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Cheetah Girls 2 Is Better Than You Remember | Episode 38
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🇪🇸 Pack your passport and your platform boots—we’re headed to Spain with The Cheetah Girls 2! And this time… the drama is international.
In the season 2 finale of Once Upon A DCOM, we’re diving into the ultimate girl group sequel: one full of squad struggles, sunny Spanish vibes, and a suspiciously trumpet-playing festival director.
We’re unpacking:
– Whether Galleria was actually in the right this time 🤔
– If Marisol is a villain, victim… or just vibing 🎤
– And the iconic fashion, choreography, and denim-on-denim greatness of “The Party’s Just Begun” 🐾
PLUS: Real-life pop star Belinda's unexpected legacy, a spicy Rotten Tomatoes roast, and our very scientific debate over Angel vs. Joaquin.
🍿 The Cheetah Girls 2 (2006) stars Raven-Symoné, Adrienne Bailon, Sabrina Bryan, Kiely Williams, and Belinda. Streaming now on Disney+.
✨ Once Upon A DCOM is your favorite nostalgic rewatch podcast where we rave (and sometimes roast) every Disney Channel Original Movie ever made. Some hold up. Others… not so much. We’re here for both.
📱 Follow us for new episodes!
TikTok: @onceuponadcom.podcast
Instagram: @onceuponadcom.podcast
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Transcript
Pre-baby Episode and Cheetah Girls 2 Songs Debate
00:00:00
Speaker
It's our last recording of a full episode before I have the baby. um my gosh. yeah ah Well, that's a much better cold open than what I was going to do. I was just going to ask you what your favorite Cheetah Girls 2 song was.
00:00:15
Speaker
Equally important things to discuss. um I mean, it's got to be Strut. Like you mean it. I respect that decision. However, I raise you.
00:00:26
Speaker
The party's just begun. That's actually not even in my top three. Are you kidding me? Oh, that's my favorite Cheetah Girls song. Oh, okay. Well, not to say I don't love it. I do.
00:00:38
Speaker
I really do. I love them all in this movie, but I just feel so strongly about Strut. because of the nostalgia and how often I quote it. And the last song, Amigas Cheetahs.
00:00:50
Speaker
Iconic. That's fair. But I got to tell you something. when When the party's just begun Plays Anywhere, my soul rises from the dead and decides to throw a dance party.
00:01:05
Speaker
That's awesome. that's That's the opening song, right? Like at their high school? Yeah, it's pretty good. I also like underrated. i love the Hispanic, Spanish song, whatever it is.
00:01:16
Speaker
I love that song that they sing, the lullaby. La la la la la. la la la la la la Yes, which my husband Nick started singing along to flawlessly. And I was like, oh, for once, I can learn the words. Well, he speaks Spanish, so that makes sense. I know. I was like, wow, you're saying it right. And I'm just making sounds that I think are similar.
00:01:36
Speaker
Music.
Introduction to 'Once Upon a Decom' Podcast and Season 2 Finale
00:01:40
Speaker
Welcome fellow Disney Channel babes, whether you're from the nostalgic 90s, or the awkward odds, or you're giving Gen Z, we're glad that you're here. I'm Gabriella. And I'm Natalie. And this is the podcast where we rave, and sometimes roast, classic Disney Channel original movies. You're listening to Once Upon a Decom.
00:02:00
Speaker
Hi, everybody, and welcome back to Once Upon a DECOM, our season two finale episode. Can you believe but bra papa pro I'm so excited to be here and so sad that this season is already coming to a close, but we are wrapping it up really great.
00:02:17
Speaker
Yes, and for good reason. Yeah, because I'm about to have a baby and I need to focus on that. But before we get into the movie, let me introduce my co-host, Natalie.
00:02:28
Speaker
How are you? ah You know, I'm having a wonderful time. And do you know why? Because we watch Cheetah Girls 2, right? Yeah, that's why.
00:02:40
Speaker
the best. This was such an iconic film. Like, it's up there with Lizzie McGuire movie and Camp Rock for me. What about you? I mean, those aren't my rankings, but yes, this is an extremely nostalgic movie for me. i love it. I love it. I know every word.
00:02:57
Speaker
say Same, same. It's not a ranking per se, by the way, just for me. That's just movies that come to mind of the same, like, caliber and nostalgia level for me fair so good i was worried coming into this episode because i was like i feel like we're not
Nostalgic Impact of The Cheetah Girls 2
00:03:15
Speaker
gonna have a lot to talk about we're just gonna be like it's a perfect film no notes right yeah and that's the episode thank you all for joining us today
00:03:25
Speaker
all right well i do actually have some fun facts that i want to share with you guys before we give you our recaps so Let's get into the episode. I love a fun fact. Yes.
00:03:36
Speaker
So The Cheetah Girls 2 came out in 2006. It was the sequel to The Cheetah Girls from 2003, and it was directed by our BFF, Kenny Ortega. So of course, it's amazing.
00:03:47
Speaker
You know what? i did not know this was directed by Kenny Ortega. Or maybe I did, and it I forgot. I think your soul knew, even if you didn't know that in your brain. I mean, that's true. I mean, you cannot deny it. Kenny and i Kenny.
00:04:01
Speaker
Ken, if you will. that We are ah one soul, um eons apart. Never met this man, probably never will. But you know what? Kenny and on a soul.
