Disney Channel is known for making many great films throughout the years. For more than 30 years, Disney Channel has given us one movie after another to enjoy and most of them ended up being hits. While some of Disney's original movies weren't as successful as the channel probably hoped them to be, many of them became part of history. A lot of DCOMs have shaped our childhood and impacted us in one way or another. We also can't forget how diverse Disney’s films are which makes them even more memorable.
While Disney had many great films, some would argue that the best ones were those made in the 2000s. Whether this was true or not, the 2000s had some great movies that we fell in love with. In order to remember the good times that nowadays fill us with nostalgia, here are the best Disney Channel movies of the 2000s, ranked.
10 Cadet Kelly
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Cadet Kelly is one of Disney’s best. The film follows Kelly Collins (Hilary Duff) a girl obsessed with fashion more than anything else who suddenly finds herself at a military school where her stepdad (Gary Cole) is the new commandant there.
We quickly notice that Kelly doesn't exactly fit there, and she isn't like the rest of those who attend the school. She is also the complete opposite of Cadet Captain Jennifer Stone (Christy Carlson Romano) and the two of them don't get along. Perhaps the only similarity between the two is that both of them had a crush on a boy named Brad (Shawn Ashmore).
One thing about Cadet Kelly is that it is one of Duff’s best films. It taught children at that time what it meant to be responsible and adapt to changes. The film was one of Disney’s hits as it gathered at the time over seven million viewers. It is without a doubt one of the best DCOMs to ever air.
9 Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior
Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior, which was released in 2006, is another great DCOM that doesn't get as much appreciation as it should. The film focuses on Wendy Wu (Brenda Song) a “normal” teenager who was getting ready to campaign to become homecoming queen.
However, she has more things to plan for as she discovers that she is the reincarnation of a Chinese warrior, and a powerful one at that. The film was very different from Disney’s usual films as it combined several elements together. We got to see a coming-of-age story in high school mixed with Chinese culture and martial arts.
Song did an excellent job as Wendy, and she was one of the reasons behind people’s love for the film. The action element in Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior was also a nice touch that gave us some great fight scenes. We get to see the shift in Wendy’s character as she lets go of her old personality.
Her character development happened through the introduction of Shen (Shin Koyamada), the monk who helped Wendy know more about her culture and kung fu. She embraces her destiny to fight evil forces, represented in Yan-Lo, which makes the film more interesting. It also doesn't hurt that the film discusses the ideas of responsibility and heritage.
8 The Luck of the Irish
Released in 2001, The Luck of the Irish is one of the interesting DCOMs that we got the chance to see all over the years. The film had an interesting, and also unusual, plot which makes it still memorable today. The film follows a famous teen basketball player at high school named Kyle Johnson (Ryan Merriman) who loses a golden coin that he believes to be lucky.
The disappearance of the coin made strange events start happening to him; specifically, to how he looks. His hair becomes orange, his ears are now elf ears, and he becomes smaller. Only then does his family tell him the truth about how they are a family of leprechauns.
He also discovers that the coin was a magical one which helped keep his family looking like normal humans. Therefore, he goes on a mission to find out who took the coin. It turns out that an evil leprechaun, named Seamus McTiernan (Timothy Omundson), took it and now Kyle has to compete against him in several competitions like wrestling.
The Luck of the Irish may seem weird at first especially because of the unusual plot, but as time passes by you grow to love it. The film had themes of depending on hard work rather than luck and it also gave us the chance to learn more about Irish heritage. It is also a great film to watch for St. Patrick’s Day.
7 Twitches
Twitches is one of Disney’s films that was followed by a sequel, but nothing competes with the original film that was released in 2005. The film follows twins Alexandra Fielding and Camryn Barnes, played by Tia and Tamera Mowry, who were separated from each other at birth. It's only when they become 21 years old that they learn that they are witches. They then return to their birthplace in order to save their biological mother and also protect their kingdom, Coventry, from an evil force called the Darkness.
Disney’s portrayal of the story was too perfect for anyone to find something to complain about. It even got over 20 million viewers when it was first released. The film also discussed the differences between social classes as the two sisters were brought up in different households with different families. Twitches isn't your normal DCOM that discusses sisterhood and magic, but it is one that deserves a watch.
6 The Cheetah Girls
The Cheetah Girls still remains one of Disney’s best original movies even though 20 years have passed since its release in 2003. If you ever dreamed of forming a girl band with your friends then you have probably been inspired by The Cheetah Girls which was a girl band formed by four teen girls: Galleria, Chanel, Aqua, and Dorinda. We got to see Raven-Symoné, Adrienne Bailon, Sabrina Bryan, and Kiely Williams playing the roles of these girls.
