User reviews

In Cadet Kelly, Hillary Duff takes her Lizzie McGuire character and does a Private Benjamin by going to military school. Instead of the cartoon Lizzie revealing her inner most thoughts for the audience, Duff does a narration over the action of the film.

To bond with her new stepfather, Gary Cole, who is a retired career army man, Duff is put in military school where Cole came from and where he's now the commandant.

A lot of the same situations that happen in comedies like Private Benjamin and even further back with Rosalind Russell's Never Wave at a WAC occur here. Nothing new added and Hillary Duff is certainly no Rosalind Russell, but she's an appealing young lady, if she wasn't that Lizzie McGuire series would not have run for any length of time.

Another Disney regular Christy Carlson Romano from Even Stevens is also along as Duff's military school tormentor, her Eileen Brennan.

It's not Citizen Kane or The Godfather, but there are worst ways to kill two hours than watching Cadet Kelly.

Hilary Duff (TV's "Lizzie Maguire") plays Kelly Collins, whose parents are divorced. When her mother meets the new love of her life, she discovers that she must attend military school. While there, she meets sardonic Jennifer Stone, (Christy Carlson Romano of "Even Stevens"), a drill team member. She doesn't fancy Kelly very much and always seems to be picking on her. Kelly crushes on Jennifer's boyfriend Bret, and a battle of wits ensues. Besides the fact that your kids will love it, the movie follows the same premise as the 1980 Goldie Hawn vehicle "Private Benjamin." I guess the performances are decent for a made-for-television movie. Let's just hope that there's no sequel...

Kelly Collins (Hilary Duff) is a free spirit who loves fashion and dance. She approves her mother getting remarried to Joe "Sir" Maxwell (Gary Cole) at first. He's a military man. When he becomes the Commandant of a military school, she is forced to attend. She struggles under Cadet Captain Jennifer Stone (Christy Carlson Romano) who has a crush on Cadet Major Brad Rigby (Shawn Ashmore). Jealousy ensues.

Hilary Duff is a Disney TV star by the time of this movie. She tries to cute her way out of this. It's better than most of the channel's offerings but that's not saying much especially during that time. They obviously rented out a military academy somewhere which allows them to write around. I would like Kelly to be less talky which sometimes come off as whiney at times. Her cuteness is able to keep it endearing. At the end of the day, this movie does what it sets out to do. It is a vehicle for its Disney starlets. It's functional and Duff is well within her comfort zone.

I didn't expect to enjoy this movie at all, except that the sterling actor Gary Cole was in it. Cole earned his stripes in the Steppenwolf company and surely deserves to be a bigger star than he is. His role as the camp commander was a refreshing change from the goofiness of Mike Brady and the nastiness of various television guest characters he's delivered on "The Practice," "Frasier," and others. As a person in the same age group as Kelly's parents, I enjoyed seeing seeing their believable love story and Sir's benevolent dictator relationship with his stepdaughter. Though I'm not a parent, I think parents weary of obnoxious cinema teens will appreciate the pleasant youngsters in this film. I commend the film for including authentic military school drill team performances, too.

While I didn't expect too much from this movie despite the fact that I generally like Disney channel movies, I must say I was pleasantly surprised.

Not only was the acting very believable, but the plot was original and had a lot of heart. This movie made me smile, get teary-eyed, and think. I think what makes this movie rise above the average is that it reaches many different people on various levels. It challenges you to think outside the box, to not accept the conformity of society and set your own standards while crossing over the line. It teaches you the importance of family, even 'broken' ones, and letting new people in, to have faith in people, how its important to face your fears, and perhaps most importantly, to embrace your individuality and set new standards.

Most of the negative comments I read about this movie complain about two things: 1) Hilary and Christy's characters are more or less the same as their alter egos, Lizzie and Ren, and 2) It was unbelievable as far as the military aspect because of the discrepancies and the way Kelly spoke to her ranking officer (Jennifer Stone, Christy Romano). I disagree on both counts.

