Still avoiding the lines to see High School Musical 3: Senior Year in theaters? Help pass the time by popping in the "Extended Rock Star Edition" of Camp Rock, a Disney Channel Original Movie. Sure, your kids have already seen it, but you probably haven't. A Fame for today's tweeners, Camp Rock teaches kids that it's fine to dream big, as long as they remain true to themselves. It's not a very original message, but it's delivered via catchy and entertaining musical performances and an engrossing storyline about Mitchie (Demi Lovato), an aspiring young singer-songwriter who attends a famous summer camp for would-be stars but moonlights in the kitchen to earn her keep. The Jonas Brothers also star as siblings in a famous make-believe band called Connect 3. Joe plays celebrity camper Shane Gray, who struggles to break free of record-label constraints, while Nick and Kevin provide comic relief in minor roles.
This edition of the DVD also includes a cheesy extended ending and several behind-the-scenes features. Camp Rock should have been called Camp Pop - and lines such as "Totally blingalicious!" will make you cringe - but you and your kids could be watching far worse things.
