14 Forgotten Disney Channel Original Movies You Need To Rewatch ASAP
One of the things I looked forward to every month growing up was the new Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) that would air. I feel like many of those "classics" fell through the cracks, being overlooked for bigger hits, such as, "Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century," "Smart House" and "High School Musical." Sure, I watched those 100+ times each, but I also watched other DCOMs just as much.
We previously published a list of DCOMs you probably forgot about, but now we're adding even more that'll have you going, "OMG, I totally remember watching that!"
This movie was a type of pre-"She's the Man," relaying the vital message girls can be just as badass as boys. After her twin brother hurt his knee, sister Andy (Alana Austin) cut her hair and pretended to be him, proving to her father (and herself, because Disney's all about combating inner turmoil) she was a good enough motocross racer to compete with the boys. Oh, and many girl's sexual awakenings probably occurred thanks to Hottie McHotterson Riley Smith (far left), who played dreamboat racer Dean Talon.
Four years before the world met "The Incredibles," people were introduced to the Marshalls, a family of superheroes. Well, except for middle child Scott (Michael J. Pagan), who was born *gasp* normal. When a company known as Earth Protectors tried to use mind control to get people to commit crimes, Scott and his superhero family stepped in to stop them. "Entourage" star Kevin Connelly played the villain, which was just all kinds of awesome.
Starring a young Frankie Muniz, this movie told the real-life story of Justin Yoder, a wheelchair-bound boy who competed in a soapbox derby race. One particularly interesting aspect of this DCOM was Justin regularly spoke to God (Tuc Watkins), who manifested himself as the famous racer Bobby Wade.
Yes, this was an actual title of a DCOM. When her mother remarried, Megan (Courtnee Draper) discovered her stepfather and stepsister were both aliens. (The movie's called "Stepsister from Planet Weird," not "Stepsister from Planet Normal.") Oh, and all the aliens transformed into giant gaseous bubbles floating around, because why not?
"Quints"
Two years after "Halloweentown" premiered, Kimberly J. Brown starred as a girl who unexpectedly got FIVE younger siblings. She went from being the center of her parents' universe to being a fleeting memory, hiding in the background. Brown's character also broke the fourth wall during the film, talking directly to the audience.
This was one of the best DCOM Halloween movies, IMO. After their grandfather's spirit was captured by the evil ghost Zachariah Kull, two kids enlisted the help of three eccentric ghosts, known as the Soul Patrol, to help set their grandfather free. It's basically "Ghostbusters" for kids, and featured a young Kat Dennings.
This DCOM focused on teen Danny Sinclair (Johnny Pacar), who actually possessed magical powers. After discovering his "talent," sorcerer Max (Frank Langella) tried to murder Danny like he did his old mentor. The storyline is pretty dark, TBH. "Phil of the Future" star Aly Michalka played the female lead.
"Hounded"
Tahj Mowry and Shia LaBeouf butt heads over a dog in this forgotten gem. Jay Martin (Mowry) accidentally ended up taking Ronny Van Dusen's (LaBeouf) dog Camille, who soon went INSANE after not getting her medication. Jay and his brother Mike (Craig Kirkwood) tried to figure out how to return the prized show dog back to her owner. Also, LaBeouf played a little terror who was irritating AF.
Featuring a young Kaley Cuoco from "The Big Bang Theory," this movie followed the exploits of a group of rag-tag school outsiders who competed in a bowling competition. There was an ~extremely~ intense scene where a girl managed to get an impossible spare on a 7/10 split. Oh, and Robert Ri'chard from "Cousin Skeeter" co-stars, because nostalgia.
Camilla Belle played Sydney Miller, a girl who returned to Hawaii to reconnect with her past and save her homeland. Oh, and surf. All the time.
Tahj Mowry and Raquel Lee played siblings whose scientist parents accidentally made themselves age backwards. Yes, it's like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." If Eddie (Mowry) and Marie (Lee) weren't able get their parents back to normal before they ran out of time, their parents would've cease to exist — just POOFED into thin air.
Andy Lawrence did a kind of parent-trap thing, playing dual roles in this DCOM. When Will Browning (Lawrence) accidentally cloned himself as a genius, he used his clone, nicknamed "Twoie," to pass his classes in school. Of course, rogue scientists tried to kidnap Twoie, but everyone lived happily ever after, since this is a family movie.
Poppi Monroe and Annie McElwain played real-life twins Heather and Heidi Burge. The girls were forced to play on their school's basketball team by their overbearing father (Nick Searcy), and they quickly learned what it meant to be a part of a hard-working team. They eventually both joined the WNBA. Fun fact: The actresses actually weren't twins IRL, according to IMDb.
OK, I doubt you forgot about this DCOM, since star Taylor Ball was such a teenage hottie. Ball played Eddie Ogden, a baseball player who discovered he loved to cook. He enrolled in a home economics class in school and tried his best to balance his games with preparation for a cooking competition. But when he realized both big events are (of course) at the same time, he was forced to choose. Oh, and there were TWO food fights in the movie, because Disney.
