CAMP ROCK - DVD review

Formulas aren't all bad. Every genre has them, and with "High School Musical" Disney all but created a new type of film, one they're going to use as a template until the public tires of it or until the formula stops working. In a way, that's no different from a football team that runs a set offense. Whether you're fans or the opposition, you pretty much know what's coming. It all boils down to how potent the potion--how good are the people, and how effective is their execution?

"Camp Rock," which aired as an original Disney Channel movie, was so heavily hyped that I was almost afraid to watch it. It was being pre-sold as this year's "High School Musical" (complete with product tie-ins), and that can raise some pretty high expectations. Then again, while "High School Musical" featured a cast of unknowns, "Camp Rock" had at least one thing going for it: this was to be a vehicle for the popular 'tweentastic singing group the Jonas Brothers. Surprisingly, the Brothers don't dominate the film. It's lead singer Joe Jonas who's this year's Zach Effron, paired opposite this year's Vanessa Hudgins, a little-known actress named Demi Lovato ("As the Bell Rings," "Split Ends").

Apart from Lovato's big smile, which seems to have the same kind of on/off switch as John Edwards', she carries herself with the kind of innocence and self-effacing honesty that has come to characterize Disney heroines as of late. In "Camp Rock" she plays a wannabe pop star named Mitchie Torres, whose parents can't afford to send her to a swanky camp that trains performers--though there's not a whole lot of teaching that ostensibly goes on at the camp. I think there are just two scenes in the entire film where students are actually in class. Mostly, it's a place to bond with kindred spirits, singing and dancing and playing music the way the kids always did in "Fame."

At first Mitchie is told "no," she can't go, and like a good Disney role model she just takes it in stride. No tantrums, no begging, no negotiating. And the next thing you know, her caterer-mom is telling her she's going to Camp Rock after all. Mom agreed to work as a cook at the camp in exchange for the deep discount that would allow her daughter to attend. The one catch is that Mitchie also has to log some hours in the kitchen.

The chief problem arises when Mitchie runs up against "the diva of Camp Rock"--the daughter of a Grammy-winning country singer named Tess Tyler (Meaghan Jette Martin), who sets the standard for "cool." Other kids' parents are record execs, conductors, and musicians of some kind, and so it just kind of seems natural for Mitchie to blurt that her mom is president of HotTunes TV in China. That lie is all it takes for her to be brought into Tess's circle of friends/flunkies, and set up the film's eventual crisis.

Meanwhile, boy-group Connect 3 is in the news because lead singer Shane Gray (Joe Jonas) has done something raffish again to make headlines, and he's been sent to Camp Rock--which is run by his Uncle Brown Cesario (Daniel Fathers)--to teach a class and get his head straight. He's also conned into cutting a record with the winner of this year's Final Jam, the big talent show that signals the end of camp. Of course, all the campers know he's a rock star and treat him like one, when all he's looking for is someone who'll treat him like a normal person. One day he hears the voice of a girl singing and playing piano. He's charmed by her, but by the time he goes inside, the girl is gone. So in a plot that combines Prince Charming's search for the girl who fits the glass slipper and Prince Eric's search for the girl with the beautiful voice, he lets it be known that he's looking for the girl with "the voice."

Good thing, because while Camp Rock is situated on the shores of a gorgeous northwoods lake, when Joe jumps into the lake to escape yet another group of "not the ones" who torment him he ends up being the only one in the film to take advantage of the location. Otherwise, the camp could have been situated anywhere, because no one rides horses, goes boating, or takes advantage of the great outdoors except to watch a Connect 3 performance lakeside and another one at night with a bonfire in the background.

Like "High School Musical," each of the stars need good friends to keep them grounded (or get on them when they veer off-course) and that function is provided by Caitlyn (Alyson Stoner) and Joe's musical buddies Nate (Nick Jonas) and Jason (Kevin Jonas). Though Sharpay-I mean, Tess-conspires against Mitchie, you know that like the star of "High School Musical" she's going to get her moment in the spotlight.

