the whole King Arthur discourse from a new perspective, this Disney film may not be the most accurate adaptation of history or literature, but it still works as an eccentric way to pass the time, even if the cast has more to do with it than the execution itself .
Spin (2021)
While the story brings on a similar route of discovering a hidden talent in a young heart, it’s the representation that takes it all the way. Focussing on a family of Indian diaspora, Spin truly takes on a ride as Rhea tries her all to jump over the hurdles placed in the way of her following her passion of creating DJ mixes. A conservative South Asian family, and their daughter wanting to become a DJ equivalent, that’s not an easy conversation to have, but Avantika Vandanapu’s Rhea just might be able to pull it off with Abhay Deol playing her strict , yet soft-hearted father’s role.
Cloud 9 (2014)
Doe Cameron and Luke Benward lead this American sports romance, as the story takes us through the unlikely coming together of Kayla and Will once the former is eliminated from her snowboarding team. Will, on the other hand, is an old champion of the sport, whose success was overshadowed by one of his failed performances. You know it already, the story is as predictable as it gets, but you still keep up with it as you want to witness the two leads warm up to each other despite the chilly sport in the background.
Tru Confessions (2002)
Starring young Shia LaBeouf and Clara Bryant, Tru Confessions is based on the book written by Janet Tashjian, and revolves around Trudy as she enters a filmmaking competition. For the same, she decides to capture the trajectory of her life, her heartwarming bond with her disabled brother, Eddie and the dysfunctional nature of the relationship shared with her parents. The movie is a great family watch that leaves you an ample number of lessons with an emotional touch.
Which of these original Disney movies is your favourite pick? If there’s any other film title from the 2000s that you feel is severely under-appreciated, please let us know your recommendations in the comments section below.