Camp Nowhere (PG, 1994)

I had a hard time figuring out who this movie was aimed at.....in the end, the best I could figure was that it was a post-Back To The Future vehicle for Christopher Lloyd. It is definitely innappropriate for younger kids -- foul language, some sexual references and poor role models. The general plot is that kids create their own summer camp rather than be forced into the choices their parents made for them. They hire a quirky, eccentric, unemployed former drama teacher (Christoper Lloyd) to con their parents into allowing them to go. As usual, the parents are all clueless dolts who are barely aware of their children's names much less the fact that they are running away for the Summer. The movie will go over the heads of younger kids but seems like it would be too boring for older teens. The main characters are supposed to be in "junior high" but there are clearly campers who are elementary aged. Despite this, there are several examples of romantic relationships between the kids, including a french kiss between two of the young kids at the finale of the film. There is also an adult romantic relationship that is central to the plot....something I think most kids would be bored by. The film also has many pop culture references that will befuddle the youth of today: Hippie Culture, Jimmy Hendrix, Baywatch, Beavis and Butthead and Beverly Hills 90210 to name a few. There is some foul language throughout and some sexual inferences between the kids including a locker full of adult magazines, making out, kissing and a kid left in the lake without a swimsuit. There are some "Home Alone" type antics in the final third of the film that are mildly entertaining, but it's not enough to redeem this movie.