00:04:12
Speaker
Kenny is my spirit animal. That's what I'm trying to say here. There you go. Anyway, please continue. I'm so sorry to throw off that tangent. you're good. You're good. we can always have a Kenny Ortega tangent on a podcast about DCOMs. Come on.
00:04:27
Speaker
If you can't do it here, where can you do it? So, fun facts before
Behind the Scenes: Filming in Barcelona
00:04:32
Speaker
we move on. The entire film, including the New York City scenes, were shot on location in Barcelona, Spain.
00:04:39
Speaker
8.3 million people watched this movie on premiere night, which, this might upset you, beat out High School Musical 2's record of 7.7 million people. That's okay with me. High School Musical 2 is my least favorite of the High School Musicals, so that's okay.
00:04:52
Speaker
I'm okay with that. Awesome. Great. And then this was the first English project for Latin pop star Belinda, who played in this movie, Marisol. Are you telling me that she's a real pop star?
00:05:06
Speaker
Oh, you just wait for the where are they now. This girl is legendary, apparently. Guys, I'm learning so much today.
00:05:17
Speaker
Remember we joked last episode about her being like discount Hannah Montana? She's real life Hannah Montana, just without the secret identity. That's all love. Okay. No, like if the pop star Hannah Montana were real.
00:05:30
Speaker
The level of fame that that persona has, this girl has, but in another country. Sure. I'll tell you what, it's not Spain, but we'll get to that. Ooh.
00:05:42
Speaker
I'm going go Colombia. All right. We'll come back to this. Wait, am I right? Tell me if I'm right. No. You're wrong. Dang it. Okay. Uh, last fun fact in the finale scene. Oh, this is just hilarious. And I actually
Iconic Hat Moment and Movie Recap
00:05:56
Speaker
remember this from the pop-up edition.
00:05:58
Speaker
In the finale scene, Raven-Symoné's hat kept falling off. So they cut a giant hole out of the middle of it and put her hair through to make like a frame around her head. And it ended up being one of these like super popular looks that everyone talks about. But it was just because the hat wouldn't stay on her head. Yeah, I mean, it's iconic. I love it.
00:06:17
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. So those are some fun things to keep in mind. Natalie, will you walk us through what happens in this movie? Of course. Although I'm sure everyone remembers and nobody needs a recap. I surely would not have, but I would still enjoy one because I want to hear your thoughts as you go along.
00:06:33
Speaker
All right, here we go. Our last buckle up buttercup of season two. Oh, now I'm sad. It's two years after the events of the first film and the Cheetah Girls are still pursuing their dream of performing professionally.
00:06:48
Speaker
After a performance at a grad party, Chanel learns that her mom is planning a trip to Barcelona, hoping that her boyfriend Luke- I'm wait. That was a grad party? I thought it was like an after school performance.
00:07:00
Speaker
Yeah. No. Whose grad party was that? No, they're juniors performing for the senior grad party, like the school-sponsored graduation party. Oh. Okay, that makes more sense. Did you catch that? It says, like, class of 2006 in the background and everything.
00:07:16
Speaker
I got that. Oh, yeah. And then they said that they're done junior year. I thought it was like their class was graduating to becoming seniors. And this is like a school assembly. That's what I thought. No.
00:07:26
Speaker
But their parents there. Why would there be parents and food and drink? Because the Raven's mom is like their manager and the other girls are best friend. i don't know.
00:07:37
Speaker
All right. Moving on. Sorry. So Chanel learns that her mom is planning a trip to Barcelona and she is hoping that her boyfriend, Luke, who lives there, will propose.
00:07:48
Speaker
Chanel freaks out. She's worried that if the two do get married, she will have to move to Spain and that will be the end of the Cheetah Girls. Also of her like entire life because she has to move to another country. The girls conspire to all go with her on the trip as moral support and they do so by submitting themselves to an international music festival.
00:08:08
Speaker
being held in Barcelona. Once accepted, they break the news to their parents who, although are they're annoyed, they just like agree. They're like, yeah, and I'll go too. So cool.
00:08:19
Speaker
um And the Cheetah Girls are headed to Spain. Of everything unrealistic in this movie, and I'll admit there's a lot, um the least realistic thing is how pouty Chanel is that she has to go to Spain for the summer.
00:08:31
Speaker
What is wrong with you, girl? Well, you know, she's masking deeper feelings, But yes, I agree. Of course, but also get over it. It's Spain.
00:08:43
Speaker
From the moment the Cheetah Girls arrive, they do anything and everything but rehearse for this performance. The distractions are just absolutely endless and perfectly tailored to each girl.
00:08:54
Speaker
They explore Barcelona with a mysterious guitar player named Angel, which means angel, in case you didn't know, but we all knew. And hell catches Galleria's eye um And then they meet Joaquin, Luke's godson, and also a dancer who Dorinda becomes smitten with.
00:09:12
Speaker
Aqua is invited to spend time with a local fashion designer. And Chanel is all wrapped up in her family drama surrounding her mom and Luke's potential engagement. So everybody is not focused on the performance at all.
00:09:26
Speaker
Joaquin takes them to a local teen club called the Dancing Cat where they see some local artists perform and they kind of figure out like who their competition is going to be at this music festival. There they meet Marisol, a beloved local pop star and her momager Lola, her mom manager.
