Sixteen years ago, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam premiered on the Disney Channel. A third film was in the works, but was ultimately scrapped due to what was going on with Demi Lovato at the time. Now, we return for another summer of singing, song writing, instrument playing and dancing fun. When Connect 3 (Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas) lose the opening act of their upcoming reunion tour, they go back to the place where it all began to discover the next big thing. A new crop of teens with a dream will do whatever it takes to be chosen.
I liked the first two Camp Rock films, but I wasn’t obsessed with them like I was with High School Musical. I basically just jumped on the bandwagon because I needed something to fill that void. They were entertaining and they catapulted Lovato and the Jonas Brothers to fame. As legacy sequels are currently all the rage, it was no surprise that this would be getting their own version of that. While I didn’t find it necessary whatsoever, it wasn’t as awful as I was expecting it to be. In fact, I enjoyed the nostalgia trip.
At the helm is Sage (Liamani Seguara) who attends the camp with her brother Desi (Hudson Stone). They befriend Callie (Brooklynn Pitts), Rosie (Lumi Pollack), Cliff (Casey Trotter) and Fletch (Malachi Barton). Though they appear different on paper, they actually have a ton in common and form a bond unlike any other. The acting chops could have been better, but most of them made up for it in their musical talents. The stand outs for me were Segura and Pollack who had lovely singing voices. I do wish we had had more backstory on some of the other characters to flesh them out and give them even more personality.
It was nice to have the Jonas Brothers back on screen together, especially in the way that made them household names. Their characters of Jason, Nate and Shane are definite parodies of themselves and they know it; the way they played into it this time around was appreciated. Other returning cast members included Maria Canals-Barrera as Connie, Mitchie’s mom, who is now running the camp and Mitchie (Demi Lovato) herself in a small cameo. Sherry Cola was along for the ride too, as Lark, Connect 3’s manager. She was a great addition to round out the cast.
Where the film lacked was in it’s story. It was basically a carbon copy of the first complete with covers of the same songs fans have grown to know and love. Whether or not these versions were better, I will leave up to you to decide. There were some original tunes, but none of them were particularly memorable. I also thought that things were wrapped up too quickly and neatly. The beef between Sage and Desi? Squashed almost immediately. Fletch’s deep, dark past? Brushed over with no repercussions. It just didn’t seem realistic.
Overall, despite Camp Rock 3 being the sequel nobody asked for, there were some amusing aspects to it. While I appreciated getting to know some new talent, I was more in it for the throwbacks to the earlier films and thought that that is where they excelled.
Rating: ♥️♥️.5
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