Ranking The Best Throwback Disney Channel Movies
In honor of Disney Channel finally getting their shit together and playing a marathon of every beloved DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) there ever was, here is a list of the best of the best — but only true childhoodthrowbacks (sorry, no HSM).
10. Life-Size (2000)
Pre-ANTM Tyra! Pre-crack Lindsay! Shine bright, shine far, you’re a star! Thinking about this movie makes me so nostalgic I could shed a tear.
9. Eddie’s Million Dollar Cook-Off (2003)
The big cooking contest the same day as the big game. The Bobby Flay appearance. The bullying from teammates and his overbearing father. It all adds up to make a truly great DCOM (Sidenote: Eddie apparently works at Jimmy John’s now, so there’s that).
8. Cadet Kelley (2002)
Seeing Lizzie McGuire go to military school was almost as great as seeing her sing “Hey Now” with Pablo. Wait, that wasn’t the same character? Same difference.
7. The Color of Friendship (2000)
A true classic. We’ve really gotta hand it to Disney Channel, for probably the first time in the network’s history, they tried to confront and portray racial issues. Looking back, the final scenes may have been inaccurate (and very cheesy), but the movie was so heartwarming and inspiring that it will always be considered a DCOM classic.
6. Brink! (1998)
Oh my god was Andy, or “Brink,” hot. You may not have had a childhood if this wasn’t your first DCOM favorite or if Brink wasn’t your first crush. I have to wonder, though, what compelled Disney to pick competitive roller-blading of all things as the subject for this movie.
5. Johnny Tsunami (1999)
The surfing scenes, the tension between skiers and snowboarders, the heartbreaking move, and the lessons in friendship make you almost forget about the crazy plotline.
4. Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (1999)
Zenon is the epitome of ‘90s-kid coolness. How could you not envy her space station home, amazing fashion, best friend (Raven Symone), and even her pop-star crush? She’s a Disney icon and a forever Supernova Girl.
3. The Halloweentown series (1998, 2001)
It wasn’t really Halloween until you watched at least one of the installments of Halloweentown — even though it scared the shit out of you (only the first two movies were included because they are true throwbacks and the best).
2. Luck of the Irish (2001)
Because only Disney Channel could take a story about a boy turning into a Leprechaun and turn it into a staple for millennials. Fun fact: the main guy (with the spiky bleached hair) turned into a bad guy on Pretty Little Liars.
1. Smart House (1999)
The house-woman-thing still gives me nightmares, I still want to throw a party as great as the one in the movie, and I still plan on fulfilling my childhood dream of buying that house one day. When you think DCOMs, you think Smart House. It’s the classic of all classics, the craziest plot-line of all crazy plot-lines, and the best of the best.
Honorable Mentions: Don’t Look Under the Bed, The Thirteenth Year, My Date With the President’s Daughter, Model Behavior, High School Musical, The Cheetah Girls, Motorcrossed, Double Teamed, Phantom of the Megaplex, The Ultimate Christmas Present, The Other Me
Originally published on FlockU.com
