Welcome to the Institute of Magic. A summer camp unlike the rest, The Institute of Magic exists to help young, aspiring magicians find their place in the world. At least that’s what they advertise. Andy isn’t so sure it’s true.
A former camper and master stage magician, Andy is jaded and no longer believes in all that magical stuff. He used to have a pretty sweet gig where he and his best friend, Kristina Darkwood, would travel all over and wow people with their stunts.
But those days are long gone. After Kristina betrayed him and made a name for herself headlining the biggest shows in the country, Andy sulked into the background. Now, he drives taxis. A real dream come true.
Yet, Andy is still secretly clinging to the hopes a better life. Which is why when he’s asked to come back to the Institute of Magic as a summer counselor, he eagerly agrees.
A piece of cake! No trouble at all, he thinks. But Andy’s never taught anyone anything, and his little campers are eager to learn. There’s shy, talented Theo; eccentric Robin; talented Judd; paranoid Nathan; and fierce Vera.
Together, these campers, along with the pessimistic Andy, must band together and work hard to learn about the tie between magical tricks and friendship if they have any hope of winning the title of expert magicians.
Andy sees the potential in his campers. He tries to teach them to see the value in themselves and to hone their talents. He asks for forgiveness for past mistakes and owns the fact that he can be arrogant.
A mentor teaches Andy, “You cannot love magic with your whole heart until your heart is whole.” This same man encourages his campers to be themselves, telling them that it’s OK to be labeled “weird” because everyone at camp has something that makes them unique.
Theo is a kind young boy who sticks up for his friends and values those in his life. Theo learns to love and appreciate his mother (who loves and values her son) and his younger brother.
A young girl feels that she is unwanted by her parents but later learns that her parents do truly love her. Bullies apologize, while friends mend relationships and encourage one another. Campers and counselors learn lessons about kindness, including everyone and confidence while also learning how to problem-solve.
All of the “magic” on display here is of the stage variety, simple tricks that have logical explanations. It follows the seven types of stage magic: sleight of hand, prediction, restoration, vanish and appearance, solid through solid, escape, and levitation.
A young camper makes a joke about her destiny.
When Theo’s friends find out he has a crush on a female camper, they taunt him and sing a song about the two possibly kissing. A young camper asks her counselor how bunnies multiply, and he tells her to ask her parents.
Two campers flirt and kiss once. A camp counselor shares about a former girlfriend who he still likes. A young magician asks an audience member how old she was when she received her first kiss. One male character (a young man who identifies as a transgender young woman in real life) is portrayed as somewhat effeminate.
We learn that Theo’s dad passed away some years ago. A girl makes a joke about how bunnies are delicious and how she has a “thirst for blood like a hawk.”
Andy can be mean to his campers and even tells them that they “suck” a few times.
Kids and adults say, “oh my gosh” and “oh my god” once each. Kids are called “nerds,” “geeks,” “dummies,” “slow” and “jerks” by a group of bullies. A camp leader calls something “stupid.”
A young camper is allergic to everything and talks about needing his EpiPen. He also makes a reference to the man who invented the polio vaccine.
A young camper tells his parents that he has all the necessary equipment to filter his urine, should he ever get lost and need liquid to drink. This same young boy refers to himself as someone who accidentally wets the bed at night and picks his nose. A bird makes a mess on a camp counselor.
Campers are occasionally mean to one another and have poor attitudes. An elderly woman pretends not to have money to get out of tipping a driver.
Magic Camp is the latest PG-rated original to land on Disney+.
Unlike many magically themed films, Magic Camp veers away from the Harry Potter vibe and focuses more on familiar illusions you might see a magician perform, such as card tricks, vanishing rabbits and levitating lizards.
Aimed at elementary and middle school aged kiddos, this movie’s positive themes focus on the magic within each person. Kids will learn about kindness, encouragement and empathy. They also learn that those things that make them different are what make them beautifully unique.
Parents will want to be aware of a few mild bumps along the way. Kids can be quite mean. There’s a smattering of language and name-calling. Two young campers flirt and kiss, and one young male camper is portrayed as slightly effeminate (though he’s never clearly identified as gay.) And for some families, even though the magic here is of the stage variety, that may still be a form of entertainment that they’d rather avoid.
Still, this Disney+ movie’s main message is impossible to miss, namely that true magic is really about love and kindness.
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
