Camp Rock
Well, if you are old enough
that you don't give a damn how dreamy Joe Jonas is and whether or not the
cute new actress Demi Lovato will be the next Miley Cyrus - then this sweet
but slightly cheesy Disney confection is not for you. However, if
you've been sitting around wondering how kids who would be students at
High School Musical might spend their summer, then you're in the right
place.
Essentially
Camp Rock is High School Musical with bunks, rowboats and the
Jonas Brothers.
This is both a good thing
and a bad.
No one could ever say that
there are many surprises in Camp Rock or artistic risks taken.
However, let's face it, the
target audience for Camp Rock isn't looking for a deep cinematic
experience (in fact, the film was made for cable), they just want pretty
kids overcoming adversity and learning to express their individuality
through bubble-gum pop music.
If you believe in yourself
and your talent and don't become caught up in stardom and bitchiness, you
too can win the heart of a dreamy pop star.
I suppose there are worse
lessons to be imparting upon our young girls.
The story - what little of
one there is - has a young girl named Mitchie (how Disney a name is that?) getting the chance of a lifetime, to spend
the summer in a music camp. Her mother - who can't afford it - takes a
job as cook for the camp to get a discount.
At first, Mitchie tells
lies to fit in with the rich and popular girls - particularly the queen bee
(Meaghan Jette Martin), the bitchy daughter of a famous music diva.
However, eventually with the help of her outcast friend (Alyson Stoner) she
slowly starts to realize she has to be herself.
In the meantime, a dreamy
bad boy pop star Shane Gray (Joe Jonas, who looks amazingly like the
grandson of Keith Partridge) is sentenced by his label to spend counseling
at the camp as a PR move after his latest tantrum. (Yeah, I'm not
quite getting that logic, either....) The winner of the big camp
sing-off gets to record a duet with Shane.
Shane overhears a girl
singing alone and realizes that he needs to stop recording fluff and do
music which really matters to him. Problem is he doesn't know
who was doing the singing, but he sets out to find out who it was.
In the meantime Shane and
Mitchie become friends. He likes her because she's cute and sweet and
doesn't fawn over him. She likes him because he's dreamy and a rock
star, but really sensitive.
Anyone can see where this
is going. But that's okay, it's pretty enjoyable getting there.
Camp Rock isn't a
great movie - but it never had any delusions to be. However, for a
romantic tweenage musical, you can do a lot worse.
Jay S. Jacobs
Copyright ©2008 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved.
Posted: August 19, 2008.
