Camp Rock (DVD)

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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.

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