First, Kelly and Jennifer's characters couldn't *be* farther from Lizzie and Ren. Lizzie is a sweet, sensitive, albeit insecure and klutzy homebody, while Kelly is a fun-loving, adventure-seeking, rule-breaking girl with something to prove. Similarly, Ren is a nice, caring, intelligent, studious person while Jennifer is a mean, stuck-up military brat with a chip permanently lodged on her shoulder.

And secondly, while I can't really confirm nor deny the military discrepancies not having been in ROTC or any branch of the military, I can certainly refute the statement that Kelly was way out of line. The worst thing she did was paint Jennifer's hair, and she was court-martialed for *that*, so I don't really see that as getting away with it. And furthermore, while I don't condone acts of revenge, she *did* have it coming--sometimes, the only way you can reach a person is to go to their level, for while it brings you down a notch at the time, when you rise back up, not only will you be a notch higher, you'll have brought someone up with you.

VERDICT: A heart-warming movie with character, not just recommended for the family or kids, but for anyone with an open mind and/or open heart.

7.0 out of 10.0

~AleXa~

Might be this movie is funny in a way, to someone ... but in me it causes lots of hate. How can anyone, let alone children, be forced to be in a school like that?! I mean, if anyone joins a military school from free will that's one thing - I'll never understand why anyone would - but no kid may be allowed to be put in an institution like that without his or her consent! The extreme disrespect for people's Human Rights or personal possessions as it seems to be usual in U.S. army's instruction is wrong (and useless) for adults, but it's even worse for children. So ... if you like militarism, watch this movie and like it. If you don't like military don't watch it, you'll hate it every second between the few good jokes that are in.

I still really like this film. I bought it on DVD after watching it on the Disney channel. I like to watch it now and then... but with like a gap of 6 months in between. Hillary Duff is a great actor, she is beautiful and fits in with every character she has played. I recommend this film to young girls. But only rent it so you don't waste money on a film you will probably never watch again. I enjoyed this film. I think it has great actors. Not much of a love story... unfortunately... but has a bit of one. I admit i really love romantic films. But this one hasn't got much to it. Great to see what happens in the end, and a great moral to the story. They all live happily ever after... of course!

I am a fan of Disney Channel Original movies even though they are very overrated I still like them but I must say that the movie was a major disappointment. I understand the need for some artistic license but they really butchered this one. My biggest complaint is Hilary Duff, she cannot act her way out of a soggy paper bag. She was extremely spoiled and bratty and too valley girlish. carlson Romano was okay, but she could get annoying. To hate her is a compliment, it means she's convincing. Hilary Duff is not convincing at all and her character is much like Lizzie from Lizzie McGuire. She did get a teensy bit better; her acting is better here from the Once again the entertainment industry has totally botched an opportunity to make a wonderful and heart-warming film. Secondly, I vehemently disagree with how the movie ended. If they thought their ending to be more dramatic than what occurs in most Disney Channel Original films. The ending was hokey and really boring and slow moving. It's hard to feel sorry or happy for the herione because she's an annoying brat and an awful actress, also totally unconvincing. should have known better. It was wishful thinking on my part that just this once, they would make a good Disney Channel Original movie. I was hoping just once they'd get it right. Shawn Ashmore is hot, he's also a good actor but he has far too little screen time. I think it's disgusting how this horrible film got a 6.4 and such high ratings from critics. I only hope that this movie does not deter viewers from watching Disney Channel Original films, because some are actually good. Hilary Duff's character had no depth and was stereo-typical. She was also portrayed as a woman with far less softness and compassion than the character she wanted to be. The actress who portrayed Kelly was completely unbelievable and in my opinion, too old for the role. It's gross: Shawn Ashmore and Hilary Duff, one finishing middle school and one just out of college/university.

I have many other comments about this dismal Disney Channel Original film but since I am limited to only 1,000 words, I had to keep this short.

Cadet Kelly wasn't that bad of a movie.Some parts were underdeveloped and some seemed to drag on too far.I didnt really see the point of this movie but all in all is would be a nice movie to watch with the kids.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I came here and saw all the positive comments about this movie. For God's sake, it's a children's movie which presents an obligatory military school for kids in a positive light! Finally, I did find one reviewer who shared my views, but then I noticed that he was from Germany and most of the others were obviously from the States.

