Tag Archives: 2010s

January 17, 2014 – The Disney Channel Original Movie Cloud 9 Premieres

“Now this is what I call fashionably late.”

On January 17, 2014, the Disney Channel Original Movie Cloud 9 premiered. It was written by Justin Ware, Don D. Scott, and Katie Wech, and directed by Paul Hoen. It starred Dove Cameron as Kayla, Luke Benward as Will, Mike C. Manning as Nick Swift, and Kiersey Clemmons as Skye Sailor.

The movie begins with Kayla Morgan, a spoiled teenager, arriving home to find a present from her father before remembering that she’s late to arrive at her snowboarding competition. Kayla is a snowboarding champion, and although she manages to score well, her prima donna behavior frustrates her teammates and her coach. Meanwhile, Will Cloud is working in his family’s kennel, wishing to put his snowboarding past behind him. He runs into Kayla and her boyfriend Nick on the slopes, with Kayla revealing that Will was a legend in the making, but had to leave it all behind after an accident. Will’s friends try to convince him to snowboard again, but he still refuses. That night, Kayla and Nick arrive at a special party for the team, and Nick’s father, Coach Swift, thinks that Nick’s best isn’t good enough. But the excitement still rises when Coach Swift reveals that the upcoming Fire & Ice competition will be broadcast on national television, but Kayla soon finds Nick being berated by his father.

Kayla and Nick head out after the party, with Nick admitting he wants to try the dangerous move, the “Cloud 9”

Later that night, Kayla and Nick talk more about the competition, with Nick wanting to do the “Cloud 9” – the move that cost Will his snowboarding career. They find Will’s sled behind the sign for the resort and decide to take it for a ride, which ends with Kayla crashing through the sign and destroying Will’s sled. Nick and the rest of the team abandon Kayla, leaving Kayla to take the blame. To pay for Will’s sled, her parents decide that Kayla’s punishment is to work at Will’s family kennel every day after school. Will isn’t happy about the arrangement, and tells Kayla that she’s not good at anything except shopping; furthermore, she’s decent but lazy on the slopes, and only made the Swift team because her father owns the resort. The next day, Kayla heads into the kennel, but argues with Will from the beginning. Things get worse for Kayla when Coach Swift kicks her off the team for her antics, even though the boys on the team were also guilty, and Nick tells her that she’s only a champion because the competition was fixed so her father would keep financing the team. Kayla is crushed, as she feels she’s a fake.

Kayla continues to work at the kennel, but runs into trouble every which way, especially as one of the dogs manages to free the others and they all escape. Kayla chases them to the nearby hangout, and finds her boyfriend with his friends. At her low point, he decides to dump her, as he says he needs to focus on her training. She arrives back with all the dogs and starts to cry about her misfortune, and is even more crushed when she is not fired from the kennel job. She confides in her friends that she really liked Nick, but Pia reassures Kayla that this can only mean that something incredible could come out of all of this. Inspired, Kayla strikes up a deal with Will: she’ll help fix up the kennel if he’ll train her for Fire & Ice. Will refuses, however, as the injury the other year nearly cost him his life. Kayla continues to badger him, although he doesn’t think she’s serious enough to compete. Kayla is even more determined to win when she finds that she’s already been replaced on her old team. Will finally decides to help her, and she joins his old team.

Kayla’s world collides with Will’s after she joins his old team

Kayla’s friends are surprised to hear of Kayla’s plans, but Kayla is ready to take on her old team and their new teammate, Skye Sailor. Kayla and Skye have a confrontation at the resort lodge, with Kayla challenging her. Kayla decides, with Will’s lecturing, that she needs to show Skye what she’s made of on the slopes, and starts practicing. Kayla gets better and better, much to Will’s surprise. Kayla also renovates the kennel, with Will and his mother loving the change. Will’s mom thanks Kayla for making Will happy again, as it was thought that he’d never be the same after his accident. Later, Will and Kayla get ice cream, with Will admitting that Kayla looks like a real threat. Kayla tries to convince Will to try boarding again and competing in Fire & Ice, and he promises that he’ll think about it. The next morning, Kayla overhears her father saying that there’s no way that Kayla can win against Team Swift, but that only makes Kayla want to win more, and asks Will to teach her the Cloud 9. Will refuses, and tells her that she doesn’t believe in herself enough. She then decides to head up to the top of the tallest peak so she can snowboard down and prove that she has no fear.