00:09:44
Speaker
Lola offers some guidance and some mentorship to the girls. But it soon becomes clear that she, I mean, clear to the audience, not to anyone else apparently, that she is manipulating them to distract and divide the Cheetah Girls, seeing them as a threat to Marisol's chances of winning the said music festival.
00:10:02
Speaker
One person sees it. Their own momager. She sees it. Yeah. She's like, she was just nice to you for no reason. And they were like, yeah, some people are just nice in Spain, mom. And she's like, no, I don't buy it.
00:10:13
Speaker
I'm from New York. So Chanel's begins spending more time with Marisol. Aqua is always at the fashion studio and Dorinda is always with Joaquin, leaving Galleria to carry the group's rehearsal load completely alone.
00:10:28
Speaker
She is frustrated and she feels unsupported and she eventually decides to quit and return to New York. They're not going to perform anymore if nobody else is going to take this seriously. But at the train station, the girls catch up to her, apologize, and promise to refocus on their music and on their friendship. So everything is good again, right?
00:10:47
Speaker
Well, let's find out. Later, Chanel overhears her mom talking about how she thinks that Luke isn't proposing because he knows that Chanel doesn't like him. And she goes to Luke to say that she sees how happy that he makes her mom and she would be really honored to join his family. And it is so sweet and so cute.
00:11:05
Speaker
So the Cheetah Girls are back and they put on a kind of like warm up pre-performance before the festival at the Dancing Cat. And they even walk away with a few bucks for their time, which is nice. They each get 100 euros only to find out that they have now been disqualified because they accepted money for performing.
00:11:24
Speaker
And this is against the rules. And this was, of course, a scheme devised by momager Lola. She proposes a solution, though, because girls got solutions. And it's almost like, you know, she was planning this the whole time.
00:11:38
Speaker
Chanel and Marisol can still compete together as a duo because Chanel speaks Spanish and knows some of Marisol's songs. And everyone's like, ah I mean, it's not perfect, but at least this way, we didn't come all this way for nothing. And the Cheetah Girls are kind of represented.
00:11:54
Speaker
So everybody reluctantly agrees. However, Angel overhears the girls returning the money and informs the festival director, who happens to be his uncle.
00:12:05
Speaker
Did you see that coming? No, you didn't. Even though they have the exact same hair. So convenient. Just before Marisol and Chanel go on stage, the director reinstates the Cheetah Girls and exposes Lola's manipulation.
00:12:17
Speaker
Marisol stands up to her mom and drops out of the competition um and goes to eat... ah fries because her mom doesn't let her eat delightful foods like fries and burgers and such.
00:12:28
Speaker
um The Cheetah Girls perform their song Amigas Cheetahs, bringing all of their new friends onto the stage, including Marisol, Joaquin's dance crew, Angel, and even the festival director playing the trumpet in the background for some reason.
00:12:43
Speaker
Nobody knows why. I that too. I was like, what is this? It's like, excuse me. I do remember this as a child thinking, isn't that the, wait, is he? Sure is. Sure is.
00:12:54
Speaker
Nobody knows why. And it definitely seems against the rules, but you know what? It's a finale that is just so delightful and full of fashion and dance numbers and...
00:13:05
Speaker
All the good things, so we let it slide. And that, my friends, is Cheetah Girls
Love for the Sequel Over the First Film
00:13:09
Speaker
2. Everyone knows at that point that they've won, so he's like, whatever, I'm breaking out my trumpet. Right, it's very clear the crowd loves them.
00:13:16
Speaker
Oh, so great. Can we bring back girl groups, please? You could try. all right. So what do you think then? What do you think now? Well, it's not a secret that I absolutely adored this as a child. um This movie was, think I definitely at the time enjoyed Cheetah Girls 1 more.
00:13:38
Speaker
more But as an adult and like not even recently, like as the as a teenager into adulthood, I was like, no, the second one's better by far, by far. But I absolutely love this movie. These songs get stuck in my head constantly. And this ranks ah very highly on my favorite DCOMs.
00:13:55
Speaker
How about you? Same. So I, as we know, hadn't seen the Cheetah Girls until this podcast, the first one. ah But so this was really my only knowledge of the Cheetah Girls. And I was so obsessed with it as a kid.
00:14:07
Speaker
i would say it has the exact opposite effect of Zombies 2, where in that the first one was great. And the second one took everything good and ruined it. This was like everything about the first one that I didn't like got redeemed in the second one.
00:14:20
Speaker
The personalities had way more depth and ah the relationships were better established. And it just, having seen the first one now, I could appreciate a lot more of the little nuances in this, like Galleria's control freak nature and some of the jokes they made. I was like, oh, that's a callback to the first one.
00:14:40
Speaker
um But it just felt more cohesive. and Also, it's in Spain. So, like, traveling is always going to bring a crowd. It's fun. And it's just gorgeous. Like, this movie is really pretty.
00:14:51
Speaker
and it's mostly because of the shoot location. And the insane fashion choices that I love. Yes, of course. is It is so a mark of its time with the fashion choices.
00:15:02
Speaker
um I know we had a heated debate last time when we did like the DCOM Oscars about costume and how the Cheetah Girls should have been higher ranked on my personal like opinion.
00:15:14
Speaker
I would say this one wins costume for me over zombies. I think that's what the fight was before. Well, listeners, stay tuned to our mini-sode episode all about the DCOM Oscars for this season because we'll have to see who wins.
