Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		2.0

Daddy Day Camp Blu-ray Movie Review

A Review Montage

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 11, 2008

This is the worst camp ever!

You know you’re in trouble when you pop in a Blu-ray for review and you’re already tired of the movie just from watching the Main Menu Montage (triple-M). In fact, I think I can figure out the entire plot based solely on the triple-M. Cuba Gooding, Jr. will star as a camp counselor, probably father of one or more campers, and it’ll be his job to either keep up the camp or rebuild parts of it so as to be safe and suitable for the children. Hilarity will ensue. Ultimately, something will happen, probably a bad guy that wants to come in and do something to shut down the camp, and Cuba and the kids will band together to save the camp and save the day. We’ll check off where I was right in the review below.

You chose Fred Savage to direct this movie?!?

Charlie Hinton (Cuba Gooding, Jr., Men of Honor) is a family man who finds himself faced with the most dreaded of times in every parent's life: it's time to send his child to day camp. Charlie had bad experiences at camp as a child, and he doesn't want his son to suffer as he did. Fortunately (or unfortunately as it prolongs the plot), Charlie's wife Kim convinces him that just because he had a bad camp experience doesn't mean their son will. Charlie and son head on out to Camp Driftwood (check) and discover it's on the verge of being shut down. The rival camp down the street, Camp Canola, is a fancy and modern camp with 21st century conveniences, not to mention mean people with less-than-friendly attitudes. Camp Canola plans on buying Driftwood and bulldozing it in order to build a race track (check). Hoping to save Driftwood, Charlie buys a share in the camp but discovers the repairs he must make will cost more than he can afford, and the bank shows up with foreclosure papers because the camp is showing “no discernible means of income” (check). Charlie convinces the bank that he can spark interest in the camp, but he needs time to make some repairs to the camp and draft at least thirty kids to attend (check). Many of the scenes that appeared in the triple-M showing Charlie fixing things up begin to resurface in the film. After the children arrive, we are treated to another montage of the three counselor’s getting themselves into trouble as the kids begin to take over the camp. After a disastrous first day, only seven campers remain, hardly enough to avoid foreclosure, and Charlie is forced to take drastic measures, including bringing in his militaristic father and forcing the kids into montage after montage, to turn things around and eventually save the day and defeat Camp Canola at their own game (check).

Speaking of montages, how many can we have in one movie? I have no doubt that Daddy Day Camp sets the world record for the most in one film, and the runtime of this film is under 90 minutes to boot. Is Fred Savage’s middle name “montage?” As I watched the movie, I was continually reminded of the Montage song in Team America: World Police. It seemed there was a montage in between just about every major sequence in the film. One truly wonders just how such scripts get the green light from studios, especially one as clichéd and predictable as this one. This plot is as thin as a sheet of single ply toilet paper. When we aren't privy to yet another montage, the film either revels in bodily function jokes or overly sappy father-son moments that fail to deliver one iota of emotional impact.

I hear a lot of arguments as to why some movies aren’t released on Blu-ray, and one of the most popular is that some films don’t cater to the current high definition crowd. Is that so? I can give my counter argument in three words: Daddy Day Camp. Granted, I am certainly not the target audience for this one. However, kids around the age of those attending the camp are the film's target audience, and I have no doubt at that age I would have eaten this movie up. In fact, I loved Earnest Goes to Camp when I was ten years old, and if I remember correctly, that was the first movie I ever bought on VHS. Luckily, I didn’t spend my hard earned dough on Daddy Day Camp. This is one movie I’ll hold on to for when I have kids of my own, but until then, this one will probably not see the light of day from the dusty innards of my movie shelf.

Daddy Day Camp Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The only spectacular aspect of this Blu-ray release is the stunning image on display. Presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, this 1080p high definition image ranks among the better I've seen. Colors are very rich and bright, literally jumping off the screen with fine fidelity and clarity. Detail is oh-so-high and the image looks very film-like and natural. Check out the "Driftwood" T-Shirts worn by most of the cast near the end of the film. You can almost see the threads on each letter, even on medium distance shots. Flesh tones appear to be spot-on perfect. Right from the opening cookout scene, the quality is evident. The bright blue of the water seen early on is stunningly beautiful. If only all bodies of water looked this gorgeous. I only noted a minimal amount of grain throughout. Believe it or not, Daddy Day Camp is demo-worthy material. This one looks stunning and while the movie might stink, there is just no denying that this ranks among the best of the best Blu-ray images to date.

Daddy Day Camp Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Daddy Day Camp arrives on Blu-ray with a lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. While there isn't a whole lot to mention here, rest assured that every failed joke, flatulence, and montage come to you just as they are on the studio's master recording. The all-too-familiar family film style theme music is in full swing as the movie opens, and it sounds pleasing, filling the room with an orchestrated, melodic bliss. For a comedy, this audio mix is loud and active at times. A scene in chapter eight where four wheelers drive in a circle envelop the viewer as they are seemingly driven around your room, and you might just think that those vehicles are circling your sofa. Dialogue is fine, reproduced with efficiency and clarity. Despite some of the more "exciting" moments in the film, such as the scene mentioned above, this mix is mostly front heavy, but that doesn't hinder the quality one bit. Bass never kicks into overdrive, but several scenes do make you remember that there is a subwoofer connected to your system. Overall, this one is just fine for the source material, and for those who enjoy the film, this should wholly satisfy and help immerse viewers into the world of Camp Driftwood quite nicely.

Daddy Day Camp Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Daddy Day Camp offers viewers a paltry helping of extras. First up is How I Spent My Summer: Making 'Daddy Day Camp' (1080p, 11:55). This feature introduces us to some of the kids in the film. They discuss playing their roles in the film, some of their favorite scenes, and the experience of being in a major motion picture. The feature relies more on clips from the film than interviews with the kids. There is a bit of "making-of" material in here as well. What I Learned at Camp: Interactive Quiz (1080p, 4:15) is a ten question quiz about the making of the film. I scored 7/10. Finally, trailers for Surf's Up and Are We Done Yet? conclude the special features.

Daddy Day Camp Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'm surprised this movie wasn't released straight to video, because the target audience is sure to get some value from it, but all other filmgoers are encouraged to stay far away from this one. Cuba Gooding, Jr. is a very good actor, but he must've been in dire need of a payday to appear in this one. The movie features a recycled and predictable plot, a poor script, and mediocre and boring directing by Fred Savage, who seems to rely on montage after montage to move the story along. I really hate to bash movies, but this particular movie felt completely uninspired and "phoned in" from all parties involved. The strength of this disc lies in its video presentation. It's a stunner, and the Dolby TrueHD track that accompanies it is no slouch, either. Supplements are thin, but the kids probably won't be too interested in them, anyway. I'd recommend Daddy Day Camp if you have children around the ages of those depicted in the movie, but everyone else is advised to stay far, far away.