Camp Nowhere Blu-ray Review
Score: 33
from 1 reviewers
Review Date:
Camp Nowhere is a halfway entertaining kid-centric flick with mediocre technical presentations, but Christopher Lloyd's performance is a standout.
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Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 43
Mill Creek's Blu-ray of Camp Nowhere offers a generally satisfactory 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer with decent detailing and colors, albeit with occasional smooth faces and a fluctuating color palette. Despite issues like black crush and spot noise, the transfer provides an adequate HD viewing experience for its price point.
Audio: 38
Camp Nowhere's DTS-HD MA 2.0 lossless soundtrack delivers clear dialogue but lacks surround elements, spatial range, and dynamic depth, resulting in a flat auditory experience that doesn't fully leverage outdoor environments or the film's energetic atmosphere.
Extra: 0
The Blu-ray release of Camp Nowhere disappointingly lacks any supplemental features.
Movie: 38
Camp Nowhere, with its decent premise and predictable, formulaic execution, struggles with lackluster acting and uninspired direction, resulting in a movie that delivers basic childhood fantasies without much originality or humor.
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Video: 43
Mill Creek’s Blu-ray presentation of "Camp Nowhere" features a 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer that provides a largely watchable yet somewhat uninspiring HD viewing experience. The transfer demonstrates decent detailing and adequate clarity, though it falls short in delivering a naturally textured image, especially evident in facial close-ups. Opening titles appear wobbly, but subsequently, the visuals improve. Close inspection reveals the transfer captures good, perceptible details on elements like clothing and camp structures. However, the color palette is inconsistent – vibrant in well-lit outdoor scenes with starkly vibrant 90's sweaters and lush greenery, yet dull and washed out in other areas.
The black levels are problematic, particularly during night scenes where black crush is noticeable. While flesh tones are balanced and appear natural, light grain is present throughout. Occasionally, minor print spots and intermittent noise surface but without any significant banding or blocking. This results in an overall picture quality that doesn't quite hit the standard of pristine transfers but remains satisfactory for an aging catalog title. Considering its budget-friendly price point, the visual quality, despite its shortcomings, is relatively acceptable for fans and casual viewers alike.
Audio: 38
The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack of "Camp Nowhere" delivers adequate clarity in its elements but lacks the finesse that enthusiasts might expect from a modern Blu-ray audio presentation. The track is heavily centralized, offering minimal expansion beyond the center channel. Dialogue is crisp and clear, which serves as the primary focus, yet the accompanying music and sound effects feel notably constrained due to their narrow placement. While occasional bursts of energy are perceptible, the absence of a surround component and limited utilization of the front sides significantly detract from a wholly immersive experience.
Ambiance is notably scarce throughout the mix, which is unfortunate given the film's outdoor settings and lively atmosphere. The music track shows some promise with a decent bottom end, adding a bit of heft; however, the overall lack of spatial range diminishes its potential impact. This constraint is especially noticeable during key sound effects like the fighter jets that sporadically appear to pass over the camp. Although these moments are loud, they are dynamically subdued and fail to sweep across the audio stage effectively. While "Camp Nowhere" doesn't necessitate a high-end audio experience, a more spacious and dynamic mix would have significantly enhanced its presentation.
Extra:
This Blu-ray release of "Camp Nowhere" regrettably lacks any substantial supplemental content, which detracts from the overall value for fans and collectors seeking in-depth insights or additional entertainment.
Extras included in this disc:
None.
Movie: 38
Camp Nowhere, while based on a promising concept, falls victim to formulaic execution and predictable plot developments, resulting in a somewhat stale viewing experience. The movie stages the typical childhood fantasy of a summer without rules and parents, concocting scenarios where children evade their parents' summer camp plans through sheer imagination and chicanery. Although the youthful rebellion resonates with the target juvenile audience, the film adheres too rigidly to a paint-by-numbers storyline devoid of genuine surprises. The transformation of the camp from a chaotic playground to a more organized setup is competent but lacks vibrancy, culminating in learning basic life lessons. Unfortunately, the overall narrative offers minimal innovation, translating into a basic, albeit well-meaning, cinematic endeavor.