00:15:29
Speaker
Oh, yeah. I'm not saying it's the best out of everyone that we've seen. I have to re-look at the list, but I'm just saying it's up there. It may take the care. It's there. They're absurd and delightful. And they're, like, in theory designed by one of the girls, which gives them even more, like, love, you know? You're like, oh I just – because she made them. It's so great.
00:15:50
Speaker
Yeah. I would love, you know, a lot of people started doing the Halloween costumes of like the first one where they're wearing all the like the velour like jumpsuits in all the different colors. i would love to do the opening look from the parties just begun where it's all like jeans, like what is called Canadian tuxedos and the um like cheetah print. I would love to do that look as a cheetah thing. And obviously I'm Dorinda. I look just like her. Come on.
00:16:21
Speaker
I could see it. I actually have on my notes. Love the opening sequence. Iconic. Love the jungle background. It's It's so good. Mm-hmm. I have a question for you.
00:16:32
Speaker
Do you think Galleria was in the right this time? Because we discussed Cheetah Girls 1. Galleria was a little bit of a control freak and definitely was in the wrong.
00:16:43
Speaker
But Cheetah Girls 2... Oh, yeah. The first one, she was horrendous. The second one, I completely agree with her. She may have been a bit overbearing about it. And if she's such a drama queen for like getting up and leaving and not telling anyone.
00:16:57
Speaker
But I do feel like her feelings are completely valid. Mm-hmm. Y'all, we came to Spain to be a good friend, but we came to be a good friend by way of submitting ourselves for an international contest in which is televised, I think.
00:17:14
Speaker
And like it at the very least, a lot of people are going to see. Yeah. And it could project them into bigger stardom. Right. If this is your goal, if the goal is professionally being the Cheetah Girls, why why are we why are we flirting with boys instead of going to rehearsal?
00:17:31
Speaker
Right. Right. And I do understand that there's like these elements that they want to be a part of. And that makes sense. And Galleria understands that. Like she's like okay with them going here and there. But they don't rehearse at all.
00:17:44
Speaker
They're putting all the work on her and just making it a vacation. Like rude. So rude. When they're already there like a week. Yeah. or a week and half or whatever. And she's like, guys, we haven't even picked a song. Dorinda's like, I'm working on the choreography. She's like, oh, to the song that we haven't picked yet?
00:17:58
Speaker
I'm like, yeah. You tell them, Galleria. She was called out and I appreciated it. I think Chanel's the only one with the valid excuse because she keeps getting like dragged into family things. So of course she's busy. But the other two, no excuses.
00:18:11
Speaker
However, Chanel's spending a lot of time with Marisol. Oh, that's unexcusable on a whole different level. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. What is your opinion Marisol?
00:18:21
Speaker
I was literally just about to ask you. I'm so glad you asked me. Yes, queen. I go back and forth because on the one hand, she's a victim of her mother.
Marisol's Character Dilemma
00:18:29
Speaker
Like she is not fully in control of her life yet.
00:18:33
Speaker
She takes that step at the end of the movie. So I appreciate that. You can see that she wants to do the right thing and she's trying to convince her mom. But that's hard when you're in the industry and your parents, your manager, and also she's your parent. Like I think ultimately i like her.
00:18:50
Speaker
i think – I can see why she makes the choices that she makes, even the wrong ones, and she gets redemption at the end. I agree with you. I feel like my opinion of Marisol changes moment by moment throughout this movie.
00:19:04
Speaker
Like, she is giving at some moments, like, I'm the victim. My mom is doing this without my permission, and I'm just standing back because I don't know how to stand up against my mom.
00:19:15
Speaker
But then there's also moments where you're like, girl, your mom's not even around. Why can't you look at your friend and be like, hey, maybe you should spend more time with your real friend? I don't know. Like, I don't know. i just...
00:19:29
Speaker
Maybe I'm not looking at it from the right age perspective. Like maybe when I was like 15, would not have been that brave. That's a lie. I would have been. But like, you know. Yeah, different personalities.
00:19:40
Speaker
Yeah. I just feel like she's one of those characters where ah so much of it you're like, m your silence is complacency. Yeah, but I don't think she's really mature enough to realize that yet. And she's been kept in such a bubble by her mom.
00:19:54
Speaker
So I really do give her a pass. And the fact that she does like kind of give up any hope of her dream and stands up to her mom at the end, like that wins major points for me. It does.
00:20:07
Speaker
Her mom's voice is in her head saying like, this is what you need to say. And she's not ready to disobey her mom, even in privacy yet, because that essentially means giving up her career. If her mom gets mad at her pulls her out, you know, like she's done.
00:20:20
Speaker
So I think from her perspective, she doesn't really have a choice, even in those private moments. Yeah, you're right. that That's an excellent point. Um, speaking of her, I think they cast the perfect girl for Marisol.
00:20:33
Speaker
Oh, love her. She had like just the right amount of like edgy, spunky, but also so classic girl next door adorableness. I was like, you are so well cast.
00:20:44
Speaker
Yes, I absolutely love her. Yeah, me too. Um, flipping 180 degrees. How did you feel about Luke in this movie? Because I'm going to say I felt differently as an adult than I did as a child.
00:20:58
Speaker
Really? Yeah. I feel the same as I felt as a child, which is that I love him and I appreciate um the very real look at an adult relationship from a children's movie.
