This is a classic teen movie from my era – it has become a film of cheesy nostalgia. If you watched and loved it as a teen, you’ll watch and love it as an adult. Starring young Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers, this was peak Disney Channel movie time. Forget about the new stuff, this was when Disney Channel was excellent. The era of Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, Phineas and Ferb and That’s So Raven. ‘Camp Rock’ is solidly in the middle of this classic era.
Mitchie (Demi Lovato) has always wanted to go to Camp Rock, a musical camp over the summer holidays. One year, her wish comes true and she is able to go. However, when she arrives, she believes that her mother working as the cook is an embarrassing truth so instead lies to be considered more “popular”. With obvious holes in her lies, she continues on through her Camp Rock experience trying to hide the truth. Meanwhile, teen idol Shane Gray (Joe Jonas) is forced to make an appearance and become an instructor for the Camp Rockers. As he’s convinced he just wants to get back to his famous life as a musician, he instead goes on a journey himself to find the reason he fell in love with music in the first place. He returns to his routes when he sets out to find the talented and mysterious girl who sang the song which took him back many years. I wonder who that could have been…
As we are at Camp Rock, this movie is also a musical. You could have guessed with Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers starring. I’m not going to lie, I do love some of these songs. ‘This is Me’ has to be a Disney Channel belter, sung by Demi Lovato, of course it is extremely well sung! I also love ‘Play My Music’, which stars the Jonas Brothers. A large part of my teenage phase was dominated by the love of both Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers (I would be lying if I said this didn’t continue into my 20s), so ‘Camp Rock’ is obviously a film I do adore!
‘Camp Rock’ is completely and utterly cheesy through and through. The acting is awkward, the plot is even more so. But that’s what makes it such a teen movie classic! I whole-heartedly accept that this is a terrible film in all cinematic ways possible. But I still cannot help but just appreciate the nostalgia this movie has created. It’s just simply joyous and easy to watch. Within all the awkwardness, there is just stupid comedy and great songs. It’s on the same parallel as films like ‘Hannah Montana the Movie’, however, I will forever believe ‘Hannah Montana the Movie’ is better because that just holds a special place in my heart.
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