Review: Familiar ‘Camp Rock 3’ introduces a new scene stealer

They’re the hit rock group Connect 3 who desperately need an opening act for their next tour. Where oh where can he/she/they be found?

At camp, of course. So they head back to their summer fun zone and offer to lift a camper from obscurity. A competition will determine who’s dashing their dreams of anonymity. Until that happens, the budding Harry Styleses and Taylor Swifts practice obsessively while slyly thwarting the competition.

There’s a little “Parent Trap” here, too, if you look closely. And the Jonas Bros are so M.I.A., they only get one good dad joke aimed at Kevin. Meanwhile, the Disney Channel machine kicks into high gear and gets solos for most everyone before the lots are cast.

What you learn is mediocre dancers don’t cut it in this world. These teens must do everything — and sing. Put them in “High School Musical,” “The Descendants” or any other franchise, and you realize the stakes are high. Heck, even Milo Manheim (a clear Disney disciple) shows up.

If you’re old enough to remember the original “Camp Rock,” you know Demi Lovato was a big part of that. And (spoiler) she shows up, too.

The real star of the show, though, is Sherry Cola as the world-weary — for Connect 3. She gets plenty of eyeroll moments and can’t quite fathom the level of ambition she’s surrounded by.

One by one, they tell their stories. One is isolated from others at school and thinks he has no friends. Another’s mom has died, and he’s left to face the world alone. Add in various other misfits and (gasp!) a boy who can’t dance, and you see the level of angst that’s swirling in the waters.

Directed by Veronica Rodriguez and written by Eydie Faye, “Camp Rock 3” is a grad school of sorts for folks who have been in other Disney ventures. Malachi Barton and Liamani Segura get the biggest spotlights, but Hudson Stone as the bleached blond kid who can’t dance is a real charmer. He has his reasons for wanting to win and isn’t about to let more talented campers get in the way.

While it’s unlikely this will lead to the next Scorsese picture, it could set him up for roles in big-screen ventures. He has the “it” factor and would definitely have his own series if that game plan still existed.

Still, he’s not guaranteed anything beyond a summer in a dreadful cabin and a run-in with some “Mean Girls” competitors.

When the Jo-Bros return to judge the contest, it’s clear how this is going to go. If you haven’t followed Simon Cowell’s playbook, it could come as a surprise. Otherwise, you get to wallow in the sweaty hands and the blink-and-you’ll-miss-her Lovato sighting.

If you remember the year the “High School Musical” kids went to camp, you’ll get a sense of the vibe here. There’s no Corbin Bleu reality series shooting, but there’s enough of the cattiness to suggest Sharpay could slay and wouldn’t look self-centered.

“Camp Rock 3” is a cute summer jaunt. It’s nothing new or particularly taxing, but it does make you appreciate just how hard those Disney kids work just to get followers on TikTok.