00:21:13
Speaker
That's fair. I did appreciate everything about him with, I forget the mom's name. Juanita? Sure, her. Everything in the adult relationship felt great to me. His treatment of Chanel is what I had an issue with as an adult.
00:21:27
Speaker
How does he treat Chanel? Like he's not aware of the boundaries that she's non-verbally expressing. And I don't mean this in an inappropriate way, but in an emotional way, I think he's just...
00:21:42
Speaker
trying really hard to act like they're all a family already. And clearly she's not ready for that. And he's just not receiving that. So that rubbed me a little wrong as an adult. As a kid, I just thought he was like the sweetest man alive. And I was like, oh my gosh, Janelle's being such a brat. And to to a degree that is true. She is being a brat and he is being the sweetest man alive.
00:22:04
Speaker
But I was like, he's being really touchy with her physically. And again, not like inappropriate, creepy, touchy, but just like in this fatherly way that I was uncomfortable with because she was clearly setting nonverbal boundaries.
00:22:17
Speaker
And then, um I mentioned it out loud and my husband Nick did say like that is super common in Spanish culture. what I was going to say. I think it's a cultural thing. Yeah. And I was like that's fair. i did question if that was why but it still felt uncomfy to me that he was so like open to being like her dad already and like knowing that she's not quite there.
00:22:40
Speaker
Yeah, I can respect that and even agree with it. But also, I think that he's just not smart enough to read those. Like, it's giving goofy stepdad.
00:22:51
Speaker
It's giving he not willfully ignoring or pretending that they're already a family. It's giving... He just isn't paying attention. And like, he's just like, everybody's my best friend. Right, right, right.
00:23:05
Speaker
Yeah. And he is really sweet. Like, I don't really think he did anything wrong necessarily. It just stood out to me this time. And I was like, huh, okay. Is he the one from the first movie? I feel like that she had just started dating.
00:23:19
Speaker
Yes. He is in the movie. So I almost could see a situation where Chanel was accepting him fine and like all of this was okay. And then as soon as her mom started talking about marriage, she switched.
00:23:31
Speaker
I could see that being like a background that we just haven't seen, you know? So he's like, what the heck? Why are you suddenly like cold towards me? Yeah, could be. Well, I think that's pretty much all I have to say. I mean, the ending is perfection, no notes.
00:23:45
Speaker
Yeah. I appreciated the mom instincts. They were strong. Yeah. I love the moms in this movie. ah It's a great movie. it Just incredible. Can we talk about if you – I have one last very stupid discussion point. And listeners, this is a question for you too.
00:24:00
Speaker
If you have to choose between men, are you Angel girl or a Joaquin girl? Ooh, Joaquin for the personality and the dancing and hell for the looks.
00:24:13
Speaker
No, you only, you can't, you can't, you can't do that. You got to pick one. Oh, okay. Well then Joaquin, because I think that's more important, the personality. Yeah. I love Joaquin too. I was so in love with him as a child and I was devastated and then happy when I found out that he wasn't the one singing that song.
00:24:32
Speaker
It was... Our boy. Drew Seely. Drew Seely. The voice of my generation. nick asked me who it was and I was like, close your eyes. It's the guy from another Cinderella story. And he was like, oh, that guy, musical guy.
00:24:47
Speaker
Love him. Love him. And never forget his most famous role, which is receptionist in um Stuck in the Suburbs. I forgot about that.
00:24:58
Speaker
Alright, Gabby, can I tell you what the rest of the world thought of this movie? I would love for you to, please do. They better have liked it or they're wrong. Prepare to be supremely disappointed. Ah, no! Alright, so we head over to Rotten Tomatoes to get um a rating of what the rest of the world thought of these movies.
00:25:16
Speaker
And first up, we have a tomato meter, which is what the critics thought. Now, there was a critic score for this, which is not always the case for DCOMs, but it was a very low 57%.
00:25:30
Speaker
Inaccurate. Wrong. And I would agree with you. um Most of these ones that I polled are from 2006. So when the movie actually came out, I think one or two of them are from a little bit later, but not from this decade.
00:25:44
Speaker
Hmm. Okay. Okay. So the first one I got from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said, while the Cheetah Girls credo gives lip service to friendship and support and commitment, they spend an awful lot of time simply wanting to be superstar divas.
00:25:59
Speaker
And there is nothing wrong with that when you're 15 and in a girl band. Yes. Also, it's written like a white man.
00:26:08
Speaker
DVDtalk.com said, even by Disney Channel standards, this sequel is weak and shrill and not at all fun. don't understand. don't either. i Clearly you didn't ask the children what they thought because the children loved it.
00:26:23
Speaker
Okay. Yeah. But then we have some positive ones. um One person said, it's a worthy sequel to the original fan favorite. um And then this person said, yes, it's a bit ridiculous watching four calculatedly multiracial girls lip sync to peppy songs about changing the world.
00:26:42
Speaker
But even saccharine version of girl power is better than some of the other tween bait options. Okay. So it's a lot of words. That person did well on their SAT, I'll tell you that much.
00:26:54
Speaker
All right. And then we have our audience rating, which is what the the general public thought. Now, um do you think this was higher or lower than the critics? No, it can't be lower.
00:27:08
Speaker
It's not lower, but it's not much higher. It's 61%.
