Cloud 9 (2014)

Better Late Then Never

Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

A snowboarder Kayla Morgan (Dove Cameron), the best girl shredder in Summit Valley, competes in a snowboarding challenge and wins for the girls' division. With her Swift snowboarding teammate/boyfriend, Nick Swift (Mike Manning), who is also the son of team coach Sebastian Swift (Jeffrey Nordling), she trains as a part of the Swift Team to win the "Fire and Ice" snowboarding competition. A year ago, a viral video branding the famous, legendary snowboarder Will Cloud (Luke Benward) as an "epic failure" caused Will to end his snowboarding career. He wiped out attempting a move he created in Fire and Ice, called the Cloud 9, and almost died, allowing the Swifts to take the win. Now, Will works at his family's dog-kennel with his mom, Andrea (Amy Farrington). During a per-Fire and Ice party for the Swifts, Sebastian Swift tells Nick that he needs to do whatever it takes to win Fire and Ice. After the party, Kayla, Nick, and their two other teammates find Will's sled that he left behind while taking a customer's dog for a walk. Kayla and Nick get on and ride the sled, however, Nick is unable to control it and apologizes to Kayla before falling out of the sled. Still riding, Kayla crashes into the mountain lodge sign, demolishing it and breaking the sled in the process. A security guard finds her and takes her home, and Kayla was abandoned by her teammates to take the blame. Will was informed that his sled was broken.Her parents, Richard (Patrick Fabian) and Madeline, tell Kayla and Will that they will fix the sign, but Kayla has to work at the dog-kennel every day after school to pay for Will's sled unless she told them who else was there at the incident. She refuses, and she and Will argue about her presence at the kennel. In the midst of their talk, Will blatantly tells Kayla that even though she had won many medals, her board technique was rusty and she was only on the Swift team because her dad owned the resort and supplied the team with money.After school, Kayla hurries into the kennel, hoping not to be spotted. While Will took a dog for a walk, Kayla fills the dogs' food bowls. She receives a message from Sebastian that she is kicked off the team because of her misconduct. Furious, she marches up to Nick and they have a serious discussion. He and the others knew about her dismissal from the team but wouldn't do anything about it. When Kayla presses further, Nick comes straight out with the truth he's been trying to avoid and explains that she can't win Fire and Ice, due to her faulty riding. She and her father argue about how he doesn't think Kayla's good enough to try to reach for the stars.The next day, Kayla is seen mopping the floor and arrived at the kennel earlier than Will. When Will arrives, he is with his friends, Dink (Carlon Jeffery) and Sam (Andrew Caldwell). Sam had taken a nasty fall attempting a snowboarding move, and Will lectures Sam about following the exercises he recommended for him and figures out where Sam went wrong. Kayla realizes that Will truly does know what he is doing. Later, Will and his friends leave for some pizza, leaving Kayla in charge. After she locks one of the dogs, Donald, in his cage, Kayla gives another, Buford, a bath. Donald mischievously unlocks the cage and lets the other dogs out. She discovers their escape and chases them through town. Later, she talks to Nick again, and he decides it that they should break-up, thinking she is a distracting him from the competition. When Kayla returns to the kennel with the dogs, she pleads to be fired, but Andrea refuses. Back at home, her friends try to comfort her and bring themselves to watch the viral video and see how Will got injured.Kayla asks Will to train her for Fire and Ice so she can really know snowboarding and work on her technique. She also offers to remodel the kennel to bring in more customers. Will denies that he still loves snowboarding and refuses to coach her. Infuriated, Kayla keeps trying to talk reason into him. He blatantly replies that she did not have a team to compete with, and so there would be no point in teaching her anyways. Kayla sees his old teammates and decided that they could be a team together. Kayla then notices the really famous shredder, Skye Sailor (Kiersey Clemons), and realizes the Swifts have replaced her with Skye. She tries to reason with Will again, telling him not only the Swifts replaced her, but they beat Will too and he hasn't snowboarded since. Will then agrees to train them.At school, she tells her friends that Will will coach her and introduces them to Sam and Dink. She sees Nick and is incredulous when he silently 'what-upped' her. Spotting Skye, she points her out to her friends, who comfort her by reminding Kayla that Skye was wearing double studs, which was "so last season." Later, Skye spots Kayla and offers to give her an autograph. Realizing this was the girl she replaced, she decided to make the autograph to 'Kayla, Everyone's favorite Daddy's girl.' Angrily, Kayla remarks that she will be the winner of Fire and Ice. Will frustrated tells Kayla that she has to prove that, and they started serious training. Kayla isn't doing great at the start, but she is later shown steadily improving and also working on the makeover for the dog care. At one point, Nick sees Kayla and Will together and he doesn't seem happy about it.

