In 2012, Disney Channel released an original film titled Let It Shine, directed by Paul Hoen. The story follows Cyrus Debarge, a gifted but unassuming songwriter who hides his talent behind Kris. Kris is Cyrus’ childhood friend – an outgoing and unapologetic character. He’s the more confident of the two, often leaving Cyrus in his shadow.  Cyrus enters a competition run by Roxie’s music label, a girl he has yearned for and admired since childhood, for a chance to perform with her and win a record deal with said label. In the end, Cyrus’ song wins due to his passionate lyrics. However, he gets mistaken for Kris due to the picture he sent in containing both of the two. Roxie is drawn to the honesty of the words, thinking they’re Kris’, while Cyrus struggles with staying in the shadows and keeping the truth hidden. As the story unfolds, Cyrus gains the courage to step forward, revealing his talent, and stand up to his father’s expectations. In the end, Roxie realizes Cyrus is the true artist behind the music, and embracing your real self is what makes you shine.

Kris, Please Get It Together 

Now, can I just say that Kris is more of an enemy than a friend throughout this film? I mean, intention wise, he didn’t necessarily have any bad ones, but his actions just dug both him and Cyrus in a deeper hole. Especially Cyrus, considering that almost all of the consequences fell onto him – which is insane to me! The biggest conflict, him and Cyrus pretending he’s Truth, is caused because of Kris. This guy literally took credit for his best friend’s talent because he thought that he MIGHT have a thing for Roxie. Then, he just goes on to put her aside for fame and attention anyways. Even when Cyrus tries talking to him about it, Kris asks more of him so he can keep living in the spotlight for a little. I will say that he eventually realizes that he needs to stop this, and switches places with Cyrus at the end. Though, it hardly even matters because almost all of the heat falls on Cyrus, even though it wasn’t his idea to begin with. Now, Kris can have some credit back because he does go to Roxie to clear things up, but the film’s conflict would have never existed had he been honest to begin with. Truthfully speaking, I think Kris might have even been more of an antagonist than the official villain, King of the Bling (Bling). Bling was more just an inconvenient bully, who also had a bit of redemption towards the end after Cyrus exposed that he was, in fact, NOT the King of Bling (he’s broke). 

Now We’re Getting It 

So, like, you know how every friend group or duo has an introverted friend? That was Cyrus throughout the film, hiding behind his attention seeking friend, Kris. Even though his talent shines throughout his lyrics, he lays low and lets Kris take the credit that he doesn’t deserve just trying to be a good friend, and tries to avoid the risk of being exposed. Over time, however, Cyrus learns that honesty and courage matter more than fear, and by the end he embraces his true self, proving his worth as not just a songwriter, but also a performer. Roxie’s journey mirrors his in many ways – though she starts as a successful pop star admired by everyone, she feels lonely and unsure who actually values her for who she is. At first, she’s drawn to Kris because she believes he’s the one behind the soulful lyrics, but as she grows closer with Cyrus, she realizes it’s his authenticity and heart that truly move her. By the end, Roxie finds strength in surrounding herself with people who are genuine, while Cyrus finally steps out of the shadows, showing that both characters grow by learning the power of being real. 

“Truth” 

This isn’t super important, but I wanted to mention the theme of honesty throughout the movie. A lot of the conflict stems from the lies made up by the characters in the film. Actually, I lied. It IS very significant when talking about this movie. Cyrus’ stage/rapper name is quite literally ‘Truth’. This movie is full of secrets and dishonesty – Kris and Cyrus lying about who Truth is, Cyrus lying to his father about his job at the club and where he is throughout the movie, Bling lying about being rich, and Roxie lying to herself about who she is. The entire movie is meant to teach viewers the importance of telling the truth, and the consequences of dishonesty. It’s not even just about lying to people either, it’s about staying true to yourself. Cheesy, typical, repetitive, I know. But, truthfully (pun intended), I find that these things are really important, especially in films marketed towards children. Obviously, a lot of teens and adults could learn a thing or two from it also. Everyone is so quick to complain about corny themes in movies, then go and ruin their lives because they chose to lie for literally no reason. Anyway, as I was saying, the theme and symbolism of ‘Truth’ is really interesting and something you probably wouldn’t think much of if you aren’t literally writing an in depth review about it (so meta). 

God, I Love Music 

This film has, arguably, one of the best soundtracks in (non animated) Disney movie history. I could care less what anyone says, they were cooking in the studio. Not to mention, Tyler James Williams (Cyrus) and Coco Jones (Roxie) themselves actually sang their own songs. I know that Disney often uses the real voices of their characters, but sometimes it doesn’t always work. For example, in “High School Musical”, they replaced Zac Efron for Drew Seeley in the song aspect because he wasn’t really executing what they had in mind. However, Coco Jones has never once disappointed me on this soundtrack. Her vocals seriously have viewers levitating off of their couches. Her range and strength of her vocals are literally angelic, especially in “Guardian Angel”. She also has good variety with her sound, pulling off the soulful tone in “Guardian Angel”, “Let It Shine”, and “Me And You”, whilst also pulling off a confident pop-star vibe in “What I Said”. These songs really capture the difference between her stage presence, Roxie, and who she really is, Roxanne. Tyler James Williams never turned me loose either. The way he flows on his own tracks, as well as on his tracks with Coco Jones really showcases his talent and how amazing the tracks in this film are. There is genuinely not a single song that I didn’t like. Even the gospel was good, and I’m not even religious. 

My Eyes Are Being Blessed

The visuals in Let it Shine are packed with energy and style, making the movie feel just as exciting as its music. The rap battles look huge, with bright lights, colorful backdrops and quick camera cuts and gives the scenes the vibe of a real concert. The church scenes switch with a warm, golden glow that feels soulful and calm, which makes the neon lights and hype energy of the club stand out even more. Costumes also play a big role as Cyrus keeps his look chill and understated or as we can say “humble”, while Kris goes bold with flashier outfits giving him more of a “show off” type of guy, they are basically showing their personalities without even saying a word. And then there is Roxie, who completely steals the spotlight whenever she performs. Her scenes are filled with glowing lights, vibrant colors, and stylish outfits that make her shine like a true star. The camera captures her confidence up close while wide shots show off the crowd and stage, turning every performance into a full-on event. Together, all these visuals make the whole movie pop and kept me hooked the entire time.

A Disney Masterpiece 

I’m just going to come out and say it – this is the best non-animated Disney movie. Even the annoying, avoidable problems in this movie don’t make me redact my statement. The music is good, the visuals are stimulating, the characters are fun, and it actually teaches us something. There are so many children’s shows and films coming out lately that literally mean nothing. They don’t make ‘em like they used to, unfortunately. Not only is this a great, educational movie for children, it’s a fun watch for older age groups too. This is literally my favorite Disney movie in the history of forever. I have rewatched this film so many times over the years, and no matter how old I get, I never enjoy it any less. I’m being so genuine when I say stop making your kids watch Cocomelon, and put them onto this 2012 Disney masterpiece of a film.