Go Wilde! A DVD Review of the Disney Channel Original Movie: "StarStruck"

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The latest Disney Channel Original Movie to be released on DVD is StarStruck starring Sterling Knight of Sonny with a Chance. Knight plays pop sensation Christopher Wilde who can’t seem to step outside without the paparazzi and screaming fans being there. By chance he meets Jennifer Olson who is on vacation with her family and it is her annoying sister and not her who is a huge Wilde fan.

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They, of course, fall in love and experience a series of setbacks which prevent them from being together. They predictably have their happy ending though you can’t help question how they deal with the fact that she lives in Michigan and he lives in Los Angeles. Every so often there is a musical number usually performed by Knight though the music is less important there than in High School Musical or Camp Rock.

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Despite some predictable plot points the film overall is enjoyable and typically what one would expect from a Disney Channel Original Movie. The music is not very memorable, but Knight is talented enough to pull it off. It does little to advance the plot other than to let us know that Wilde is a popular singer, but it does not detract from the story either.

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The most interesting part of the film is the commentary on young stardom and how it prevents young stars from being normal kids. Wilde experiences overbearing fans and intrusive paparazzi. He has an actress girlfriend he has no feelings for and his managers are his parents who have forgotten how to be real parents. While some of the specifics may be exaggerated, it does make you think about how hard it must be for some young stars to be normal.

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The Extended Edition DVD features a new musical number “Got to Believe” which does not add much to the plot, but it is nice they included it in the film itself.

The light selection of bonus features three music videos:

• “StarStruck”
• “Something About the Sunshine”
• “Party Up”

There is also a Rock Along mode where the lyrics to the song and displayed karaoke style so you can sing along. None of these bonus features were particularly exciting to me, but fans of Sterling and the film will appreciate them.

The second disc is the full StarStruck Soundtrack CD which is a nice addition for fans who don’t already own the soundtrack. Otherwise casual fans might want to consider the 1 disc version that has the bonus features without the CD.

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