Movie Review: "Camp Rock 3" is the Rare Threequel That Outshines Its Predecessors

I was skeptical when Disney Kids & Family announced Camp Rock 3. They’ve had success rejuvenating the Descendants and ZOMBIES franchises with a new cast, but the longest gap between installments was just 5 years. In the case of Camp Rock, the sequel is now 16 years old. Would fans of the original even be interested in a new generation of music-makers? Is this DCOM series relevant to today’s youth? It turns out, my fears were meritless. In short, it still rocks.

When Connect 3 (The Jonas Brothers) lose the opening act for their upcoming tour, they decide to use Camp Rock’s current roster to find a replacement. Their manager, Lark (Sherry Cola, Freakier Friday), puts the campers through a series of tests that lead five finalists to the Final Jam, the winner of which gets to join the camp’s most successful musical trio on their tour. 

Vying for the gig are singer/songwriter Sage (Liamani Segura, Descendants: Wicked Wonderland), her rival musician brother Desi (Hollywood Records recording artist Hudson Stone), a cellist learning to find her voice named Rosie (Lumi Pollack, Electric Bloom), an overeager drummer named Cliff (Casey Trotter), and a misunderstood badboy named Fletch (Malachi Barton, ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires). In spite of their differences, the close-knit nature of the competition doesn’t just force them to work together, but also makes them unlikely friends.

While the basic premise is more or less a rehash of the original Camp Rock, the group dynamic sets the film apart. The original was Mitchie (Demi Lovato) vs. Tess (Meaghan Jette Martin), while this film pits Sage, Desi, Rosie, Cliff, and Fletch against each other, forcing them to bond. There is a Tess-equivalent in the cast, a pop starlet named Madison (Ava Jean), backed by her real-life sibling co-stars Ella and Orlando Lucas as her backup singers and dancers, but the film avoids focusing too much on the Mean Girls dynamic that served as the main source of drama in the original. In fact, Madison’s most devious moment isn’t even shown in the film.

Sage is unquestionably the main character in the film, a fact not-so-subtly underscored by her discovery of Mitchie’s song journal, a literal passing-of-the-torch moment. Fresh from capturing hearts as Pink in Wicked Wonderland, Liamani Segura proves that she’s more than capable of carrying a film on her shoulders, stepping out of a supporting role and into the lead. With vocals and acting abilities that remind me of her generation’s Ariana Grande, Camp Rock 3 feels like a promising beginning to a legendary career for the rising star.

Likewise, Fletch is this film’s equivalent of Shane Gray (Joe Jonas), albeit instantly more likable. Disney Channel royalty at this point, Malachi Barton (Stuck in the Middle, Under Wraps, The Villains of Valley View) grows into a romantic lead for Sage. In the same way that Shane was looking for Mitchie’s voice, here it’s a case of writer’s block that gets cleared by Sage’s personality. The love story is still two teens that provide a “missing piece” for the other, but it never feels like a find-and-replace to rehash the same script.

Fans of the original films will find some cameos here and there (yes, executive producer Demi Lovato is in the film), plus several reprises of fan-favorite songs. But the ensemble aspect of the competition gives the third installment a lot more to love. The “missing piece” theme is extended to the entire group of competitors, with a nice theme of everyone being able to provide value when creative forces combine.

Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam were packed with cringy moments, which ended up being part of their lasting appeal, but Camp Rock 3, directed by Veronica Rodriguez and written by Eydie Faye, mostly avoids those missteps. The original songs are also more consistent than in the earlier films, mostly adhering to contemporary pop/rock sounds rather than trying to cram in one from every modern genre. Songs never feel like mere runtime filler, with most of them not only giving character exposition, but also progressing the plot.

Camp Rock 3 mostly follows the formula established by the 2008 original, but it fixes that film's tone and pacing problems and finds new layers that give the story a greater sense of community. It's the rare third film that surpasses the quality of its predecessors, and whether you're a fan of Camp Rock or new to the franchise, it doesn't get better than this. 

I give Camp Rock 3 4 out of 5 rockstars.

Camp Rock 3 premieres Thursday, August 13th, at 8/7c on Disney Channel before streaming Friday, August 14th, on Disney+.