The formula's pretty clear, but there's one remarkable difference between "Camp Rock" and "High School Musical." "HMS" was played with some pretty over-the-top characters and comedy, whereas "Camp Rock" is a little more reality-based and low-key. That's refreshing, actually, especially if you've seen a bunch of Disney Channel sitcoms. Here, the parents are normal, the camp leader is normal (but witty and personable), and even counselor Dee La Duke (MTV's Julie Brown) tones it down a bit so she's not a caricature. And both young stars do a fine job of making you believe their situations. Add a talented young cast that includes Jasmine Richards, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Jordan Francis, and Roshon Fegan, and you've got a formula that works because of casting and execution. These kids pull it off, and they seem to have fun in the process.

Is it great comedy? Nope. Great drama? Nope. Great musical? Well, though there are some upbeat songs like "We Rock," "Start the Party," and "Hasta La Vista," I'd have to say that the music is pretty typical of films like this. But "Camp Rock" is an enjoyable light musical drama that doesn't try to be anything more. And you know what? That's refreshing.

Oh, and by the way, what makes this the "Extended Rock Star Edition" is another three-minute song added as a postscript "three months later" before the final credits roll.

Video:
Given the swing to widescreen, it's a little surprising that Disney went with a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, especially since the Blu-ray is being released in 1.78:1. In general, the colors are bright and true and there's a good amount of detail in most scenes. I qualify that because there are some scenes where you can really see blurred edges on an arm or an object. Deep reds, meanwhile, can be a little noisy, while the skin tones tend toward the orange--though in this age of spray tans that might also be the culprit.

Audio:
The audio is an English Dolby Digital 5.1, which, during the musical numbers, is certainly robust enough, with a nice wide spread and good distribution of sound across the channels. Disney has been going a little light on the bass lately, and this release is no exception. Purists might want to make an adjustment. Then again, since the primary audience for "Camp Rock" is 'tweens and I don't know too many 'tween audiophiles, it'll probably be just fine for them.

Extras:
There's actually a nice bundle of extras that will appeal to kids in the target age group. "How to Be a Rock Star" is divided into chapters or aspects that remind you of "How to be a Princess" in some of the other Disney releases. It's a morals-based series of testimonies and opinions from the stars, with a little reality thrown in for good measure. The biggest surprise is that at 28 minutes it's the longest feature. After that, it's the law of diminishing returns. "Jonas Brothers: Real-life Rock Stars" is an engaging 16-minute bunch of clips strung together that make you realize how grounded these guys are. They're a likable trio with good parenting and a good sense of who they are. You'll hear the story of how the band formed, how much each practiced to get up to speed before they could start their band (five hours per day!) and how grueling the touring can be (10 cities in three days).

In "Introducing Demi Lovato" we get just roughly seven minutes of similar bio, with not nearly the interesting anecdotes. Then comes "Camp Memories," a slideshow, really, of behind-the-scenes photos set to two songs, all of which run just under six minutes. Then there's "Hasta La Vista: From Rehearsal to Final Jam," an under five-minute segment that zeroes in on Francis and Fegan and their one big number. "Too Cool" does the same with the bonfire song, an under four-minute feature that oddly enough has more interesting tidbits than some of the longer ones--like the audience cutaway reaction shots were filmed first, or the bonfire was lit with propane, or all the parents sat in the audience during the filming. The latter especially makes you realize how involved the parents of these kids have to be.

Rounding out the bonus features are two music videos for "Start the Party" and "We Rock," a sing-along option for watching the movie, and "Camp Rock Karaoke," which allows you to choose which of the songs you want to sing: "Who Will I Be?," "This is Me," "What it Takes," "Start the Party," "Too Cool," and "Gotta Find You."

Bottom Line:
"Camp Rock" may not have the energy or originality of "High School Musical," but it feels like a more authentic film in many ways because it isn't so over-the-top and the numbers aren't Broadway-contrived. They musical routines are more organic, the humor is more subtle, and the cast is just as personable. Lovato does a good job, but non-actor Joe Jonas is perhaps the biggest surprise. Except for one scene where he looked a tad stiff, he showed that he can act just as well as these Disney actors can sing.