Camp Rock is one of those movies that prove that media hype and good PR can and does make a movie successful. I have a daughter who loves The Disney Channel and we had seen commercials for this TV movie for weeks on end. It was being promoted and even classified as “the next High School Musical”. The promotion was so heavy that I even got to the point where I actually wanted to watch the movie… and I did. To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement, but to say that I wasn’t surprised that it wasn’t as good as I expected is dead on.
Mitchie is a young girl who gets a chance to attend Camp Rock, which is a camp that is intended to help kids become rock stars. If only it were that easy. Mitchie finds that as she attends the camp that her life is about to change forever. You see Mitchie’s mother is working at the camp to help fund her daughter’s trip, but Mitchie tries as hard as she can to keep this news from the rest of the campers. With a little help from Joe Jonas, also known as Shane Gray, Mitchie finds out the importance of being true to who you are.
I felt Camp Rock pales in comparison to its predecessors the High School Musical franchise. The songs on Camp Rock are less than memorable, the plot completely unbelievable and the acting sub-par at best (but this goes without saying). Take out The Jonas Brothers in Camp Rock and I personally feel that this movie would have never made it. It’s unfortunate that this band is being pigeon holed as a tweeny bopper band. There is going to be a day when they will want to break out of this mold and it’s not going to be that easy. Overall, Camp Rock is a weak Disney release. However it’s been a success from the merchandising stand point and I am sure this is all that matters when the rubber meets the road.
Reviewed by Jeff Holton
