Camp Rock

''Camp Rock'' is a 2008 American musical television film directed by Matthew Diamond from a screenplay by Karin Gist, Regina Hicks, Julie Brown, and Paul Brown. The 73rd Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), the film stars Demi Lovato, Joe Jonas, Meaghan Martin, Maria Canals-Barrera, Daniel Fathers, and Alyson Stoner. In the film, aspiring teenage singer Mitchie Torres (Lovato) visits Camp Rock, a summer music camp.

The film premiered on Disney Channel on June 20, 2008. ''Camp Rock'' was the second DCOM to air on ABC's ''The Wonderful World of Disney'' after its premiere on Disney Channel and was placed on the iTunes Store for digital purchase shortly after its premiere. The film was watched by 8.9 million viewers on the night of its premiere and is currently the third highest viewed DCOM of all time, behind ''High School Musical 2'' and '' Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie''. A sequel, '' Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam'', premiered on September 3, 2010.

Plot

Mitchie Torres is a young musician aspiring to be a singer. She wants to go to a summer music camp named "Camp Rock". Since her family cannot afford the tuition, Mitchie's mother, Connie Torres, arranges to cater food for the camp, thus allowing Mitchie to attend. In return, Mitchie must help her mother in the kitchen. Shortly after arriving at camp, Mitchie meets a girl named Caitlyn.

Meanwhile, Shane Gray, the spoiled and arrogant lead singer of the popular music trio Connect 3, is assigned to be in charge of dance classes at Camp Rock by his bandmates Nate Gray and Jason Gray and is forced to record a song with the winner of Final Jam. Shane overhears Mitchie singing and falls in love with her voice, but Mitchie leaves before Shane can figure out it was her, causing him to obsess over finding the mysterious singer.

During Opening Jam, Mitchie learns that many of the campers have notable roots and is embarrassed that she was only able to come to the camp because of her mother's catering service. She lies to Tess Tyler, a girl known for her famous mother and her popularity, and her friends, Peggy and Ella, that her mother is the president of Hot Tunes TV China. Tess, impressed, invites Mitchie to bunk with her group.

One day, during lunch in the cafeteria, Tess and Caitlyn begin to throw spaghetti at each other and Mitchie gets in the middle of the fight. Brown, the owner of the camp, breaks up the fight, and Tess frames Caitlyn for the incident. Brown punishes Caitlyn by making her work in the kitchen and Mitchie, who is worried that Caitlyn will learn about her secret, does not defend her.

Meanwhile, Shane writes a new song, which he shares with Mitchie. Mitchie likes the song, and Shane, doubtful that his record label and his fans would accept the song, begins to fall for her. Later, Caitlyn arrives in the kitchen while Mitchie is working and learns about Mitchie's secret. Caitlyn calls Mitchie's keeping her identity as the cook's daughter a secret immature, and Mitchie in turn insults Caitlyn's attitude. However, the two girls reconcile after Mitchie stands up to Tess when Tess attempts to upstage Caitlyn at Pajama Jam.

Shane spreads the word that he is searching for a girl with "the voice". When Tess sees Mitchie and Shane rowing together, she becomes jealous and, after finding out about Mitchie's secret, forces her to tell the entire camp the truth. Shane, believing that Mitchie deceived him to get close to him just because he is famous, ditches her. Tess kicks Mitchie, who is now a laughingstock throughout the camp, out of her group. Tess later learns that Mitchie is the girl Shane had been looking for. In order to get rid of Mitchie, on the eve of Final Jam, Tess frames Mitchie and Caitlyn for stealing her charm bracelet. When the girls cannot prove their innocence, Brown bans them from all camp activities until the end of Final Jam.

At Final Jam, Brown announces that the winner, as decided by the judges, Connect 3, will not only win a trophy, but get to record with Shane. Peggy and Ella lose their patience with Tess, stand their ground and leave her group. Ella performs "Hasta La Vista" with Barron and Sander. Tess realizes that her mom is watching and starts to perform "2 Stars". Unfortunately, when her mom has to take a call during her performance, she stumbles in front of the audience and retreats backstage in tears. Peggy reveals her real name is Margaret Dupree and performs "Here I Am". Tess apologizes to Peggy and Ella. As Brown announces the end of Final Jam, the spotlights turn on, and he allows Mitchie to perform, saying he was hoping she and Caitlyn would catch on: as their performance was not in the lineup and was technically after "the end of Final Jam". Mitchie begins to sing " This Is Me". Shane realizes that she was the voice from before, and he soon joins in. Backstage, Tess tells Mitchie and Caitlyn she told Brown that they didn't steal her bracelet, and Mitchie and Shane reconcile. Peggy is announced as the winner of Final Jam. After she's crowned winner, the entire camp sing " We Rock".

