Guilty pleasure movie reviews

“Hey now, Hey now! This is what dreams are made of!” That’s my favorite part of one of the catchiest songs ever (“What Dreams Are Made Of”), the theme song of my guilty pleasure movie, The Lizzie McGuire Movie.

Lizzie (Hilary Duff) and her class, which includes her best guy friend, Gordo, just graduated from middle school and take a class trip to Rome. At the hotel, Lizzie and Gordo talk about how they’re going to have the adventure of their lives.

Soon Lizzie gets mistaken for a famous Italian singer, Isabella (also played by Duff), by Isabella’s duet partner, Paolo. She finds out that Paolo is a phony, who lip synchs during his performances. Isabella and Lizzie later meet and in the end, the girls turn on Paolo’s microphone during a performance, showing the world the phony he really is.

A lot of people hate this movie and I’m not surprised why. The acting is horrible and the plot is cheesy and predictable. But there’s something about this movie that makes me love it. I’m pretty sure it is because of my little-kid crush on Duff. I didn’t actually “like-like” her, but I thought she was really cute! If this movie popped up while I was just flipping through channels, I’d stop everything I was doing and watch it. Even now, I find myself singing those lyrics: “Hey now, hey now! This is what dreams are made of!”

Sleepover

Reviewed by Emily Navarro
18, Environmental Charter HS (Lawndale)

Sleepover is a typical girly movie. The complaining girls might annoy you to death, but it’s fun and a great movie to watch whenever I need a break from reality.

Four girls make a bet with older high school girls. The older girls compile a scavenger hunt list and both groups of girls have to participate in the hunt. Whoever wins gets the special fountain area where all the “cool kids” sit.

Alexa Vega from Spy Kids is the star, Julie. Throughout the movie, the girls endure ridiculous dares. My favorite is when Julie goes on a blind date with a guy who turns out to be her teacher. She borrows her mom’s clothes and has them altered by a friend. It is hilarious because even though she looks the same even with sunglasses, her teacher only recognizes her after they have ordered drinks.

In another dare, she has to sneak into her crush’s house while he’s in the shower, to steal his boxers. Then comes the predictable happy ending, but I won’t spoil too much.

My 16-year-old sister introduced me to the movie last year, and to be honest, I hated it the first time. As we watched it a few more times (as a result of her temporary obsession), I started to laugh at all the silly things. Now, I can watch Sleepover over and over again. It reminds me of middle school when I used to be outgoing. My sister is the only person who knows about my guilty pleasure … until now. It feels liberating to let out this secret.

Camp Rock

Reviewed by Jasper Nahid
15, New Roads School (Santa Monica)

Disney’s TV movie Camp Rock is unoriginal but once I let that go, I enjoyed it—probably more than I should have. Starring the Jonas Brothers and my favorite Disney star, Demi Lovato, the movie’s plot is just a formulaic excuse for Shane (Joe Jonas) and Mitchie’s (Lovato) romance as well as the catchy (albeit annoying) songs.

The story is about Mitchie trying to fit in with the rich kids at an elite music camp called Camp Rock. Mitchie sucks up to the Mean Girls-esque crew and pretends to come from a rich and famous family. This works for a while and she even catches the eye of Camp Rock star, Shane. But when people discover she is the cook’s daughter, Disney’s clichéd (but admirable) morals demand that she proves herself to all the people she lied to. So she steps up and sings an awesome duet of “This is Me” with Shane, which redeems all the other sappy, ultra high-energy songs in the movie.

While the worn-out Disney moral—believe in yourself and you will succeed—shines through, I still found myself hooked by its charm and Lovato’s impressive voice. In fact, my fondness for Lovato is a lot of why I like Camp Rock. While some 15-year-old guys would be afraid to admit how much they like a teenage Disney star, Lovato’s classiness, actual talent and hotness would make any self-respecting guy like her.

Grease 2

Reviewed by Caitlin Bryan
16, Valley Alternative Magnet School

Many people don’t like Grease 2 because of the bad acting and it’s a rip-off of Grease. In Grease a good girl fell for a bad boy, but in Grease 2 it’s a nice boy falling for a bad girl. Still, I like it.

The T-Birds and the Pink Ladies are back with different members, and there’s Michael Carrington (Maxwell Caulfield), the new cute brainy kid from England. Stephanie (Michelle Pfeiffer), the new leader of the Pink Ladies, catches Michael’s eye. But Stephanie wants a bad boy and describes what he would be like when she sings “Cool Rider.” He would ride a motorcycle just like the T-Birds.

Michael decides to “shape up” and become this “Cool Rider.” Stephanie likes him, not knowing it’s Michael. No one knows he is the Cool Rider except for Frenchy, who’s back from the first movie.

One of my favorite scenes is during a school talent show, when the Pink Ladies sing “Calendar Girls.” I like the song. The Pink Ladies sing, “I’ll be your girl for a season,” and they represent the seasons by wearing funny outfits, like a costume that is a glass of eggnog with legs hanging from the side.