00:27:14
Speaker
Where are the millennials? I don't know. Millennials, please go to Rotten Tomatoes and fix this because it's a travesty. And I'm going to read you some audience reviews and they are going to hurt your soul, but we're all going to be okay. Okay, ready? I'm holding your hand. Everyone put out your hands. I'm holding it.
00:27:30
Speaker
Okay. Okay.
Critics' Mixed Reviews
00:27:32
Speaker
First one says, this film not only highlights the characters, music, and heart, but it also builds on what was developed in the first movie. Even though there's a lot to absorb in terms of quality,
00:27:43
Speaker
What it lacks in strong plot beats, the film seems to just skim through conflict and doesn't really take the time to process any depth in the story. That's not even true! They do the at the train station, and then there's the thing with Dorinda and Joaquin, and I... That's not even true!
00:28:04
Speaker
This one said, a little better than its predecessor, but still not worthy of applause. Next.
00:28:12
Speaker
In short, so much more entertaining and easy to watch than the first. With adept choreography from Kenny Ortega, my boy. The my boy was my part, that's not in the review. um As well as much better sense of direction for the film, The Cheetah Girls 2 accomplishes a lot more than the first one did.
00:28:29
Speaker
And that's not just in the sense of the film's storyline, which is okay for a sequel, let alone a Disney sequel. Raven, again, is the standout and one of the best things to ever happen to Disney Channel.
00:28:41
Speaker
But Adrian, Keeley, and Sabrina slip back into their own characters well. Much better songs, more interesting character developments, and a whole lot less suking than the first.
00:28:52
Speaker
It'll be hard to find someone that doesn't like this new installment better than the original. But that doesn't mean much. I feel like that's one of those like compliment sandwiches uhu that's so annoying when it's like you could have just left off the compliments and said how you feel. And they're like, you're doing really well at work.
00:29:11
Speaker
Except for that actually you suck. But as a reminder, we value you. and it's like Yeah, this was one of those bosses wrapped up in a comment. um So I will now hand the mic over to you, Gabby. Will you please give me a two-sentence review of the Cheetah Girls 2?
00:29:28
Speaker
So much better than the first one should have been the only one. A perfect film. Those first two were like separated by a semicolon. So it was one semicolon. Of course.
00:29:39
Speaker
Yes. Thank you for that review. Yep. And Gabby, I would love to know where this cast is now.
Cast Updates and Belinda's Success
00:29:46
Speaker
Yeah, let's move on because the distress of those comments is going to send me into early labor.
00:29:51
Speaker
I certainly hope not. But also, yeah, what the heck? I don't, I was not expecting that when I opened Rotten Tomatoes. There were no more positive ones than that. There were a few positive ones that were just like the best film ever. And I'm like, yeah, you're right, but say more.
00:30:08
Speaker
Yes. so ah All right. All right. We'll move on. So here's the thing. We did cover the main four girls in our episode on the Cheetah Girls, but it's been a while. So I'm going to review all of them. And I did find some fun new tidbits for a few of them. I love a tidbit.
00:30:22
Speaker
And I have some new characters as well. Okay, Raven-Symoné, who played Galleria, we've already seen her three other times in Xenon, Kim Possible, and The Cheetah Girls 1. So here are things we already know.
00:30:35
Speaker
She continued acting. She pursued a music career after The Cheetah Girls. She was a host on The View for a few years. She is still acting Notably, she did the That's So Raven spinoff series Raven's Home from 2017 to 2023, and she is a very vocal advocate for the LGBTQ rights. She came out in 2013 herself and married Miranda Madej in 2020.
00:30:57
Speaker
t Those are things we've heard before. Here's something new that we haven't mentioned yet. ah Did you know that for the last four years, her and her wife Miranda have run a YouTube show called Tea Time with Raven and Miranda where they gossip and banter with iconic guests?
00:31:15
Speaker
I did not. But also that does not surprise me. Their most recent episode came out two days ago and had Drake Bell in it. So if you're interested... I am interested.
00:31:27
Speaker
Yeah. So I don't know. It's just like a fun little show that they do on YouTube. Moving on to Adrienne Bailon slash Houghton, I suppose, after she got married, who played Chanel.
00:31:39
Speaker
So we've heard about her. She co-hosted the daytime talk show The Real from 2013 2022, which earned her Daytime Emmy Award. which earned her a daytime emmy award She competed in the mask singer as Flamingo in 2019 and she finished third.
00:31:52
Speaker
She was a co-anchor of the entertainment news show E from 2022 to 2023. And she is very candid about her fertility journey into motherhood and her struggle with IVF, yeah but she did eventually have a son ever James via a surrogate in 2022. And according to Instagram, they're doing great. She seems like a great mom. Um,
00:32:14
Speaker
Something we haven't mentioned before is that she has a luxury loungewear and vegan leather handbag line called Lavu. Lavu. So she seems to be doing really well.
00:32:26
Speaker
I love that for her. Next up, we have Keely Willems, who played Aquanetta, or Aqua, who I just have to say might have been my favorite in this movie. I don't know why, I just really giggled at her a lot. Oh, she's so much fun. She has some of the the most comedy in this movie, for sure.
00:32:42
Speaker
So she pursued solo music projects and acted in a few films after this movie, Unfortunately, she hasn't acted since 2013, or at least nothing I could find on IMDb or elsewhere.