Kayla is nervous when she reaches the top of the peak, but keeps telling herself that nothing’s impossible. The helicopter films her performance, sending the feed live back to the resort, with everyone watching as she makes her way down. She does well for the first part, until an avalanche basically follows her down the peak, and she wipes out. Will hurriedly makes his way up the resort to save her with one of the dogs from the kennel, and manages to pull her out unharmed. She once again tries to convince Will to teach her the Cloud 9, and he reluctantly agrees. Will also agrees to get back on the board, and heads out on a practice run. Kayla gets slightly distracted when she finds her old boyfriend Nick dating Skye, but realizes that she may have feelings for Will. Will begins teaching her the Cloud 9, which is a move with three rotations in the air. Kayla tries again and again to get the move, but continues to fall. She continues to practice into the night, with Skye and Coach Swift watching. Skye tells Coach Swift that Kayla isn’t the pampered princess he made her out to be, but can actually ride.

Will is afraid of Kayla getting hurt, and decides to stop teaching her the Cloud 9

Will decides not to let Kayla practice the Cloud 9 anymore, as he’s afraid that she’ll get injured the way he did. The two finally share a kiss, and Kayla reassures him that she’s all in, and needs him to believe in her. She runs into Coach Swift on her way home, and he apologizes to her for kicking her off the team and asks her for another chance, inviting her back on the team before Fire & Ice. Although it looks like Kayla is rejoining Team Swift, she decides to stay with Team Hotdoggers. The Fire & Ice competition begins, and the teams are doing really well. Finally, it’s time for Kayla’s competition, and Kayla has an incredible first run, beating Skye Sailor. For the second run, Skye takes the lead, with Kayla needed a near perfect score to beat her. Before Kayla heads up, her father finds her to apologize for not believing in her. Coach Swift berates the scene between Kayla and her father, and Nick loses it, as he’s tired of his dad not giving him any praise, and tells her the truth: on Coach Swift’s orders, Nick steered the sled into the sign so there was a reason to kick Kayla off the team. This news makes Kayla all the more determined to win the competition with the Cloud 9. She heads out on her run, and nails the Cloud 9, achieving the perfect score necessary to win not only the women’s division, but the overall competition for her team.

December 2, 2011 – The Disney Channel Original Movie Good Luck Charlie: It’s Christmas Premieres

“Mom, I’m pretty sure Dad’s going to overeat and get heartburn no matter where we are.”

On December 2, 2011, the Disney Channel Original Movie Good Luck Charlie: It’s Christmas premiered. Based on the hit show Good Luck Charlie, it premiered to over 7.1 million viewers. The movie was written by Geoff Rodkey, and directed by Arlene Sanford. It starred Bridgit Mendler as Teddy, Leigh-Allyn Baker as Amy, Bradley Steven Perry as Gabe, Mia Talerico as Charlie, Jason Dolley as PJ, Eric Allan Kramer as Bob, Debra Monk as Petunia, and Michael Kagan as Hank.

The film begins at the Duncans’ house in Denver, 62 hours before Christmas. The family is heading to Palm Springs to visit their grandparents, and Teddy’s mom Amy is stressed out of her mind because she worries that the family will lose their traditions. The rest of the family, however, is excited about heading somewhere warm. Teddy is keeping a secret from her parents: she planned on going away for spring break with her friend Ivy, and hasn’t asked for permission yet. When she asks Amy, she continues to refuse, but Teddy continues to ask. Her father Bob says Teddy can go – providing she can raise the money and buy the ticket before the deadline. Ask they head through the metal detectors, Gabe is noticeably nervous, as it appears that he’s smuggling his game system, but gets caught, delaying the family. As the family rushes to the plane, they just barely make it. The plane is overbooked, and the airline offers a free round-trip ticket to anywhere if someone gives up their seat; finding a way to get to Florida for spring break, Teddy accepts and quickly disembarks. Not letting her daughter get off the plane alone, Amy rushes off the plane, and soon gets in an argument with the airline when they find that the next available flight is in three days.

