A man buys a rundown summer camp as a project to change his bad memories of his experience at summer camp when he was a child. Cuba Gooding, Jr. plays the lead character of Charlie Hinton. He takes his son Ben (played by Spencir Bridges) with his friend Buck (played by Richard Gant) and his friend's son to summer camp. On the way to Camp Driftwood, which is the camp they went to in their youth, they pass Camp Canola. Camp Canola is modern and beautiful. It is now run by Lance Warner (played by Lochlyn Munro). Camp Driftwood is falling apart. Lance Warner is the same guy who caused Charlie problems when he was a kid. Charlie wants to get even with Lance for what he did to him as a child, so Charlie partners with Uncle Marty the owner of Camp Driftwood in order to resotres the camp to challeng Camps Canola. Uncle Marty immediately abandons them and leaves Charlie and Buck to run the camp alone. A banker comes to the camp to tell Charlie the bank is going to foreclose unless they get at least 30 children to come to camp.
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A plumber tells them they need a new septic system. They make as many repairs as they can but cannot afford to do anything about the septic system. It is dangerous from methane. The bus arrives with the kids on the first day of the camp operations. It crashes into the office. The kids immediately go out of control. They break into the snack bar and steal all the candy. At the end of the day, when the kids get on the bus, one of the kids brings a skunk on the bus. While this is happening, Buck lights a match in the outhouse causing a methane explosion.
The next day only seven kids show up. Charlie is encouraged to invite his father to help. His father is a retired Army colonel. The kids from Camp Canola raid Camp Driftwood with squirt guns and paint-ball guns. They challenge Camp Driftwood to join in the Olympiad. The Colonel arrives. He wants to go to war with Camp Canola. The Colonel teaches the kids how to meditate. Camp Canola kids drive up on ATVs attacking them during the peaceful meditation which cause the Colonel to want to get even. The Colonel organizes the Camp Driftwood kids into a sneak attack on Camp Canola. The pulverize Lance with eggs and tomatoes and paint-balls, then hit him in the face with a pie. They steal back their flag and run Lance's pants up the flag pole of Camp Canola. They accept the challenge of the Olympiad.
They decide to have a sleep-over so the kids learn how to work together. The Colonel gets them into the team spirit. Charlie forgets to bring the marshmallows so they roast vegetables instead. Charlie's son Ben goes missing. Ben is up a tree trying to be tough like his grandpa. They find him, and all the kids go to sleep. The Colonel overhears Charlie saying he does not want his son to grow up to be like his father. The Colonel leaves because of this. The Colonel, being missing, makes the kids lose heart. Charlie finds the Colonel at the train station. He apologizes to him. They make up with each other. Charlie invites him to join him for the Olympiad. They go back to the Olympiad together.
The kids from Camp Canola kids cheat in all the events. They get the kid from Camp Driftwood who cannot smell covered with the smell of skunk so he wins the wrestling match. Camp Driftwood evens up the score. Ben is in the last event which is a relay race ending with a rock climbing wall. They catch the Camp Canola kid cheating by putting grease on the rock climbing wall. Ben climbs up a tree nearby instead and wins the event. The parents decide Camp Canola does not set a good example for their kids so they switch all their kids to Camp Driftwood.
Best part of story, including ending:
This is a cute story about doing the right thing and setting a good example for children.
Best scene in story:
I like the scene when the fat kid makes it through the night without wetting the bed, because it is his own personal victory which is the theme of the film.
Opinion about the main character:
Charlie does a good job running the camp and heals his past childhood trauma with his father's help, so this is a very feel good type of story.