00:32:52
Speaker
We've heard before that she participated in this reality TV series called The Encore in 2021, where nine former R&B girl group singers formed a super group and created an album in 30 days.
00:33:05
Speaker
She was married in 2016, and Sabrina Bryan was the one of her bridesmaids. Sabrina played Dorinda. And they are still very best friends. Like they're really cute on Instagram.
00:33:18
Speaker
ah She has two daughters named Rowan and Archer, and they are all over her Instagram as well. One new thing that I noticed that we haven't mentioned before is that she still posts all the time about her experience with the Cheetah Girls, and she talks so fondly of it.
00:33:34
Speaker
So that's always good to know. I love that. Yeah. And finally, from the four main girls, we have Sabrina Bryan, who played Dorinda. So she continued dancing like we all knew that she would.
00:33:46
Speaker
She was on Dancing with the Stars season five in 2007 with partner Mark Ballas, and she returned for an all-star season in 2012. She is also married with two kids, and Keely, who we were just talking about, was her matron of honor. So they kind of traded off you being each other's – yeah, in each other's weddings. Yeah.
00:34:06
Speaker
uh most fun thing about her though is that she co-hosts the magical rewind podcast with will friedel and we just mentioned that in the last episode which we did ah something i learned because i was looking at her instagram is that they recently talked on the podcast about how they both auditioned for the movie rip girls which we've covered on this podcast that's hilarious Neither of them fit in that movie. So not at all.
00:34:37
Speaker
i don't know why they were even auditioning. Will Friedel, I don't know if he was joking because I couldn't tell like if he was trying to be funny or if this was real. But he said that the casting agent told him the reason they didn't cast him is that his frosted tips were too frosty. And they didn't like his look. You know, it happens sometimes.
00:35:00
Speaker
So that's what Sabrina's up to these days. Okay. Moving on to somebody new. Belinda, I don't know how to say this last name, Peregrine. She played Merisol, the hometown hero pop star sensation. Hometown hero?
00:35:18
Speaker
Yep. So in real life, she was born in Madrid, Spain, but she moved to Mexico City when she was four. She came into this movie as a famous Mexican singer and actress.
00:35:32
Speaker
Are you ready for this? I am so ready. Okay, so her 2003, which as a reminder is when the Cheetah Girls came out, debut studio album Belinda, was what it was called, was a commercial success selling over 1.1 million copies worldwide.
00:35:49
Speaker
she has ah know She has two Latin Grammy Award nominations and was certified Platinum in Mexico. Altogether, her four studio albums, her singles, and her soundtracks have all sold over three million copies, making her the third best-selling female Mexican act.
00:36:09
Speaker
The international press have named her the Princess of Latin Pop. What? Yeah, she still has a thriving musical career to this day and is still planning to release a fifth album in the near future, which was supposed to come out five years ago, but COVID delayed it What?
00:36:26
Speaker
How come we don't know any of this? I know, because it's in Mexico we live here. Yeah, but that's wild. Oh my gosh, good for Belinda, that what you said?
00:36:37
Speaker
Yeah. You go, Belinda. she She also is an actress. She's acted in a lot of work, but it's mostly Latin work, including several Mexican telenovelas. ah This was like her big American project. I don't think she's done much else other than that she was in Baywatch with Zac Efron in 2017.
00:36:57
Speaker
and
00:37:00
Speaker
And she played the leading role of Poppy in the Spanish adaptation of the film Trolls and its 2020 sequel Trolls World Tour. So if you listen to that in Spanish, that's her voice.
00:37:11
Speaker
But wait, we're not done. There's more. Okay, Angel? So, oh no, I mean about Belinda. Oh. I have three more fun facts on her.
00:37:22
Speaker
As of 2020, she is one of the coaches of the Mexican singing competition show La Voz. She debuted a shoe line in 2016, which she has kept up.
00:37:34
Speaker
And she and her younger brother opened a luxury karaoke bar called La Chimosa Canta Bar. The gossip, sing, and bar, apparently is how it translates. It's in Mexico, and it's modeled after the glitz and glamour of the twenty s ah So girls thriving is what I'm hearing.
00:37:51
Speaker
Exactly. Yeah, she's doing great. Probably the best of all of them, to be honest. Wow. Well, if you're the number three all-time Latin pop star, I would hope you're doing Right?
00:38:02
Speaker
Specifically Mexican. I don't know if she beats out all of Latin America, but definitely Mexico. All right. So the last two are the are gentlemen.
00:38:14
Speaker
I don't have a lot on them, but here's here's some fun stuff. There's not a lot going on for them, to be honest, but I'll give you what I have. So Peter Vives, I think he played Angel.
00:38:27
Speaker
He is still gorgeous. I don't have any photos to send you, but feel free to look him up on Instagram while we're live here. Does he still have that luscious hair? sadly not.
00:38:39
Speaker
Unfortunately. So he is a Spanish actor born in Barcelona to a New Zealand mother and a Spanish father. This is his best known role, but he's acted in several other projects, most with Spanish titles and the whole movie is in Spanish.
00:38:54
Speaker
And he's still acting as far as I can tell. I watched a little clip that he had posted on his Instagram and I tell you what, I was sucked in and I didn't know a word they were saying. Yeah. You're like, this is so engaging. What's happening? ah Yeah, he seems very talented.