Teddy tries to convince her mom to take a bus to Palm Springs after getting kicked out of the airport

After Amy and Teddy are escorted from the airport, Amy is further stressed by the fact that they have no way of getting to Palm Springs. Trying to prove she is responsible, Teddy comes up with the idea to take the bus. Meanwhile, the rest of the family arrives in California, with Bob worried about spending eighteen hours alone with Amy’s mother Petunia, as she doesn’t care for Bob. Petunia has left several priceless Christmas decorations out, refusing to childproof her home for Charlie’s arrival, and berates Bob on his bad parenting when he asks nicely if some of the decorations can be put away. While taking the bus, Amy is continuously carsick, much to the disgust of the other passengers, and the pair are kicked off. Teddy tries to calmly reason with the driver, but Amy, once again, gets into a confrontation, leaving Amy and Teddy alone in the mountains. They then have to walk eight miles in the snow to the nearest car rental place. Back in Palm Springs, Charlie is left alone for two seconds, and nearly destroys Petunia’s crystal reindeer. While Bob manages to save the reindeer, Petunia believes that Bob was trying to ruin it. Meanwhile, Gabe teaches his grandfather Hank about the wide world of video games. The situation in Palm Springs doesn’t get better as Petunia continues to berate Bob for his “bad parenting,” at one point giving him a time out by locking him in a room.

As Amy and Teddy walk, Teddy asks her mom what is going on, as Amy has been having rather serious mood swings. They fortunately make it to the rental place, only to find that it’s not a rental place, and the only car they can find is a clunker for $50. The car goes so slowly, they fear they won’t get there in time. When they reach a large curved hill, the car begins to fall apart as it begins to snow. After a torturous drive, they manage to make it to a motel, where they sleep in the car overnight. When trying to adjust the seat, the car completely falls apart, leaving the two once again stranded, with the only option of hitchhiking. They meet a couple on their way to Las Vegas, and ask for a ride after buying them breakfast. In Palm Springs, all three Duncan boys end up locked in the same room, hiding away from Amy’s parents. Amy and Teddy are relieved to get a ride, only to find that their Good Samaritans are heading to an alien abduction convention. While trying to convince the couple that they haven’t been abducted by aliens before, Amy’s secret is finally revealed: she’s pregnant.

After arriving in Las Vegas , Teddy and Amy wish their saviors farewelll before Teddy asks why Amy didn’t say anything about being pregnant

The pair arrive at Las Vegas, and Teddy argues with her mom, wondering why Amy never told her. As they argue, they don’t realize that their luggage has been stolen. Amy calls Bob, and Bob, Gabe, and PJ head to Las Vegas to pick them up. In a fit of desperation, Bob leaves Charlie behind with Petunia, although Petunia doesn’t know how to stop Charlie from breaking things. In Las Vegas, Teddy and Amy wander the streets, and Teddy has finally had enough with her mother’s complaining, especially since she’s tried to be the grownup the entire time. Amy then blames Teddy for ruining Christmas, and Teddy walks off, leaving Amy alone. That evening, as Teddy is starving, she decides to sing and dance for some spare change so she can get a sandwich. Amy tries to help her, and the two inadvertently create a comedy routine to the delight of the people around them. As Bob and the boys head through the desert to pick the girls up, they are soon stopped by a horde of strange men with guns. After Teddy and Amy go to a buffet, they find they girl who stole their luggage and confront her, but are sympathetic to the poor girl’s plight and decide to listen to her story.

After the three Duncans are kidnapped, the strange men accuse the three of stealing some kind of stone. After they leave, Gabe reveals that they’ve stumbled upon a live-action role playing paintball game, and they will be trapped until after Christmas. The three manage to break free, and Gabe’s video game experience helps the three get back to their car, although Gabe would rather win the game. In Las Vegas, Teddy and Amy console the girl named Jordan, who reveals that her mom told her that if she went to a music festival, she could never go home. Amy manages to talk to the Jordan’s mom, and Jordan is able to go home, although she can’t afford any plane fare. Teddy gives up her round-trip ticket so Jordan is able to head home for Christmas, and Amy admits that she’s very proud of her daughter. When Amy receives a text from Bob that he’s running late, she and Teddy decide to find a car rental and meet them halfway. Unable to find a car rental, they use the next best thing: a tandem bicycle. Back at the game, Gabe is close to leading the Duncans to victory, although Bob is taken out, leaving Gabe to head all alone to the prize while PJ tends to Bob. Gabe then meets his hero, the creator of his favorite video game, and the creator pays them back for their win by giving them a ride in his helicopter to meet Amy and Teddy at a roadside cafe. Amy’s parents also arrive at the diner with Charlie, and they all head inside the café to celebrate Christmas.