We (still) rock? Yes, it may be a jaw-dropping sixteen years since we last visited in 2010’s Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, but this three-quel makes a solid case for reopening the comforting musical franchise for a whole new generation. In the years since, original stars Demi Lovato and Jonas Brothers trio Nick, Joe, and Kevin have separately graduated off to massive musical success. They all return as producers on the project, helping to foster this fresh era of Camp Rock. Some aspects haven’t even changed much at all. There are still impossibly talented teenagers breaking into elaborately-choreographed musical numbers, friendships formed over the course of a single summer, cheesy dialogue, and enough Disney Channel optimism to power an entire tour bus. Though it never quite reaches the heights of the original duology, Camp Rock 3 is surprisingly successful at capturing the franchise’s spirit, and left me smiling from ear to ear as a longtime Jonas Brothers fan.
This time around, Sage (Liamani) arrives at Camp Rock worshipping the ground beneath her feet. To her, the camp is basically a historical landmark. Her brother Desi (Hudson Stone) isn’t nearly as enthusiastic, especially since Sage previously left their band behind to take her music more seriously. While the siblings attempt to repair their fractured relationship, Sage finds herself surrounded by a colorful crop of campers, including reserved cellist Rosie (Lumi Pollack), weird and quirky Cliff (Casey Trotter) and singer-songwriter bad boy Fletch (Malachi Barton). Fletch’s instant chemistry with Sage makes it pretty obvious where things are headed, doing much of the heavy lifting with just a smoulder or a smile.
Meanwhile, Connect 3 are dealing with problems of their own. Shane (Joe Jonas), Nate (Nick Jonas), and Jason (Kevin Jonas) are preparing for their Reconnected Tour, but their opening act has fallen apart. The brothers themselves are in desperate need of living up to their tour’s name, and seem more at odds than ever before. My biggest gripe about Connect 3 in this film is that they feel more like Joe, Nick, and Kevin than Shane, Nate, and Jason as natural evolutions from Final Jam. The writing uses real-world developments with the brothers, albeit swiped Disney-clean with simplicity. With Nate having ventured into movies and Jason now a father, the group has become increasingly disconnected. It also seems that Shane and Mitchie are no longer a couple. Camp Rock presents the perfect opportunity to find a replacement opening act while reminding the brothers why they loved performing together in the first place.
Camp Rock 3 turns the summer into a gigantic audition for the entire camp to participate. Challenges involving singing, dancing, surviving on a cramped tour bus, and eventually the inevitable Final Jam give the movie an easy structure. Musical callbacks come fast and furious, including a fun audition montage built around “Play My Music,” a chaotic arts-and-crafts battle sampling “It’s On,” and a finale fueled by “We Rock.” That last one may be truncated, but it manages to hit right in the nostalgic feels. The giggle-worthy script from Eydie Faye always leaves room for plenty of series trademark silly hijinks and quirky Disney Channel Original Movie humor. Connie Torres (Maria Canals-Barrera) has taken over Camp Rock from cook to owner and director, Shane gets tossed into the lake and immediately worries about his hair, and one Final Jam performance literally ends with an “okurrr.” A cameo from Milo Manheim as superstar Calvin Rhodes is another fun surprise amid the movie’s willingness to embrace its brand of cheesiness. Would it really be Camp Rock without a little cringe comedy?
The strongest material belongs to Sage and Fletch. Malachi Barton gives Fletch an appealing Shawn Mendes type quality, with unexpected vulnerability lurking just beneath the surface. Even when conflict arises, it thankfully resolves without dragging into unnecessary melodrama. Liamani is equally charming as Sage. Her powerful vocals and a naive ambitions make Sage a likeable protagonist for the franchise’s future. Her relationship with Desi also provides sugary-sweet material, particularly their song “Rhythm’s Only Right”. Aptly, the lyrics are about finding themselves back in the same rhythm. We aren’t getting too philosophically deep here, after all.
Demi Lovato’s return as Mitchie will be what every longtime fan prayed for, even if she’s deliberately kept on the sidelines. As Mitchie herself says, this is the new campers’ night. Still, the returning characters should have been given more to do. The Jonas Brothers are fun whenever they’re around, but Camp Rock 3 could have used considerably more Connect 3. The same goes for Mitchie, regardless of whether the decision not to let Demi Lovato dominate a movie designed to launch its new cast makes sense. The original understood the entertainment value of a proper bully diva in Tess, whereas these mean girls barely register, and ultimately go out with a whimper.
Still, Camp Rock 3 gets far more right than expected. Replicating iconic lines, musical cues, and character beats could easily have been hollow fan service. The movie works in maintaining that same relentlessly sincere tone that has made Camp Rock an enduring Disney franchise. Even with less staying power than what came before, Camp Rock 3 will be a delight for those late-aughts obsessives, or their kids who will be watching for the very first time. A glimmer of a sequel setup seems to suggest more excitment to come. Camp Rock: World Tour, anyone?
New campers, take formation: Camp Rock 3 is now marching onto Disney+ worldwide.