00:39:11
Speaker
ah Fun fact, he is an accomplished pianist, but he learned how to play guitar just for this movie. Well, he fooled me, so good for him. I would have would have guessed he had grown up playing that guitar.
00:39:24
Speaker
I know, right? And unfortunately, that's all I know about him because most of his work, I couldn't really understand what they were saying. You know what? That's okay. What we're really interested in here is Joaquin. So please move on.
00:39:37
Speaker
Oh, I'm sorry. You might be disappointed. There's very little on him, to be honest. He doesn't even have a picture on IMDb. hu I know. But you know where he does have pictures? His Instagram. And he is also absolutely delightful to look at. So look him up. Looking it up right now, right now.
00:39:54
Speaker
So his real name is, oh gosh, Golan, Yolan, Yosef. How do you think you say this? G-O-L-A-N. Y-O-S-E-F.
00:40:06
Speaker
L-A-N. Golan. I can't even begin to guess. Me neither. So Joaquin, we'll go with that.
00:40:19
Speaker
All I really got on him was that he studied ballet at the National Ballet Academy in Amsterdam. Now he's got a man bun. Yes, he does. What?
00:40:30
Speaker
Sorry, I interrupted. I'm sorry. I'm putting down. No, you're good. You're good. I think those pictures are going to be the most fun part of this because that's pretty much all I had. He's a freelance choreographer and a director and he has a YouTube channel.
00:40:45
Speaker
That's it.
00:40:48
Speaker
But yeah, that's where they are now. Dang. Good times. What a season finale. Wow. This was, I feel like, the perfect pick for the last episode. and ah g Agreed. Yeah. Cheetah Girls 2, forever in our hearts.
00:41:03
Speaker
um Usually, would be the time that we would spin the metaphorical wheel and find out which DCOM we would be watching for the next episode. However, this is the end of the season.
00:41:16
Speaker
You did it. You made it.
00:41:19
Speaker
Air horns, noises, insert in editing. um Instead, over the next four episodes, eight weeks, we have a series of mini-sodes to share with you.
00:41:30
Speaker
So returning this season is the much-loved tier ranking of every movie we watched in season two, and also the DCOM Oscars. um And then we have a brand new minisode coming your way.
00:41:42
Speaker
You know and love our Where Are They Now segment, so get ready for the Where Are The Characters Now episode. We are going to be making some theories about where some of your favorite characters would be now in 2025.
00:41:56
Speaker
And I'm ridiculously excited for this. Since we came up with this idea, i have ah been percolating ideas about where I think these people are now, and I have thoughts.
00:42:07
Speaker
Oh, me too. Okay, that'll be a really fun one. So how is it gonna go? Like, we're doing the ranking, Oscars, where are they now fiction, and then Oscars again?
00:42:19
Speaker
Yes. So we're splitting the Oscars into two, just like we did last season, just because it takes a really long time, y'all. But these minisodes should be between like 10 to 15 minutes. Just a little something, something for you to hold you over until season three, God willing, and baby willing, season three will be on the way soon.
00:42:38
Speaker
Yeah. And I think there is going to be an odd week there. So I was thinking, Natalie, what we should do is re-release Smart House because that is one of our most referenced episodes.
00:42:49
Speaker
And it's one of my personal favorite episodes that we've done. So i was thinking we re-released that, The Missing a Week. What do you think? You know, I don't think that's a bad idea. Great. Okay. So that final week before, hopefully, we launch season three you'll get an awesome rerun.
00:43:05
Speaker
Perfect.
Season 2 Finale Gratitude
00:43:06
Speaker
Well, thank you guys so, so, so much for hanging out with us all season long. We love and we appreciate every single one of you. It has been a blast.
00:43:16
Speaker
I love all of you so much. Thank you for sticking with us and listening this far. i was scrolling through our episodes the other day and I was like, I can't believe how many we've done already and how much more there still is to go. And how much more there still is.
00:43:30
Speaker
I we're nearing the quarter mark, quarter way. I think so. Yep. Yeah. But I love all of our listeners. I love all of our friends that come and tell me how much they enjoy the podcast and we enjoy making it.
00:43:44
Speaker
Yeah. Thank you all for listening. free, guys, to share this with your friends. Truly, if there's anyone you know who loves Disney as much as us or as much as you, please pass this episode along to them and let them know that we have a whole backlist that they can enjoy.
00:43:58
Speaker
oh yeah. And as always, leave a rating and review. We don't say that much in the episode itself, but it's important. Please leave a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcast. Yeah, on Spotify, you can now leave comments on specific episodes, and we do be checking those. So leave a comment if you got something to say.
00:44:15
Speaker
Oh, yeah. I want people's opinions. Be kind, but also get spicy. And put that on a t-shirt. We'll see you all in season three. ah See you next time. Bye.
00:44:27
Speaker
Bye. Thank you all so much for listening to this episode of Once Upon a DCOM. Like what you just heard? Leave us a rating and review. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Also follow us on Instagram and TikTok at onceuponadcom.podcast and share this podcast with your Disney loving friends.
00:44:42
Speaker
A big thanks to Gabby for editing this whole podcast together. Thanks, Fran. Plus, shout out to Kaori for sweetening the audio on this track. And don't forget to subscribe because there's always a new episode on the way. This is Gabriela. And Natalie. Signing off with a sprinkle of pixie dust. And a whole lot of nostalgia.