Camp Rock: It's not Shakespeare but it doesn't have to be.

Being the parent of a six year old who is a fan of A. music in general B. Disney channel C. The Jonas Brothers it was completely inevitable that I would be sitting down and watching the film <b>Camp Rock</b>. The biggest question for me is if its going to be a film I can tolerate watching the hundreds of times I will watch it in the next year or so. Okay I might be exaggerating a touch but if you have a kid then you know how it is when they latch onto a movie. You'll be seeing a lot of it.

Mitchie Torres is your everyday girl with dreams of being a star. She is dying to go to <b>Camp Rock</b>, the utopia for wannabe showbiz whizzes who want to know the business, learn how to dance and perform. This doesn't seem possible as her family doesn't have the kind of money it takes to get into this ritzy place. But when Mitchie's mom gets a job there for the summer as a cook, she gets the chance of a lifetime.

Once there she meets quite a few different characters. This includes the talented and wry Katelyn (the impressive Alyson Stoner) who is great on the keyboards and in the studio, pop star taking time from a busy schedule to be a camp counselor Shane Gray (Joe Jonas). She also befriends the stereotypical diva (think Sharpay with considerably less flare) who is ruthless and determined to be in the limelight. Her two cronies Peggy and Ella are played respectively by Jasmine Richards (one of the best singers in the movie to be honest) and Anna Marie Perez de Tegle.

Drama ensues when she lies and pretends to be someone she is not in order to get in with the popular girls. Much like Ronald Miller in the eighties flick <b>Can't Buy Me Love</b> she finds these get harder and harder to manage. She also begins to discover there is a huge price to pay for cowtowing to a snobby egomaniac. Despite the fact her voice is considerably better she's put on back-up singer duty, made to wear silly costumes and basically loses all musical dignity She finds romance with Shane West, who enjoys her unpretentious, real demeanor and even in this manufactured, glossy environment our two leads actually have some genuine chemistry. Their romance is G-rated and I find this to be a plus. Sometimes I think Troy and Gabriella in high school music might have a little too much chemistry (especially in the second one).

The fact is the plot isn't really anything special. Girl goes on adventure, girl searches for self, girl falls in love, love falls in peril, happily ever after; that's everything in a nutshell (trust me there are no spoilers going on here). The plot is probably its weakest spot but its one that doesn't seem to matter to much to the target audience. I doubt it will matter much to you either.

The music is definitely the best part of the film and even though these numbers aren't nearly as polished as High School Musical I think there are some better overall vocals in the more acoustic moments of the film. The fact is Joe Jonas has a great voice and I have a feeling he will get better and better. Sure he might have the bushiest eyebrows in a feature film since Peter Gallagher in <b>While You Were Sleeping</b> but he seems to overcome this. All the kids in this film have some talent while there are definitely standouts. I'll save the breakdown for the soundtrack review that I'm sure to write in the not too distant future.

The fact is this movie is not as strong as the High School Musical franchise but its certainly likable enough for repeated viewings. Being as I have a passion for music I enjoy the whole little genre Disney's got going on right now. It will be interesting to see what they come up with next. While its not going to go down as an instrumental movie musical like Grease or West Side Story, it will be a film that my daughter will probably remember fondly for many years to come. If you have a daughter you might as well buy it. It's wholesome, entertaining and completely harmless.