In an extended ending of the film, a few months later, Caitlyn shows Mitchie, Tess, Peggy, and Ella the recording studio that she built in her garage, and they perform "Our Time Is Here".

Cast

* Demi Lovato as Mitchie Torres, a young girl aspiring to be a singer.
* Joe Jonas as Shane Gray, the spoiled and arrogant lead singer of the popular music trio Connect 3.
* Meaghan Martin as Tess Tyler, a shallow and self-centered girl known as the "diva of Camp Rock".
* Alyson Stoner as Caitlyn Gellar, a Camp Rock attendee whom Mitchie befriends.
* Maria Canals-Barrera as Connie Torres, Mitchie's mother and Camp Rock's new cook.
* Daniel Fathers as Brown Cessario, Camp Rock's camp director.
* Julie Brown as Dee La Duke, Camp Rock's musical director.
* Anna Maria Perez de Tagle as Ella Pador, a Camp Rock attendee and Tess's friend.
* Jasmine Richards as Margaret "Peggy" Dupree, a Camp Rock attendee and Tess's friend.
**Renee Sands as Peggy's singing voice.
* Jordan Francis as Barron James, a Camp Rock attendee and rapper.
* Roshon Fegan as Sander Loyer, a Camp Rock attendee and rapper.
* Nick Jonas as Nate Gray, a member of the popular music trio Connect 3.
* Kevin Jonas as Jason Gray, a member of the popular music trio Connect 3.
* Aaryn Doyle as Lola Scott, a Camp Rock attendee and singer.
* Giovanni Spina as Andy, a Camp Rock attendee and drummer.
* Edward Jaunz as Steve Torres, Mitchie's father.
* Jennifer Ricci as T.J. Tyler, Tess's mother and a famous singer.

Production

''Camp Rock'' was filmed between September and October 2007 at YMCA Camp Wanakita in Haliburton, Ontario, and Kilcoo Camp in Minden, Ontario.

Soundtrack

The ''Camp Rock'' soundtrack features lead vocals from Demi Lovato, Jonas Brothers, Roshon Fegan, Renee Sandstrom, Meaghan Martin, Jordan Francis and Aaryn Doyle. It was released on June 17, 2008, by Walt Disney Records. Full songs of the album were made available on Camp Rock's official web site for one week beginning June 10, and the full soundtrack premiered on Radio Disney on June 14, during Planet Premiere: Camp Rock. The soundtrack was released in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2008.

The album reached top ten in six countries, among which peaked at number 3 for four weeks on the US ''Billboard'' 200 album charts, selling over 188,000 units in its first week. It also topped the Soundtrack chart in the country. The album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) after selling over a million copies in the United States. In Brazil, Mexico and Spain, the album was also certified platinum by the PMB, AMPROFON and PROMUSICAE respectively.

Release and marketing

Home media

The DVD and Blu-ray of the film, titled ''Camp Rock: Extended Rock Star Edition'', was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on August 19, 2008. It was released in November in other countries, and on December 1, 2008, in the United Kingdom, only on DVD. Both the DVD and Blu-ray release contains an extended ending, the music videos, sing-along and karaoke functions, a gallery and more bonus features.

Merchandise

Merchandise of the film is sold at Target, Claire's, and Limited Too. They include clothing (such as pajamas, T-shirts, and underwear), bags (tote bags, backpacks, etc.), bedding collection, toys, and dolls of the characters. Play Along Toys, so far, has only released dolls of Mitchie and Shane. On May 13, 2008, Disney published ''Camp Rock: The Junior Novel'', by Lucy Ruggles, the novelization of the film. Target retail stores sell "special editions" of the novel, hardcover books that include photos.

Reception

Ratings

''Camp Rock'' premiered on Disney Channel in the United States on June 20, 2008, with 8.9 million viewers, being the second most viewed Disney Channel Original Movie at the time, only behind ''High School Musical 2'' (2007). Its June 21 showing on ABC had 3.47 million viewers, and its June 22 showing on ABC Family had 3.73 million viewers, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The DVD topped the national home video sales chart for the week ending August 24. The movie's premiere in Canada became Family Channel's second-most-watched movie ever, also behind ''High School Musical'', with 848,000 viewers. Its Disney Channel Italy premiere received 1.14 million viewers in September 2008. According to '' Billboard'' the film attracted an audience of 146 million viewers in 160 nations and 30 languages.

