Review: Lemonade Mouth

Directed by: Patricia Riggen

Written by: April Blair

Starring: Bridgit Mendler, Adam Hicks, Hayley Kiyoko, Naomi Scott, Blake Michael

Rating: [2.5/5]

As displayed in various high school movies, including those directed by John Hughes, detention has a way to unite students towards a common goal. There’s something about a level of isolation because of bad deeds that these individuals decide they should team up and in the case of Lemonade Mouth, they decide to form a band and perform as an act of rebellion. While very much a Disney Channel Original Movie, this film certainly has its little pockets of joy to appreciate. 

Serving detention for various reasons, Olivia White (Bridgit Mendler), Mohini “Mo” Banjaree (Naomi Scott), Charles “Charlie” Delgado (Blake Michael), Stella Yamada (Hayley Kiyoko), and Wendell “Wen” Gifford (Adam Hicks) begin to bond over music. They then decide to form a band and compete in Rising Star, a premier music competition, but they face stiff opposition from a popular band at the school Mudslide Crush. 

Stories centered on different individuals coming together for a shared purpose always have this central positivity that fares well for any story, but particularly those focused on a younger population. It teaches that individuals from all walks of life can come together and we see that with this group of high school first-years finding their place together. They each individually have personal troubles they deal with that they hide away when they come to school, but this band and expression through music provides this outlet for them in addition to building a sense of community with others. They build more self-confidence as well as a collective one where they perform together that ultimately culminates in this rebellious movement centered on a vending machine that dispenses lemonade. 

For as much as this feature focuses on these students coming together to play music, it also serves as a tale of student rebelling against an ultimately harsh principal who plays favorites with others and has something out against the Lemonade Mouth band. His goal further streamlining this school, which in effect takes away this vending machine becomes this spark that begins something larger than any of these five ever sought in creating. Definitely something that makes for a fun idea in a high school, especially one as eccentric as this one where the principal seemingly wants to gut everything that does not fit within his vision of what would make this school the very best. 

As with any Disney Channel Original Movie, it comes with the pros of it generally having some catchy tunes attached to pivotal moments in the film that truly sum up the story. If one grew up with this movie, which I did not, I could see how one could build quite the connection to them as they generally play well throughout the film. The con, however, centers on the general inadequacies of these straight-to-television films where it lacks any real dynamic direction, lighting, and a whole host of generally cringeworthy line delivery by its younger lead actors. Lemonade Mouth serves as no exception to this and while the music has its qualities, it cannot wholly outweigh the elements where it lacks proficiencies. The trade-off does not necessarily work out here. That’s ultimately what leaves this film right down the middle for me, seeing as I can find the general enjoyment of what this film represents but the execution of it all fails to match up with it. 

Each individual who grew up watching Disney Channel Original Movies had their era where a particular run of films carries a particular sweet spot in their hearts. For as much as I can pick away at Lemonade Mouth and the issues I have with it, I could easily defend The Cheetah Girls 2 because I watched it at the right age and have that special bond with it. Seeing the film being reviewed here at the ripe age of 28 meant I could not necessarily connect with this particular cheesiness and general lack of filmmaking quality. If I had originally watched this film at 11 years old, would I have a different opinion on it? Perhaps, but I cannot ignore which elements do not work through my eyes at this age, nor do I begrudge anyone who still harbors plenty of love for it for nostalgic reasons or not.