Camp Rock 1/2 Doublepack [DVD]

Camp Rock is a Disney Channel original movie about a rockin' teen summer camp that's highly appealing to tweenies and young teens despite the movie's failure to favourably compare with truly great Disney Channel movies like High School Musical. Joe Jonas (of the Jonas Brothers stars as Shane Gray, a member of the rock band Connect 3, who is compelled to serve as an instructor at Camp Rock in order to counteract his increasingly negative public image. Tess Tyler (Meaghan Jette Martin) is the camp diva whose self-absorption defies description, Caitlyn (Alyson Stoner) is a past Tess groupie who's now ostracised from the popular kids at camp, and Mitchie (Demi Lovato) is a camp newcomer whose mother is the camp cook. Caitlyn initially befriends Mitchie, but the friendship wanes when Mitchie makes up an elaborate story about her family to get accepted into Tess's exclusive clique. As Mitchie struggles to maintain her façade around camp, Shane begins to reform his bad-boy ways and find his own personal voice and he and Mitchie become friends--unfortunately, their new relationship is based partially on Mitchie's lies. In the end, Mitchie's deception is exposed as is Tess' true villainy and the perfect summer camp experience threatens to turn into the worst summer ever for everyone involved. Camp Rock is infused with lots of energy, fun choreography, and a ton of good, if not particularly memorable, music. Add in the cast of generally unlikable characters with extreme characteristics whose changes of heart at the end of the film are not particularly believable, and Disney's got an entertaining film for tweenies and teens that adults might just as well skip. --Tami Horiuchi

Camp Rock 2: A summer spent at music camp is all about fun, friends, and making music together, and Mitchie (Demi Lovato) can't wait to return to Camp Rock to see her friends (Alyson Stoner, Meaghan Martin) and spend some quality time with Shane (Joe Jonas). Unfortunately, greed, rivalry, and the relentless pursuit of perfection threaten to sour the whole Camp Rock experience when the new Camp Star across the water lures many of the Camp Rock campers and counselors away. The new enterprise promises industry exposure and higher pay and then challenges Camp Rock to a high-stakes final jam challenge that threatens to put the camp out of business. Mitchie rises to the challenge and takes on a huge leadership role, finding replacement counselors and working to create a winning show for the final jam, but the pressure to win affects everyone's camp experience, making it less about fun and the enjoyment of music and more about winning the competition. It also leaves Mitchie and Shane with virtually no time to spend together. Camp Rock 2 has an abundance of good, memorable songs presented with lots of energetic choreography. The characters are generally more likable and believable than they were in the original Camp Rock, but the plot could be more engaging: while viewers will certainly root for Mitchie and the camp to succeed, neither Mitchie nor this film's new characters (Chloe Bridges, Matthew "Mdot" Finley) inspire a particularly overwhelming emotional investment. Nonetheless, tweens and teens will love Camp Rock 2--they'll watch it repeatedly, memorize the words with the help of the rock-along special feature, and probably learn a few new dance moves. (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Camp Rock: Following the success of the High School Musical franchise, the music gets serious in the Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock. Mitchie Torres (Demi Lovato) gets the chance of a lifetime when she is sent to the prestigious musical camp, Camp Rock. Rock along as Mitchie discovers how competitive the campers at Camp Rock truly are while working hard to perfect her musical talents. With help from instructors like Shane Gray (Joe Jonas)who has returned to camp to find himself as well as some new inspiration, Mitchie will confront her fears while learning to step into the spotlight.

Camp Rock 2: Mitchie can’t wait to return to Camp Rock so that she and nice guy rock star Shane can spend the summer making music and having fun with their friends and band mates. But Shane finds himself too busy teaching classes and helping Uncle Brown run the camp to have much fun. Mitchie meets a handsome and talented musician (Luke) from the slick new camp across the lake, and he has all the time in the world for her. All Mitchie’s loyalties are tested and she eventually has to choose between Shane and Luke at a dramatic battle of the bands between the rival camps.