Are you Americans really this different from us Europians? I have heard about your patriotic tendencies, but I'm still surprised. Isn't a militaristic Disney movie too much even for you? If not, I'm really concerned. Obviously, I would be regarded as a radical pacifist in your country, even though I'm a pretty mainstream person in my thinking here in Europe.

The film "Cadet Kelly" is one of those movies you tend to forget, unless you view it at least a second time. However, each time you view it, its value becomes more obvious.

The movie has four things going for it. First, Hilary Duff does an outstanding job in the character of Kelly. She is in nearly every scene, and her delivery of lines and expressions is priceless. It's difficult to believe she was only 14, because she has the natural ability to behave rather than to act in a role.

Second, the rest of the cast. Each one contributes to the overall effect led by Christy Romano as the mean Captain Stone. And Kelly hugs or is hugged by each character except the "perfect" Brad Rigby somewhere during the course of the film. How can those natural signs of affection do anything but make viewers love the character of Kelly?

Third, the script and story line. What undoubtedly began as a typical Disney original film for tweens, turned into a flick for the entire family. Many of the lines are over the heads of kids. "accessories are a girl's best friend," "wear 'em if you've got it," and other gags give adults a chance to laugh. The editing is super and camera angles are carefully chosen, although for some reason, the camera seems unsteady at times.

Fourth, the soundtrack, including music and sound effects, is one of the best I've observed. Those responsible should be commented for a superior presentation. Not only is the military mood and tone realistic, it really makes this movie come alive. I watched the rough editing version, and without the superb sound effects and music, this film would have been just another dismal kiddie effort. To fully appreciate the soundtrack, you must close your eyes and picture what is going on.

To me the scene where Kelly cuts Jennifer off from Brad is indicative of all of the above qualities and one of the funniest 20 seconds in the movie.

Perhaps the most poignant scene is the 15 seconds when Kelly has her revelation upon seeing her drill team uniform and realizing she is still an individual, although a part of something largest than herself.

There are so many subtle qualities that you could spend hours discussing the superiority of "Cadet Kelly."

For all of inaccurate military "stuff," this is still one heck of a great movie.

A few weeks ago I wrote a very positive review of this movie, but unfortunately I'm back to say that it doesn't stand up to a second viewing. Once you get past Hilary Duff's good looks, charm and charisma (and admittedly there's a lot to get past) she's really just an annoying girl who falls down a lot.

The military inaccuracies which didn't bother me the first time now become more and more apparent and irritating. Likewise the obvious plot holes, like why is Kelly forced to go to military school in the first place, and why is she not more bothered by this? The voiceover and autobiographical style which were part of the movie's original charm now seems repetitive and Kelly's whole attitude is simple unbelievable. What 14 year old that you know would willingly take on such responsibility?

If you catch this movie on TV it's still worth watching, but don't tape it and expect to come back and enjoy it at a later date.

Movies like this can be lots of fun. Unfortunately, this one is not so. It is uneven and poorly scripted. Parts of the movie move so slow, and have unneeded dialogue that leads nowhere. I could understand it if they needed to pad out the film. But the ending is actually rather abrupt, with no sort of epilogue or resolution to certain aspects of the story. Also, some people may think that because this is a Disney movie it doesn't require accuracy. I disagree. Certain points can be stretched in the name of fiction or artistic license, but this movie seems to have no research done at all. Lots of little errors equal a movie that seems thrown together. And that may not matter to fans of the actress and the genre...but they do grow up and grow out of movies that eventually insult their intelligence. It reflects poorly on those who made it....do they care so little they can't get even simple things right? Why would I want to see more of this? Is this what Disney thinks we deserve? The acting is average, nothing stellar, but they somewhat pull it off for what it is. It's not the actors fault the script is poorly written and cheesy. Overall there are a lot of similar offerings that are better, including the TV show Lizzie McGuire starring Cadet Kelly herself. I really think most people would enjoy a movie that isn't so distracting in it's unbelievability and stilted dialogue.

