The Suite Life Movie – review

The Suite Life Movie was as I expected:  a bit of a silly Disney movie. Based on the TV show The Suite Life On Deck, it follows Cody and Zack on their final spring break before heading back to school for their final few weeks. Cody gets an internship that is ruined by Zack, who gets them in another internship that traps them. It is up to them to save themselves and everybody else who is trapped, as well. Cody and Zack have to get along for their own benefit and everybody else if they wish to break free.

I will say that I thought that the movie was going to be pointless and even silly to the point that no adult could enjoy it. But, like with many movies before this one, I was surprised at just how funny it was! Like when London thought that dolphins were camels, that was funny enough for everybody. Or when Zack & Cody fought, which almost anybody with a sibling can relate to. It was well written, even if it was slow to start out. I will say that I also feel that they added a lot of thought to it, which is a nice touch for something that the public just learned about late last summer or early fall.

I am impressed with how well the characters stayed true to the TV show; I thought that they might get lost in the shuffle. But they stayed strong and were not weakened by Disney. Cody was my favorite, but Zack and London both keep the laughs rolling in. The other characters were just okay; I don’t think they carried the movie like Cody, Zack and London did. Still, I think it was well rounded for a Disney movie. Even if it was a little thick in the plot in some areas.

Story was cute, but it is what you would expect from Disney. However, it was cute enough for even the adults to find humor in it. It was well written, acted, and directed, which is pretty good for a made for TV movie. However, I will say that it is clearly not the best movie ever made by any means. It was above what I expected, but I do think that they could have made it a stronger movie. With that being said, I can still say that I think most hard core The Suite Life On Deck fans will love it, and perhaps some who are not fans of the show would get a lot out of it.

Sets and camera angles were awkward at times. Filming on a boat likely did not help their cause. I think that the first few shots did not have a proper angle; it did not show Zack’s whole face when he was with his friend. I think that sort of lowered the movie a bit, but during the rest it appeared to work fine. I think it helped that most of it was filmed on land; that bad angle was corrected, but I was shocked that Disney did not edit that out. It does not reflect well on Disney at all.

For my age group recommendation, I will say that I do think it is safe for even young kids to watch . Of course, I would not expect anything less from Disney.

As for my final thoughts on the movie, I will say that I did enjoy it. But I also did not allow myself to have high hopes for it, so it did not disappoint me. It in fact gave me a surprise in how well it turned out. For my usual 1 to 10 rating (with 10 being the highest), I give it a 7. Not bad, but far from perfect by a long shot.

What are your feelings about it? Did you enjoy it, is the show better? Let us know in the comments, and tell us why you feel the way you do.