Lemonade Mouth

Felix Vasquez started his review by saying, “One of my misapprehensions going in “Lemonade Mouth” was that ultimately the film would serve as a function to promote the lovely Ms. Bridgit Mendler. And while yes that is true, “Lemonade Mouth” holds true to the characters’ ideals that this is a group story about a group of people who come together to make some darn fine pop music and as such while Mendler is the spotlight player (being Disney’s now go to gal for a franchise), she’s not the highlight. Why did I watch this? Admittedly for Hayley Kiyoko who above all is one groovy mama jama whose own life is like a rock fantasy. Thankfully, she’s also not the sole highlight of the film.”

Deep down the story of the film is about five kids who make a band, and the writers stay true to that promise that is about five characters and five characters only. While everyone else is front and center at one point or another (Lemonade Mouth has a rival band, who hates them), the movie is about the coming of age of five kids who find out they want to be different. Lemonade Mouth refers to the mouth shape that is made whenever it gathers at the taste of Lemonade and this becomes the idea for the band mainly because it’s what they do before they perform. There is a crowd of talent among the ensemble cast here with actresses like Mendler giving an emotional performance as the group’s lead singer Olivia, while the others never really reach her level of tragedy.

She’s is raised by her grandmother, played by Judith Rane, whose mom is absent, and dad is in jail. The rest of the band members (Adam Hicks, Hayley Kiyoko, Naomi Scott, and Blake Michael) problems sound really minor after hearing their difficulty, but nevertheless they have something to prove to over approving, disapproving, obsessive parents who expect something out of everyone in the band. Vasquez mentioned, “Of course they come under the assault of the school’s principal (Christopher MacDonald) who is so over the top he’s practically an eighties villain, who hates their anti-establishment speech.”

Vasquez continued, “He hates their rebelliousness so much he tells them what to wear and forbids them to play at school, with nary a peep from the parents of school administration.” The highlight besides the cast members strong performances is obviously the music and Lemonade Mouth makes some good listenable music at the request of their music teacher, played with her normal harshness by Tisha Campbell. “Lemonade Mouth,” released in 2011, is what Disney dreams about in their sleep. It has potential for the soundtrack and sequel, a cast of nice straight actors, and a story that can be further developed with spin offs. Vasquez ended his review by admitting, “I enjoyed it and if only to see the baddie Kiyoko stomp on to Disney once again. Adam Hicks continues to grow on me.”

Overall, I think this is another decent Disney Channel Original Movie. I don’t think it was in any way bad, but just being very lame. I know this is another one where kids stand up to authority, which I don’t mind seeing. If something like that can be done in real life, I would like to see that happen. Maybe people can see this and think it is fine, but if you don’t want to, then you don’t have to. No bad messages were said, and the actors were trying to pull off something real, but I never really felt that. Check it out and see for yourself.

Tomorrow I’m going to start a series of holiday Disney movies that are famous to see what will bring the holiday cheer to the family in “Disney Month 2021.”