And it wasn't. Apparently a movie doesn't have to be the least bit of good to appeal to 13 year old girls. All it needs is Hillary Duff prancing about and wearing 'cool' outfits. You may as well just rent 'Private Benjamin' instead.

I really hope this kind of school does not exist. Teaching kids to ditch their developing personality, forget about their interests and passions, and get screamed at and treated like garbage while they're minors so they can't freely decide to undergo all of this? Who thought this would be suitable for family tv? I don't understand why anyone would put this on tv for kids to watch. Anyone who approved this movie should really check their morals.

Cadet Kelly is a made for Television Disney movie staring Hilary Duff which, quite candidly, isn't the stuff that Oscars are made of but which I moderately enjoyed nonetheless. It's the type of movie that certain serious movie purist friends of mine, might stare at me in disbelief for admitting I actually moderately enjoyed this(and I might stare at myself in disbelief as well) but that's OK as I can understand why and how this movie could be so easily dismissed.

The movie starts out really annoying. I mean REALLY annoying, to the point where a few times I just had to ask myself why am I watching this? But after awhile I got into it. For some reason, This movie reminded me of another movie geared toward young women called "Bring it on" which I didn't like very much. Bring it on centered on cheerleaders(of coarse they had a competition they wanted to win as well.) Bring it on was actually a big screen movie unlike Cadet Kelly, but I prefer Cadet. Unlike Bring it on, Cadet Kelly was actually funny in places and it gets better as it goes on. Hilary duff, while starting off obnoxious, gradually becomes adorable and the movie contains some genuinely touching, though obviously, contrived moments. My main reason why I enjoyed this however was because of what it accomplished. There are many different types of movies in the world that inspire different reactions and are watched for different reasons. In the case of Cadet Kelly, it is perfect light movie viewing. For those times when you don't want to think that much and just want something light and sunny to wash over you-put a smile on your face-Cadet accomplishes that.

There's nothing heavy about it, it's funny at times, without being vulgar, touching and a bit reflective, without being heavy, and it's just a generally light easy to watch movie that actually has some fun moments without being rude, crude over the top or sappy.(well-maybe a little sappy.) Although this definitely isn't a serious or original movie if your looking for the above mentioned type of movie you've found it here. 6 out of 10.

I found this movie strange and interesting in the blatant way it promotes the army to children. In the army children will get friends, learn team-work, structure and discipline. As well as learn healthy competition and screaming at each other while juggling a rifle. What kid would not want that? To be a conformist cog in a well-oiled killing machine is fun! I cant help but think its like a Hollywood-Disneyfied version of the Third Reich propaganda films for the Hitler Jugend. Sick but cute. It is very interesting that a film like this can be made and put out into the mainstream culture, being treated like an ordinary family movie. I did not find it particularly wholesome.

Lots of people have slated this movie for it's numerous military inaccuracies and glaring plot holes, but I believe much of this criticism is unfounded. For a TV movie, and a Disney one at that, Cadet Kelly is well above average. Hilary Duff is solid but not spectacular, and in fact that goes for the rest of the cast as well. I had no problem with the script, which was far less cheesy than some people make out.

Overall it a fun and occasionally heartwarming story about growing up as the child of a divorce, which is well worth a second viewing.

7/10

I enjoyed watching Cadet Kelly, i think it was very entertaining and is suitable for all ages which is always a good thing. Free spirited, openminded and optimistic Kelly( Hilary Duff) is being sent to a military school. Kelly can't andhe school and decides to play by her own rules. It isn't going easy for her especially because of the captain Jennifer Stone( Christy Carlson) who cannot stand Kelly and wants to make her life miserable. But Kelly has a few plans of her own and she won't let Jennifer Boss her around and tell her what to do. Hilary duff is very beautiful and shines on screen, Christy Carlson does a great job, she is a great actress and she's also very pretty. Anyways, i would give Cadet Kelly 8/10