Magic Camp Parent Guide

Andy Duckerman (Adam Devine) was once a rising star in the world of magic. Sadly, his career hasn’t turned out the way he expected and now he drives a taxi in Las Vegas. When Roy Preston (Jeffrey Tambor) offers Andy a job as a counselor at a magic camp for children, he jumps at the opportunity to get back into magic, and hopefully show up his arch rival, Kristina Darkwood (Gillian Jacobs) at the same time. At the Institute of Magic, Andy rediscovers his love of magic, while also teaching his students about perseverance and individuality.

Do you like magic? I’m not talking about fantasy magic, I mean street magic, Vegas magic, real life illusions. Do you also like heartwarming stories about kids (and adult kids) learning to be their true selves and finding their inner purpose and talents? If you answered yes to either of those questions, then have I got a movie recommendation for you! Magic Camp checks both of those boxes, while also sporting a great cast and some hilarious writing. Jeffrey Tambor especially stands out as he acts ridiculous but dead pan at the same time. The child actors are surprisingly good for their ages, and Adam Devine and Gillian Jacobs play off of each other well. I was also pleasantly surprised at how funny this film is. I laughed a lot, and there are some great recurring gags throughout.

The messages this production is trying to impart are valuable for a young audience. The main theme is about embracing your weirdness and finding your own talents, even if they’re unconventional. There are also themes of perseverance, family love, following your dreams, and forgiveness. Andy undergoes a character arc as an adult that mirrors some of the growth the young campers are going through as well.

There are some small complaints to be made, as can be expected in a low budget kids movie. Most of the magic is real and performed by the actors, who trained for a few months before filming in order to do the tricks themselves. However, there are one or two illusions that are obviously CGI, which seems to defeat the purpose of training a bunch of kids to do magic. If you can’t do a trick for real, then don’t do it. The story is predictable, following almost the exact same beats as movies like Camp Rock or Pitch Perfect, but I don’t mind because I don’t think the filmmakers were trying to reinvent the wheel here.

Magic Camp sports almost no objectionable content while also being funny and sweet, so I wholeheartedly recommend it for family viewing. Who knows, maybe it will encourage your kids to learn a few tricks themselves!