“Prom Pat” is the latest Disney Original Movie, which is about best friends, Mandy and Ben, who are just getting ready to leave high school and head off to college, which means it’s Prom Season.  The duo make a “Prom Pact” to go to the event together, but they both have their eyes on different objectives.  Mandy is desperate to get into Harvard and will do whatever she can to get in, including tutoring the popular all-star jock, Graham, who is also the son of a powerful senator and Harvard alum, which, as you might expect in a romantic high school comedy, sees sparks fly and love fills the air.

Meanwhile, Ben also has his own love life problem as he likes the most popular girl in the school, resulting in some more awkwardness, as everything falls apart following an argument going viral on social media, leading to the duo heading to the prom together.  And as you might be able to guess in a Disney Channel Original Movie, things eventually work out.  There are also some rather cringey over-the-top “Prom-Proposals”, which put way too much pressure on kids to outdo one another (it’s bad enough just asking someone on a date, let alone turning it into some elaborate stunt).

So, let’s get some of the issues I have with this film out of the way first.    As a forty-plus-year-old British male (hardly the film’s target audience!) who grew up at a time when Prom wasn’t really a thing, and it was just something I saw in American films and shows, I can honestly say, I’ve got zero interest in the stereotypical Prom storyline.  Almost every Disney teenage movie or show uses it as its primary storyline, with “Prom Pact”, hitting almost every single high school stereotype along the way.   There’s a school party that goes badly, a misunderstanding, an obsession with getting into a certain college, high school boys that look more like thirty-year-old men, inserting a social media element, and an uplifting speech to the entire high school.  It’s very much a tick-box exercise in making a high school teenage drama, that results in a by-the-numbers movie.

However, for younger audiences, this film is going to be entertaining.   Both Milo and Peyton are really likeable actors, who bring plenty of that Disney warmth to the screen that it’s hard not to like this film.    There isn’t anything original or interesting in this film, but for its target audience, it’s their version of this well-told story, and it’s been made with lots of love, which does come through the screen.

There are some important topics highlighted in this film, which pushes the boundaries a little more than previous Disney Channel Original Movies, which is why the version shown on the Disney channel was edited to exclude some moments, that parents might be a little less comfortable with, as they do reference hooking up etc, which you’d kind of expect from a load of hormonal eighteen-year-olds in real life.  There are also references to bullying and much more.

Overall, “Prom Pact” is a nice, easy-going high school romp that isn’t original, but is charming enough that older viewers can enjoy, but younger fans will get much more enjoyment out of it.  It’s sweet, but just a bit predictable, yet I’m sure plenty of people are really going to love it.

Rating – 3 Out Of 5.

“Prom Pact” is out now on Disney+.

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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