Tot TV Watch

The newest Disney Channel Original Movie premieres tomorrow, April 24, 2009. It is called Hatching Pete. Interestingly, it already premiered on the UK Disney Channel earlier this month, so the US premiere is not the first premiere of the movie. Also, the movie already has a DVD release date of May 10, 2009, as a double feature package with Dadnapped.

Hatching Pete is about a very shy boy named Pete (played by Jason Dolley, who is in Corey in the House and Minutemen) taking the place of his friend, Poole (played by Mitchell Mu as the school mascot (a chicken) and through the experience beginning to make more friends and getting a girl. It sounds like it has potential, but at the same time it does not have a gotta see it type of plot appeal at all. Basically I think it might turn out to be a good movie, but it does not sound like it will be an awesome Disney Channel movie, however, perhaps it will turn out better than it sounds.

I do plan to watch it, but somehow I do not see it surprising me and ending up more enjoyable than the last Disney Channel Original Movie, Dadnapped, which was not the best, but was not too bad either. Personally I am kind of just waiting on the other upcoming Disney Channel Original Movies, as those actually have my interest just by their titles. They are Princess Protection Program (supposedly coming June 26, 2009) and Wizards of Waverly Place: Stone of Dreams (coming late 2009 or early 2010, I think).

This morning I went and saw the first showing of the day for Hannah Montana the Movie. Okay, so a few theaters did do a midnight showing and that is way past my bedtime, so I went for the much more agreeable 10am showtime, which happens to also have a special $5 deal for being the first showing of the day for the movie. Anyways, I kind of made the decision to go when I bought the tickets online yesterday morning after thinking I was going to have to wait until this came on DVD because I could not find anyone to go with. I am glad I decided to go see it on my own because it was totally worth it.

The plot is not exactly all that deep, but then again a complex plot can make movies, especially in the theaters, too tedious to watch. It is basically about Miley becoming too absorbed into being Hannah that the Miley part of her seems to have disappeared. It leads to her ruining Lilly’s Sweet 16 and getting in the papers for a superstar fight over shoes with Tyra Banks (I think this was the celebrity, but not positive). She basically is ready to be all Hannah all the time, but her dad would rather it be the other way around dropping the whole Hannah thing. She thinks she is getting her way and going to New York on a private jet, but she ends up back home in Tennessee. Slowly she rediscovers the country girl, Miley. The story includes some wacky Hannah/Miley moments with her trying to keep her secret as Hannah comes to save the small town charm from being taken over by a mall and Miley tries to date a childhood crush. Her secret does not seem safe, as a British tabloid reporter is trying to figure out whatever her secret is to tell the world. Will she become all Hannah, all Miley, or will her identity be revealed leaving her no longer the option to freely be just normal Miley?

The thing I most like about the movie is the music. It is not like the crappy music centric movies that are all about the music and nothing about a plot (sorry, that is just how I see the High School Musical series). Rather the music is part of the plot like in most normal movies, although of course the music is a little more obviously entwined with the plot rather than just background music the characters in the movie are not hearing. Of course, I am biased towards country music and this movie has some great ones.

Tomorrow, April 10, 2009, Hannah Montana the Movie opens in theaters across the country. The movie is based on the popular Disney Channel show, Hannah Montana. The movie is about the pop star Hannah Montana part of Miley’s life beginning to take over as Hannah Montana gains popularity. She is about ready to let it take over her life and give up on her Miley Stewart life. Her dad takes her back to Tennessee for a dose of reality that leads to adventure that includes romance.

I think this movie will be pretty interesting and I know I love the music in it already, as it has several good country songs including Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Back to Tennessee.” The plot sounds pretty good and actually way better than many of the recent episodes in my opinion. I think it will be a good movie to actually go and see in theaters this weekend and I only go to theaters a few times a year, so that is really saying something for me. It even sounds good enough that I am going to go see it by myself on opening day. I have never gone to the movies alone before and actually most of the time it is just the opposite in that I only go because someone wants me to go with them (i.e. my brother dragging me to Indiana Jones and Get Smart last summer, which I would not have gone to otherwise). Only other movie I could ever imagining going alone to is Harry Potter, but I will not because at least my bro always wants to go to those.

By the way if you get buy your tickets ahead of time at Fandango.com or Movietickets.com through April 19, 2009, you are supposed to get a free download of “The Climb” music video. However, I have no idea how this works and I just bought my ticket for tomorrow on Fandango. No special offer was noticeable given to me besides joining some stupid movie club thing that Fandango does. Honestly, though, I do not care to really investigate because I already bought the movie soundtrack on iTunes as preorder and now have it along with the music video that supposedly you get for buying tickets online. Just a warning that it does not appear to come right as your purchase or if it does it is easy to miss the offer.

Wizards of Waverly Place Supernaturally Stylin’ is the second DVD release of episodes from the Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place show. The release has four episodes just like the first DVD release of the show has. I really liked that release, but this one kind of seemed like a let down. The biggest reason being that the only special feature called “Fashionista Presto Chango” about the shows different outfits and such seems pretty much the same as the special feature on the first DVD release. I am not positive it is the same special feature, but it at least felt like I had seen it before and was thus at least quite similar.

The episodes on this release are “Credit Check,” “Smarty Pants,” “Beware Wolf,” and “Graphic Novel.” “Credit Check” is about Alex interning at a fashion magazine and her employer taking credit for her ideas. “Smarty Pants” is about Alex wearing special magic smarty pants to help Harper win the Quiz Bowl against Justin’s team, but she wears them too long and begins to suffer from bad side effects. “Beware Wolf” is about Justin going on a date with someone he met online and ending up being turned into a werewolf. “Graphic Novel” is about GiGi ending up in Alex’s secret comic diary world and learning about Alex’s secret princess world and that Alex has a crush on Dean.

Overall I do like the episodes on this release, especially “Smarty Pants” and “Graphic Novel.” I just wish they had added at least one decent special feature that truly seemed original. Without that it seems pointless to recommend this as even a rental, as the show is still regularly repeated on the Disney Channel.

Check out the other TV on DVD reviews I have blogged about here.

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The newest Disney Channel Original Movie and the first for 2009 is premiering this Monday, February 16, 2009. It does seem kind of odd for it to be premiering on a Monday rather than a Friday, but I guess it has to do with Monday being President’s Day and also to compete with the new movie Nickelodeon (Spectacular) is premiering that day. The new Disney Channel Original Movie is called Dadnapped.

Dadpnapped is about a girl named Melissa Morris (played by Emily Osment) that feels neglected by her father (played by George Newbern). Her father, Neil, is a best selling spy novel author who seems to give more attention to his fictional character Tripp Zoome than his daughter, Melissa. They finally try to spend time together by going on a father daughter camping trip. On the trip her father ends up being kidnapped by some of his fans (Wheeze, Andre, and Sheldon). Thus instead of spending time together she first must rescue her father. It sounds like there is some sort of twist that they also end up working together and becoming closer together.

It sounds like it might be a good movie. I am at least glad to finally see a non-music themed Disney Channel movie. It is not that the music themed movies are all bad, but they do get kind of tiresome.

Do not forget to comment and get an entry in our February Comment Contest and have a chance to win a TV on DVD.