Unfortunately, this film portrays school as lame. In the beginning, there’s a classroom scene where the teacher drones on in a monotone mumble. The kids are falling asleep during class and discussing the hot new teeny tiny bikini one of the girls just bought for summer camp. The teacher is portrayed as 3/4 oblivious. When the teacher does catch a boy trying on the bikini, the children are saved by the bell and fail to receive consequences for misbehaving during class. Throughout the movie, adults are portrayed as manipulative, bitter, selfish, and untrustworthy. Without a strong adult figure in the picture, the children act as if they themselves are adults. They take a boat out onto the lake at night without life vests, they have no curfew, and they come and go as they please. One of them almost leaves camp to go home early just because she feels like it and never notifies her parents or camp councilor- she just walk down to the bus stop by herself at dusk. The entire film encourages the theme that children are adults, that they don’t need advice or parenting, and that they shouldn’t have to listen to what adults think or say. It isn’t okay for young girls to walk to bus stops alone at dusk and it isn’t okay for children’s movies to discourage children from trusting and confiding in parents and teachers. The film is far too focused on compliments and competition and the Bratz are easily swayed by peoples opinions of them. The children are completely star struck and care more about fame and celebrity status than their art, the work involved in achieving their goals, or the talents of the people around them. The whole goal of their summer camp adventure is to show off and become the star of a famous director’s film. They say lines like “Competing? I thought we were just supposed to show off” and “Bring on the camera, I’m totally ready for my close up.” In the end, they get exactly what they wanted, and parade down the red carpet in stilettos and evening downs slit up to the middle of their thighs. The film also encourages mean pranks without consideration of consequences or other peoples feelings. When they girls don’t have fun on their first day of camp they turn on the girl who picked the camp out for them and they toss her in the lake against her will. She’s obviously mad at them after being forcefully thrown in the lake, so they throw a snake into their friend Dylan’s bed while he's sleeping and this inconsiderate act of mischief bonds them back together. Dylan, is overly sexual. He jokes that he only wants to be a director so that he can check out hot actresses, and when ballet teacher won’t let the prima ballerina eat cake- he offers to be her dessert. He is dazed and starry-eyed over the ballerina and romances her throughout the film. The happy ending, where everyone becomes friends again and learns a lesson about the importance of working together, doesn’t negate the negative messaging woven throughout the entire film. I give this one a solid two thumbs down.