Yeah, I think there's a kind of cheesy or campy aesthetic that is an acquired taste. Also, DCOM movies feature teens but they're clearly aimed at younger tweens. I think that makes them hard to watch because it's clear you're not the target audience and there's a kind of "really childish but wanting to be cool" aspect to the story/characters/aesthetic.

Oh wow, I'm going to have to add Lemonade Mouth to the watchlist (you weren't kidding about the "High School Musical meets the Breakfast Club" thing!). It sounds super interesting, and I'm guessing my partner and I will be able to make it farther into the movie given our tastes. XD