The acting in Camp Nowhere ranges from average to forced. Christopher Lloyd delivers a dependably steady performance, anchoring the film with his likable charm and serving as a stabilizing force amid the unfolding juvenile antics. However, the child actors exhibit uneven performances that feel particularly strained in the early parts of the film, though they find some rhythm by its conclusion. Direction-wise, the movie captures the essence of an unruly summer escapade but fails to inject much-needed flair into its fairly bland script. The humor is notably inconsistent and lacks the punch required for memorable comedic sequences. The inclusion of extraneous plot elements, such as the pursuit to regain money for Dennis' yellow Gremlin, only serves to further detract from an already tepid storyline. Thus, Camp Nowhere struggles to distinguish itself from other kid-centric camp comedies, such as Ernest Goes to Camp, and ultimately lands as a lackluster effort in delivering engaging family entertainment.
Total: 33
Camp Nowhere delights with a unique premise centered around children finding freedom in a parent-free camp. The storyline, although predictable, captures the imagination with its blend of childhood fantasies and real-world consequences. Christopher Lloyd stands out as the charismatic adult influence, adding depth and charm to an otherwise flat character ensemble. The film oscillates between hit-and-miss humor and maintains an uneven rhythm that may not fully satisfy adult viewers but engages younger audiences who relate closely to the onscreen antics.
Technically, Mill Creek's Blu-ray release does not excel. The picture quality is decent but certainly not groundbreaking, with some scenes displaying noticeable grain and lackluster colors. The audio presentation is serviceable, delivering clear dialogue but falling short during the more action-packed sequences. The absence of any additional content or extras is a significant disappointment for collectors looking for behind-the-scenes insights or commentary tracks.
In conclusion, Camp Nowhere offers a slice of nostalgic summer fun, appealing mainly to a younger demographic or those looking to revisit a childhood favorite. While the Blu-ray release is underwhelming from a technical standpoint, the film’s inherent charm and Christopher Lloyd's enjoyable performance make it a worthwhile addition for genre fans, especially considering its modest price point. Ultimately, it's a light-hearted diversion perfect for family movie night rather than a must-have collectible.
Blu-ray.com review by Martin LiebmanRead review here
Video: 50
The hideous multicolored 90's sweaters, bright green vegetation, Christopher Lloyd's yellow and red cheese salesman getup, and other blindingly bright shades, as garish as they may be, give the image a...
Audio: 40
Music enjoys a decent bottom end to give it a little heft, but the lack of space and range limits its effectiveness....
Extras: 0
...
Movie: 40
The movie sadly lacks much in terms of true laugh-out-loud humor; combine that with bland characters and some plot elements that, well, go nowhere in terms of advancing the story (think the rather superfluous...
Total: 30
Camp Nowhere does a decent job of intermixing childhood fantasy and real-world reality; it could have been done better, but as it is the movie is at least a watchable little flick that should please the...
Director: Jonathan Prince
Actors: Jonathan Jackson, Christopher Lloyd, John Putch
PlotMorris "Mud" Himmel and his friends are faced with the dreaded prospect of being sent to various summer camps that their parents have chosen for them, none of which are appealing. In a bid to avoid this fate, they come up with an elaborate plan to create a fake summer camp where they can enjoy total freedom. With the help of Dennis Van Welker, a former drama teacher and aspiring con man, they use their savings to rent a deserted hippie campground. Each of the kids convinces their parents that it's a legitimate, specialized camp, catering to different interests like fat camp or military camp, and they temporarily escape their parents' control.
As the kids settle into their self-made paradise, they experience the joy of independence, creativity, and friendship, transforming the rundown camp into a lively haven. They set their own rules, engage in wild activities, and bond over their shared secret. However, maintaining the illusion to their parents proves increasingly challenging. Dennis's erratic and unpredictable behavior, coupled with a series of close calls, threatens to expose their ruse. As the summer progresses, they learn valuable lessons about responsibility, teamwork, and the importance of honesty.
Writers: Andrew Kurtzman, Eliot Wald
Release Date: 26 Aug 1994
Runtime: 96 min
Rating: PG
Country: United States
Language: English