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When I was a kid, I lived for Free Disney Channel Weekends. Back then, the Disney Channel wasn’t part of our basic cable, but, every once in a while, we’d get it free for a weekend—to taunt us into paying for it. So I’d spend those weekends in front of the TV, watching all kinds of Disney Channel shows. And while the shows have definitely changed since then, that fun-loving Disney style hasn’t. Case in point: The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Lip Synchin’ in the Rain.
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody is a half-hour-long Disney Channel comedy about identical twins Zack and Cody Martin (Dylan and Cole Sprouse), who live in Boston’s swanky Tipton Hotel with their single mom, Carey (Kim Rhodes), who works as a singer in the hotel’s lounge.
The show’s third DVD release, Lip Synchin’ in the Rain features four episodes. In the title episode, Cody auditions for the role of Troy in the school’s version of High School Musical. Tipton candy counter girl Maddie (Ashley Tisdale, HSM’s Sharpay) tries out for the role of Sharpay, but the role goes to tone-deaf London (Brenda Strong) instead—because her dad’s rich.
In “Arwin that Came to Dinner,” Tipton engineer Arwin (Brian Stepanek) can’t seem to sleep because his mother got married and moved out of their apartment—so he starts sleeping in the twins’ room and driving everyone nuts.
In “Orchestra,” a violin prodigy joins the school orchestra—and starts making the moves on Cody’s girlfriend.
And, finally, in “A Tale of Two Houses,” the twins’ dad gets a condo in Boston, and the twins decide to use it for alone time with their girlfriends.
Despite the fact that the twins are 14 on the show—and they’re starting to deal with teenage issues—this teen sitcom is pretty innocent Disney fare. Instead of examining the deepest and darkest teen emotions, it sticks to simple comedy. When London’s boyfriend dumps her, she’s more perplexed than heartbroken—and when Zack sneaks his girlfriend into his dad’s condo, his romantic evening involves crackers and cheese-in-a-can.
The humor is slapstick and silly, and sometimes it’s completely over-the-top—but, at times, it’s surprisingly smart, too. While the situations in Lip Synchin’ are definitely entertaining, though, the characters make the DVD (and the show) worth checking out. From nerdy Cody to sarcastic Zack, from uptight hotel manager Mr. Moseby (Phill Lewis) to crazy Arwin, the goofy yet likeable characters make the shows a whole lot of fun. Even spoiled heiress London—who can be a little too flighty at times—helps to keep things light and fun.
Fans of the show will also want to check out the DVD’s extras—a long blooper reel and a feature called Twin-Tastic, in which the boisterous twins (along with Brenda Strong) dish about the show, each other, and identical twins.
Though it only includes four episodes, Lip Synchin’ in the Rain is a fun collection—filled with action and comedy and a little bit of music. The kids will get a good laugh out of it—and you might just find yourself laughing right along with them.
