User reviews

Teenagers, aces at bowling, but discredited at school, compete for the regional "Big Apple" trophy. The final will be decided by a high school champion in almost every sport, but who knows nothing about bowling. He will have to resolve differences and enlist the help of the "bowling gang" to win the game. Misfit teens are thrust into the spotlight when their bowling prowess lands them in the middle of an interscholastic competition. A group of hip retro teenage outsiders become involved in an interschool bowling rivalry.

Interesting, initially I thought I would be more attached because it was one of those children's and teen movies, more of the same, in the "Afternoon Session" Disney style, however it fell into commonplace, with some very cute messages, but without much attachment, almost boring ...

Alley Cats Strike, a film that mixes hip swing music with bowling, concerns the athletic rivalry between two highschools and a group of retro outcasts who love to bowl.

East and West Appleton have an intense sports rivalry. They've gone head to head against each other in just about every sport imaginable until East Appleton proposes bowling. Of course, none of the jocks can bowl. "Only losers bowl," claims the West Appleton mayor.

The West Appleton athletic council confronts the outcasts about bowling for the school. The kids don't really care about the school or winning but since no one else can bowl as good as them they do step up to the plate. As they film winds down, the group who were once the brunt of jokes, gain the respect of the school and the "real" jocks.

The film, although simple and predictable, is very good. The young cast including Schmid, Ri'chard and Cuoco, are excellent. The director, Rod Daniel's seems to have been influenced by Scorsese. At times throughout the film, the action pauses while the narrator(Scmid) explains to the audience what is really happening. I loved that!

I didn't expect much from the film going in but I was surprised. Check it out!

The basic idea is solid. Geeks in a bowling club have to save the schools reputation in a long held feud. Top jock was signed up in the club as a joke. Geeks and Jock bicker, then get along. All fine. The script is clunky, some of the acting is dreadful, but one of the worst things is the bowling. People who have never bowled before in thier lives are throwing like pro's and getting 8's or strikes. Not one gutterball. The worst thing though is the preaching. It's so very everyone can just get along. I expected them to start throwing thier arms around each other and singing. Really awful.

Going through and watching all the Disney Channel original movies in order and this one was up next. Even though I am about the same age as the kids in the movie during that time, I would say nothing about this movie was relatable or realistic. We only know the most surface things about the characters and there us very little character development or conflict. It was fun seeing some familiar faces in this movie, especially a baby teen kaley cuoco (sp?)! Though her acting, along with everyone else's, was pretty dreadful. This felt super low budget and is totally a forgettable and predictable movie.

This movie was really good. I especially liked the fact that there was so much team effort and spirit in the movie. That gives people a good idea as to how one should play on a team with people they don't know very well. It was pretty funny too!

Next on the Disney Plus run though, a 2000 made for TV movie "Alley Cats Strike". I approached it hoping for a MST3K style experience to mock, but unfortunately it was just "mostly rubbish" as opposed to entertainingly awful.

Two high schools are about to be combined into one, so this year marks the last time that the rivals will compete for the "Mighty Apple" trophy. Having arrived at a tie, the rules determine that 10 pin bowling will be the deciding sport. West Appleton's school team is made up of Alex Thompson (Kyle Schmid) and his friends, who eschew high school popularity in favour of ironic appreciation of the retro 50's vibe of his fathers bowling alley. But the new profile, and the inclusion of team Captain Todd McLemore (Robert Ri'chard) in their circle has Alex questioning who he is.

Even for a Disney TV movie, the performances here are pretty rubbish. Though many of them are still working, there's a terrible stagey feel about almost all the kids. They are, admittedly, not helped by some truly awful ADR work that plagues the film. There are two actors I recognised in this; perennial good guy Matt McCoy plays Alex's father - the owner of the struggling bowling alley that he and his friends frequent. But, perhaps the most interesting reason to watch it, a young Kaley Cuoco plays Elisa, one of Alex's friends and another bowling aficionado. Interesting as though it is, there isn't really anything in her performance that I thought singled her out for stardom in the future.

It's a run of the mill teenage sports movie, that doesn't really attempt anything too interesting or exciting and there's not really much to recommend it for.

The movie the Alley Cats Strike, is a made for t.v. movie on the Disney channel. Now, some of you may be saying why is a 16 yr old girl watching things on the Disney channel. Besides the reason that I'm a kid at heart I honestly think they have good entertainment for the young and old. This movie starts off about these retro teens and there love for bowling, and leads into having them plus the "golden child" of there town defending the "Mighty Apple" trophy from there arch rivals. It's such a cute movie and a great cast, I really loved it and I recommend this to anyone that loves good movies!