Critical response

The film received moderate reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 48% based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 4.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Camp Rock wants to be the next ''High School Musical'', but its forgettable songs and dull premise hold it back". Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 64 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Brian Lowry of ''Variety'' stated that "it's difficult not to grudgingly admire the marketing savvy with which ''Camp Rock'' was assembled". ''New York Post'' critic Austin Smith called it a "really great movie, like a modern-day version of an old Judy Garland- Mickey Rooney picture" in which the kids "put on a show that improves the lives of all who see it". Barry Garron of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' admired Matthew Diamond's "solid enough" direction and Demi Lovato's performance. He also said that with ''Camp Rock'', "Disney plucks another fresh face off its deep bench of young talent." Robert Lloyd of ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that the film "isn’t particularly good, but it’s good at what it does", and called it "inauthentic". ''USA Today''s Robert Blanco called the film "simultaneously overdone and underproduced" and said that "it jerks its way from point to point without bothering to explain the characters' behavior or inject any life into its musical numbers". ''Entertainment Weeklys Gillian Flynn said "the strange and objectionable thing about the film's morality tale is that no one makes an outright decision to be brave or better", and called it "so rigidly formulated and unremarkable" that by the time the cast sings its finale, '' We Rock'', "it's hard to agree".

Following the critics' line of comparison to ''High School Musical'', Jennifer Frey of ''The Washington Post'' said that Camp Rock's music is "in the same easy-to-memorize, dance-inspiring mode" as that of the previous franchise, "but not as catchy". '' Daily News''s David Hinckley agreed, saying that "the songs don't feel as fresh" and "the film is specifically designed to ride on the success of the previous one", but he praised its formula that "goes back to the animated Disney classics of decades past", and called it "catchy and fun, a rock-steady Disney hit". Hinckley also praised the talent and performance of leads Joe Jonas and Lovato.

In 2016, ''Billboard'''s Maria Sherman named ''Camp Rock'' Lovato's best film to date, describing it as "something of a coming of age tale, one not only about believing in yourself, but accepting yourself". ''USA Today'' added ''Camp Rock'' to the top ten best summer camp movies of all time. Rebecca Alter of ''Vulture'' ranked the film as one of the best Disney Channel Original Movies of all time.

Sequel and spin-off

''Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam''

After the great reception to the official premiere of "Camp Rock", being the second most viewed Disney Channel Original Movie at the time, Disney confirmed a sequel to be produced in late spring 2009. Lovato, the Jonas Brothers, Martin, Canals-Barrera, Fathers, and Stoner reprised their main roles. Daniel Kash, Matthew "Mdot" Finley, and Chloe Bridges joined the cast in the new film. Finally, '' Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam'' premiered on the Disney Channel on September 3, 2010, reaching a total of 7.9 million viewers on its first broadcast, the most for a movie on cable television in the year. The film was directed by Paul Hoen and written Dan Berendsen, Karin Gist and Regina Hicks. It was shot in Toronto, Ontario, from September 3, 2009, to October 16, 2009, filming the scenes at the French River, Kilcoo Camp, The Kingbridge Centre, and Earl Bales Park. It was the last sequel of a Disney Channel Original Movie, until '' Teen Beach 2'', in 2015.

''My Camp Rock''

''My Camp Rock'', a singing competition based on ''Camp Rock'', aired between 2009 and 2010. It had five international editions: a Scandinavian, Spanish, Benelux, French and British version, the original. It invited viewers to log online and make a video of themselves singing " This Is Me" and " We Rock" as a group, a duet or a solo. The competition was open to children aged 8 to 16. The best 8 entries were picked to participate in the TV show, and to attend a 4-day intensive Camp Rock-style singing and dancing workshop. They had the opportunity to demonstrate their musical talent to the panel of judges through a range of music and physical activities. In the Final Jam, the viewer vote decided the winner. The prize for the winner was to have their version of a song from the film professionally recorded and released along with a music video. The winner of the first British edition was Holly Hull, 14, from Camberley, Surrey.

References

External links

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{{Matthew Diamond

2008 television films
2008 films
American teen comedy films
American teen musical films
American musical comedy films
Musical television films
Films shot in Ontario
Rock musicals
Films directed by Matthew Diamond
Disney Channel Original Movie films
2000s teen comedy films
2000s musical comedy films
2000s English-language films
Films scored by David Kitay
Films with screenplays by Julie Brown
2000s American films