VA - The Lizzie Mcguire Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2003)

The film based on ABC's hugely popular tween/young adult TV show Lizzie McGuire, The Lizzie McGuire Movie, features an appropriately playful and romantic mix of teen pop -- including several songs by Hilary Duff (Lizzie herself) -- dance-pop, and ballads that reflects the movie's vacation-in-Rome plot. Not coincidentally, Duff's songs are among the best on the album. "Why Not," its remix, and "What Dreams Are Made Of" don't feature especially memorable songwriting or arrangements. In fact, they sound a little dated. However, Duff herself shows promise as a singer, and more importantly, as a vocal personality; she's a charming actress who has the potential to become a charismatic singer if she's given more interesting material to work with.

Overall, the soundtrack's perky, upbeat songs fare better than the somewhat drippy ballads -- Atomic Kitten's "The Tide Is High (Get the Feeling)," the Cooler Kids' "All Around the World" (which was co-produced by Luscious Jackson's Jill Cunniff), and Jump5's "Shining Star" have the weightless sweetness of the best teen pop, along with a slightly hip edge. Vitamin C's cover of the Italian pop classic "Volare" works better in theory than it does in practice; while she has the pipes to make the song work, the pounding rhythm on this version robs the melody of almost all of its swing. Similarly, Taylor Dayne's cover of "Supermodel" pales in comparison to RuPaul's original; it's unclear whether or not his/her version didn't appear because of licensing costs or because Disney didn't want to include a song by a drag queen on the soundtrack to a family film. The slower tracks, like Paolo & Isabella's "What Dreams Are Made Of (Ballad Version)" and LMNT's "Open Your Eyes (To Love)" just don't have any of the funky sense of fun or sensitivity that makes Lizzie McGuire so popular; they're sappy instead of moving. Overall, The Lizzie McGuire Movie is a fun but not especially memorable soundtrack; the soundtrack to the TV show captures the sweet giddiness of its heroine better, but most Lizzie fans won't be too disappointed by this album.~The Lizzie McGuire Movie Review by Heather Phares