My favorite Disney channel movie. It's completely cheesy, but it's from my childhood and I don't care to love the obvious and trendy movies of the time. This is easily my favorite movie from the era... I've seen it more than a couple dozen times

Alley Cats Strike, a film that mixes hip swing music with bowling, concerns the athletic rivalry between two highschools and a group of retro outcasts who love to bowl.

East and West Appleton have an intense sports rivalry. They've gone head to head against each other in just about every sport imaginable until East Appleton proposes bowling. Of course, none of the jocks can bowl. "Only losers bowl," claims the West Appleton mayor.

The West Appleton athletic council confronts the outcasts about bowling for the school. The kids don't really care about the school or winning but since no one else can bowl as good as them they do step up to the plate. As they film winds down, the group who were once the brunt of jokes, gain the respect of the school and the "real" jocks.

The film, although simple and predictable, is very good. The young cast including Schmid, Ri'chard and Cuoco, are excellent. The director, Rod Daniel's seems to have been influenced by Scorsese. At times throughout the film, the action pauses while the narrator(Schmid) explains to the audience what is really happening. I loved that!

I didn't expect much from the film going in but I was surprised. Check it out!

While in the early 2000s and late 90s there were many great bowling movies such as The Big Lebowski and kingpin Alley cat strike takes the Cake it's probably one of the best movies ever made about bowling I give it 10 out of 10 bowling pins down a strike.

This is a really great story about a towns teen sport jock who gets involuntarily teamed up with local bowling square pegs.

A long running tradition between two rival towns is about to be retired and it is up to this odd bunch to take home the prize. With no time to spare Todd McLemore, town jock and son of the mayor, must learn how to bowl. But he has a thing or two to teach the group of overly confident teen bowlers.

Alex Thompson, leader of the brat, learns that change can be a good thing. Between Todd and Alex they come up with an idea to save the unpopular bowling alley. A great story of team building and friendship. Definitely a must see!

This movie was excellent! Disney has done it again with this latest tv movie. The whole family will love this movie, especially if you've ever been bowling. I hope to see the cast of Alley Cats Strike reappear in future movies - they were great. I give it 2 thumbs up!

Good cast and heartwarming ideas about outcast teenage bowlers being called upon to win for the sake of their school and to prove they "belong".

Spotty on plot. You mean to tell me that during the (presumably) weeks leading up to the basketball game that would tie the battle for the Mighty Apple, no one checked to see what would happen in case of a tie? Not even Sweet Lou, who lived and breathed Appleton sports? By the way, why all the stress on junior high school sports? They don't have a high school to care about?

I can't imagine that my town, when growing up, would have cared much about a competition against the next town on the jr. high level. Still, it's for kids.

In case all you trivia freaks are wondering, Mimi Paley's character does have a last name.

Her name is Delia Graci!

How do I know? Watch the bowling tournament scene. There's a banner with the names of all the West Appleton bowling team with first name initialed & full last name.

And on that banner, it reads "D. Graci" along with "A. Thompson", "T. McLemore", etc.

If I compare that foursome to the Scooby Doo gang, Delia would fit Velma perfectly.

All in all, I liked the movie because I like to bowl & watch the PBA on ESPN.

Coming two years after the Big Lebowski, four years after Kingpin, this is a kids attempt at cashing in the attraction of bowling. East and West Appleton have a long standing sporting rivalry that's gone on for decades. Each year they have gone up against each other in just about every sport that each has a team for, but for some reason the two schools are going to become one, meaning that this year is the last "Big Apple". The two mayors keep upping the ante over who wins, not helped by West Appletons mayor also being the father of their star player, who's helped them win at pretty much every main stream sport, until East Appleton proposes bowling and he has to team up with the losers - "Only losers bowl," - to win the big prize. Add to that, a connection between the Mayor and the bowling alley owner and a gradual change in the lead bowlers (who's also the bowling alley owners son) attitude, it's a standard Disney feel good film that fills all the tick boxes. The music is of an era, the 50's vibe adds to the relaxed vibe the losers have, while there are no chase scenes, so the camera work is pretty standard point and shoot. It took me ten minutes to realise that was Kaley Cuoco - it is two years before 8 Simple Rules - and it was funny that Mimi Paleys first acting credit was playing a young Buffy the Vampire Slayer, considering the roles Cuoco would go onto. The main characters - Kyle Schmid (Alex Thompson) and Robert Ri'chard (Todd McLemore) and basically 90's kids, even if Kyle has such an affinity with the 50's, but the dialogue is stilted at times as they try to make the premise of a bowling match being so important to a town, though as other reviews have said; the bowling technique could have done with some work, and did they actually finish the last match? A fun, very child friendly film, with a good message and obvious story line.