The film follows how the group is finally given a recording deal after they were used to singing at birthday parties, however, it comes at a price. The record label wants to change everything about them and now the group has to decide what exactly they want.
One thing about The Cheetah Girls is that it had great songs and choreography that you couldn't help but memorize. It has everything that you would want to see in a film about friendship, dreams, and staying true to yourself. Plus, it was co-produced by Whitney Houston. The Cheetah Girls played a huge role in Disney producing more musicals and we can thank it for blessing us indirectly with High School Musical, which was released three years later.
5 Camp Rock
Who can forget about 2008 when it was the year we got to see Camp Rock for the first time? The film that gave us the chance to see both Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers will always be one of DCOM’s best. It follows Mitchie Torres (Lovato) a teenage singer who wants to go to a summer music camp called Camp Rock, but her family can't afford it. The only way for her to enroll there is to work in the kitchen and she does so, but drama starts from the moments she lies about her life.
Even today, you would find people comparing Camp Rock to Cinderella especially since it shares some elements with the fairytale film. We also have to thank that film because it gave us some of Disney’s best songs, and it also played a role in launching the career of Lovato while the Jonas Brothers at the time needed no introduction.
4 High School Musical
High School Musical is without doubt one of Disney’s best and most popular films. While the franchise had its fans, nothing compares to the first film released in 2006. It is perhaps the best musical that Disney produced so far. We see how Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) sing together at a party only to later discover that Gabriella is the new student at Troy’s high school. The love story that develops next is unmatched as the two of them audition for the school’s musical.
The film was considered by many to be a blockbuster, especially with the trail of success that followed anything related to it. It also had great choreography and songs that are still famous even today. Therefore, it is almost rare to find someone who didn't at least watch the first movie of the franchise. The film’s success led to two more films and the third installment also had a theatrical release worldwide which goes to show you how popular it became. The franchise also gave us High School Musical: The Musical: The Series which carries the original trilogy’s legacy.
3 Motocrossed
Motocrossed was one of DCOM’s earliest movies as it was released in 2001. The film is another one where we had twins and this time they were Andrew (Trever O’Brien) and Andrea (Alana Austin). The 15-year-old twins don't only share looks, but they also share a love for motocross. However, their father only allows Andrew to practice it. Things change for the siblings when Andrew becomes injured and will miss his next big race. This makes Andrea decide to pose as her brother and participate in the race on his behalf.
One of the positive things about Motocrossed is that it challenged the idea of gender identity at such an early time. It also had feminist ideas about how women should be allowed to play any kind of sports they want and that there is nothing that girls can't do. We also got to see Disney’s portrayal of the double standards women have to face when playing sports that are stereotypically believed to be only fitting for men. Therefore, Motocrossed is one of the good things that Disney has done since it first started.
2 Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie
Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, which was released in 2009, was another DCOM success. Selena Gomez once again played her famous role as Alex Russo, and she didn't disappoint. The film starts with Alex grounded while her family is on vacation which leads to Alex doing something she would later regret, which was usual, as she wished that her parents never met. Now that her wish has come true, she and her brother Justin (David Henrie) have to help her parents regain their memories of each other, or else things will go downhill.
From the moment it was released the film was breaking Disney’s records. At that time, it even became the second most-viewed DCOM. If we were to guess some of the reasons for the film’s success then Gomez’s involvement would be at the top of the list. The series also played a role in the film’s success as people couldn't get enough of Alex and her antics. There is no doubt that if Disney were to make another Wizards of Waverly Place, it would break more records.
1 The Color of Friendship
Coming at first place is Disney's 2000 The Color of Friendship which had an unusual story for Disney to tackle. The film takes place during the apartheid in South Africa when two girls meet and discover just how different they are. The two girls are Mahree, a white South African, and Piper, a Black girl from America. While Piper is wholeheartedly against the apartheid, Mahree lives in ignorance as she is in favor of apartheid since she benefits from it. They meet when Mahree goes to stay in Washington, DC as an exchange student.
Their difference set them apart at first, but they soon learn to respect and love each other. The two of them learn to look past their race difference, and they end up becoming friends. The film’s idea might seem to be a heavy topic for Disney to discuss, but it was one of the reasons that made the film successful. It was received well by the audience and critics. The film also taught people about the apartheid, and it had a great plot, which was based on a true story, so it came as no surprise that it went on to win an Emmy.
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