Dove Cameron of Liv&Maddie and Luke Benward recently an interest of Bridgit Mendler on Good Luck Charlie team up for this latest Disney feature film Cloud 9. No this is not about literal heavenly heights, but it might as well be for it is an especially grueling challenge for snowboarders. In fact we see that one can't even walk up to it, one has to be airlifted before one makes the dangerous downward descent.The story casts Cameron as the daughter of the owner of a ski resort and that gives her access to a team sponsored by winter sports business owner whose son Mike Manning is the snowboarding current star. But when the resort drops the team, Manning drops Cameron and the team does as well. Seems she's not as good as she thinks she is, but was there for politics.Two blows to her ego really leave her down in the dumps. But fortunately there's Benward who was an up and coming snowboarder, but who wipes out on national television and that's left him lacking a bit of confidence.This was a good one from the Magic Kingdom and it was a nice story seeing how these two wounded young people help each other out with their sport and their lives. I also commend Amy Farrington playing Benward's mother who runs a local kennel. Who'd have thought that dogs would be therapeutic?Some nice scenes of snowboarding also highlight this Disney Channel film. Definitely one of their better products.

That was the question I starting asking myself shortly into the running of the movie. Well of course we have! Still, I enjoyed the movie and think most people who are DCOM fans would like it too.This movie follows the very successful Disney Channel Original Movie formula. The characters are as predictable as the ending. But seriously, this is a DCOM and the hero will always prevail at the end.One thing Disney seems to have is a never ending group of fine young actors that they are constantly testing to find their "next big star". I really like a lot of the current crop including Dove Cameron and Luke Benward (although my current favorite is Olivia Holt who could have played the role if they didn't have her in multiple shows already). Dove Cameron reminds me a little of Reese Witherspoon in the Legally Blonde movies (which isn't a bad thing) and Luke Benward has that slightly edgy charm. Sadly there wasn't really that much chemistry between the stars; it was more like they were tolerating each other on screen.The story had potential to be better, but there was minimal character development. Since you knew how it was going to end, you didn't really get to feel what the characters were going through. Even at the final showdown everything was totally predictable. But so what? It is a DCOM.In spite of the shortcomings I genuinely enjoyed the movie. The action scenes are very well filmed and the scenery in Utah was beautiful. The stunt team was outstanding for sure. The movie doesn't get bogged down anywhere and the story keeps moving. Yes, the ending is cliché but did you honestly expect different?I'm sure the timing of this movie had something to do with the Olympics since snowboarding doesn't get a lot of mainstream coverage except in Olympic years.Set the DVR and enjoy a fast paced breezy movie that doesn't require much thought.

Okay so how many times have we seen the story of the blonde pampered princess who sets out to show us she has some depth and learns a lesson. Of course there is the non rich boy next door type guy for her to fall in love with who teaches her a little bit about humility. Dove Cameron is the latest girl Disney is determined to make their new "it girl". While cute and adorable enough on Liv and Maddie she falls flat in Cloud Nine. Not completely fault the script of this predictable tale is flat.Other tropes included the overbearing asshole father, the jerk boyfriend, the mean girl out to take the main girl's spot.Dove Cameron and Luke Benward turned in vanilla at best performances. Typical Disney sitcom style acting. Most of their scenes just felt like they were reading their lines straight from the script. Mike C Manning was pretty cringe worthy when it came time for Nick's "big reveal". As if we didn't realize when it happened that he clearly steered her into the sign on purpose. Nick's father was a mustache twirling villain. I can't even hold their acting in this movie against them with those flat characters.Kiersey Clemon's was in this movie simply to make faces at our main heroine. The scenery is amazing. Kudos to the director and cinematographer. The scenes out in the snow were well done as was the scene that took place in the pool. The way that was filmed really stood out to me. Much more than the dialog.Over all I'd rate Cloud Nine about a 4.5.