Parents' Guide to Camp Takota

Movie NR 2014 95 minutes
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Common Sense Media Review

Andrea Beach By Andrea Beach , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Uninspired summer camp tale with YouTube personalities.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 13+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 14+

Based on 3 kid reviews

What's the Story?

With Elise's (Grace Helbig) career and love life in ruins, she decides to get away from things for a while by taking a job as a counselor at Camp Takota, where she was a camper herself. While she's there she reconnects with her two best friends from camp, Allison (Hannha Hart) and Maxine (Mamrie Hart), who are now staffers themselves. Elise starts to heal and get back to her old self, thanks to the support of her old friends and thanks to the handsome farmer who lives nearby and supplies fresh produce to the camp kitchens. But this may be the last summer for Camp Takota. If they can't get enrollment up for next year, the camp will be torn down by the owner's slimy son. Can the three friends save Camp Takota -- and themselves?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 3 ):
Kids say ( 3 ):

Although well-intentioned, CAMP TAKOTA does way too much telling and not enough showing. The special bond that comes from being at camp together is mentioned a lot, but we rarely get to see it actually happening, and overall the movie falls emotionally flat. Fans of summer camp who've already experienced this unique feeling may be disappointed in the pale reflections presented here. Fans of Grace Helbig and Hannah and Mamrie Hart may be disappointed, too, because the three actresses play characters -- with varying levels of success -- who are very different from their YouTube channel personas. The jokes will mostly resonate with young adults -- also to varying degrees of success. Pass.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about summer camp. Have you ever been to sleepaway camp? Does this movie make you want to go to summer camp?

  • Camp Takota makes drinking look pretty fun. What's the harm in movies showing that kind of attitude toward alcohol?

  • Why do you think popular YouTube personalities made this movie? Why not just keep doing YouTube shows?

Movie Details

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