Starstruck: Extended Edition

The storyline isn’t anything original — rich boy meets "real" girl and their separate worlds collide, hijinks ensue, etc. But in the most recent Disney adaptation, Starstuck, the rich boy is pop star Christopher Wilde (Sterling Knight) — think Justin Bieber and Jesse McCartney with a dash of old-school Justin Timberlake — and the "real" girl is Jessica Olson (Danielle Campbell), your typical, misunderstood, bookish girl with a diva for an older sister. When the Olson family goes on vacation to visit their grandmother, who conveniently lives in L.A., Jessica just wants to hang out with her grandma while older sister Sara is on a mission to meet Wilde.

As expected, the good girl meets the prince in a chance encounter outside a night club — one especially made or the under 21 crowd, it’s Disney, remember? — but in an odd twist, the girl is a rude, ungrateful brat. We get it, you’re not swayed by the fame, and you don’t care that he’s a millionaire, but you don’t need to be so rude about it, sheesh. Didn’t your mother teach you not to speak that way?

And while in most of these movies, the dividing factor between the pair is families or societal pressures a la Pretty in Pink, Disney threw us a curveball — the evil villain in this film is, none other than, the paparazzi. Knight’s character is plagued by the downsides of stardom: no freedom, everyone wanting a piece of him, and directors threatening to fire him if he doesn’t keep his face out of the tabloids. While this could have been a good move on Disney’s part, the end result was gimmicky and repetitive.

Though one doesn’t exactly expect Oscar-worthy performances from a Disney movie, the acting was a tad exaggerated and melodramatic. Knight’s character was, granted, a bit endearing, though that may have had more to do with his mega-watt smile and dimples, and not so much to do with his actual skills. But one of the biggest show stealers was Knight’s Sonny with a Chance co-star, Brandon Smith. Smith plays Stubby, Wilde’s best friend from home, who serves as his right-hand-man and someone who keeps him grounded.

DVD Special Features:

Extras on the DVD include music videos for four of the film’s original songs as well as a two minute long infomercial by Suite Life’s Dylan and Cole Sprouse about why you should go with Blu-ray and previews to upcoming Disney projects. The best part of the DVD purchase, however, is the film’s original soundtrack, which does contain some pretty catchy songs.

Starring: Sterling Knight, Danielle Campbell, Maggie Castle, Brandon Smith
Director: Michael Grossman
Runtime: 84 minutes
Rated: G