Musicals On TV - Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam

Disney, 2010
Starring Demi Lovato, The Jonas Brothers (Joe, Nick, and Kevin), and Alyson Stoner
Directed by Paul Hoen
Music and Lyrics by various

Our "Final Jam" for the summer season is this Disney Channel sequel to their huge 2008 hit. Does the tale of warring camps hit the same high notes as the original, or do we encounter more than a few sour tunes? Let's once again start with Mitchie Torres (Lovato) and her mother heading to Camp Rock and find out...

The Story: Mitchie is excited to see all her friends at camp again, especially her boyfriend Shane (Joe Jonas) and his brothers Nate (Nick Jonas) and Jason (Kevin Jonas). Her excitement dims when the camp's owner Brown Ceasario (Daniel Fathers) reveals that ritzy Camp Star opened across the lake. It's operated by his old band mate Axel Turner (Daniel Kash), whom he fired for being too competitive. Turner holds what he calls a bonfire the first night of camp, claiming he wants to let bygones be bygones. What he's really doing is using the dynamic performances of his campers to lure kids from Camp Rock.

Tess is among the few campers who defect, but they lose almost all of their counselors. Mitchie convinces the Gray brothers and her friends to take over as counselors. She also takes the kids across the lake to challenge Camp Star to a showdown. Axel hears this and insists on broadcasting it on national television. Mitchie is determined to win and pushes the Camp Rock kids to be bigger and better than Camp Star, alienating her friends and Shane in the process. Shane and the junior campers are the ones who eventually remind her that it doesn't matter how flashy a camp is, it means nothing if it's not about having fun.

The Song and Dance: At the very least, the story is slightly stronger this time around. It's not just about Mitchie trying to fit in. As she points out, the future of the camp is at stake. The kids are just as talented and energetic, putting their huge numbers over with gusto. Kevin Jonas has some mildly amusing moments with the youngest campers as he tries to gain their trust, and ends up being the butt of their pranks for most of the summer.

Favorite Number: Mitchie kicks things off with the Camp Rock campers as they sing about it being a "Brand New Day" at the first Jam of the summer. "Fire" is the big, flashy dance routine that introduces the kids of Camp Star and their more "professional" style. Nate adorably tells his crush Dana (Chloe Bridges) what he's like - before her father Axel realizes he's there - in "Introducing Me." The Camp Rock kids come together at the Camp Wars jam with images from their summer in the background to remind everyone "What We Came Here For."

What I Don't Like: Other than the so-dorky-it's-endearing "Introducing Me," the side plot with Nate falling for Dana is your basic Romeo and Juliet cliche, and Dana is frankly a bit of a nonentity. The drama with Mitchie pushing the kids too hard mid-way through seems manufactured and there just to pad out the film. While we do see more of the Jonas siblings, we see far less of Mitchie's buddies from the first film, making things feel more than a little uneven.

The Big Finale: I enjoyed this one slightly more than the previous film, but I still only recommend it for those who remember watching it on the Disney Channel, major fans of the stars, or the appropriate 8 to 14-year-old target audience.

Home Media: Same deal; easily found in all major formats.

DVD
Blu-Ray
Disney Plus