The Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato are back to lead "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam," a new film packed with songs, a love story and a rivalry with another camp.
The many twists and plot lines in the film, which airs Friday night at 8, make up for a shortage of the real heartstring-pulling moments that made the original "Camp Rock" a sweetheart of a film.
The setting is again Camp Rock, a summer sleep-away for budding rock stars. A lot has changed since we last met the heroine, Mitchie Torres, played by the delightful Demi Lovato.
Lovato shone in the first film as the shy, clumsy girl with a powerful voice, and she returns to camp more confident than before.
When viewers last saw Mitchie, she and troubled rocker Shane Gray (Joe Jonas) were singing eye to eye. In a Disney film that's about as close as they can get to actual romance.
This summer, Shane and his two musical brothers (played by Kevin and Nick Jonas) stop by Camp Rock during a break in their concert tour. It seems that Shane wants to get to know Mitchie better.
She, however, is soooo consumed with planning a sing-along showdown with their rival, Camp Star, that she doesn't have time for Shane.
Wow, where did the magic go? It's like they're married.
"Camp Rock 2" is a better ride for Jonas fans. In the first film, Nick and Kevin, arguably the more talented brothers, were shoehorned in. Here, they're full-fledged cast members, with lots of good lines, cute inside jokes and performance time.
Even Frankie Jonas, known as the "Bonus Jonas," is here.
Nick, not Joe, has the love story in "Camp Rock 2" when he falls for a girl in the rival camp. But this couple's relationship never nears the intensity of Mitchie-Shane in the first film.
"Camp Rock 2" is as squeaky clean as you'd expect a Disney film to be, and that's okay. It's a formula that works well with the target audience, who will hang on every moment and hum along with every song.
But what is surprising is the lack of a real heart.
Sure, there are moments when viewers will root for the Camp Rock crew - like when they face the other camp in a televised competition (a nod to "American Idol"). But there's very little of that will-they-get-together stuff that had viewers rooting for the characters and made the first "Camp Rock" an uplifting emotional ride.
"Camp Rock 2," instead, puts all the focus on the group, rather than its main puppy-love tale.
That one story challenge aside, "Camp Rock 2" will be a hit with the Disney crowd. There's no doubt the soundtrack, featuring songs written by the likes of Kara DioGuardi, will be a big seller, too.
There's very little a viewer won't see coming, although there is one twist that signals that losers can be winners, too.
And surely with "Camp Rock 2," Disney has another winner.
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