School of Rock (Widescreen Edition)

Buy This Item School of Rock (Widescreen Edition) by Paramount  Available from Amazon  $11.99  on 11-29-2008     Turbo-charged comic Jack Black shakes <I>School of Rock</I> to its foundations, wailing with born-again metalhead passion as Dewey Finn, a guitarist who gets kicked out of a band because he grandstands too much--or, to put it another way, enjoys himself. Through an intercepted phone call, Finn gets a job as a substitute teacher for a fifth grade class at a private grade school. Neither students nor teacher quite know what to do with each other until Finn discovers that some of his young charges can play instruments; at once he starts turning them into a blistering rock & roll troupe that can crush his former band at an upcoming competition. <I>School of Rock</I> is silly and formulaic, but director Richard Linklater (<I>Dazed and Confused</I>), writer Mike White (<I>The Good Girl</I>), and especially Black and co-star Joan Cusack invest the formulas with such glee that the movie is irresistibly fun. <I>--Bret Fetzer</I> Reader Reviews Jack Black falls into the category of comedic actors whose presence leaves an expectation of seeing the same things they've done before. And to date, he hasn't unfulfilled that duty that is expected of him from his followers. Adam Sandler did with PUNCH DRUNK LOVE. Bill Murray did with THE RAZOR'S EDGE (a much maligned and fantastic piece of work). Now, it's Black's turn to show he's got the staying power to make it as a leading man. And with this movie, he does that in spades. The movie features Black as Dewey Finn, a low level rock and roll wannabe. He's got the chops to play decent guitar solos and more enthusiasm than a Democrat on a Kennedy campaign. But Dewey's attempts to offer a stage presence go unappreciated by his band mates who promptly fire him in the hopes that this year they can win the big battle of the bands. At the same time, Dewey's ex-band mate and friend Ned (whom Dewey has been mooching off of for years) has been pushed into forcing Dewey to come up with rent for once or move out. His girlfriend is responsible for this action, all the while maneuvering Ned while telling him to stick up for himself at the same time. When a call comes in for Ned, a substitute teacher, Dewey takes the call and then impersonates Ned at a high class prep school. These kids don't stand a chance. Each of the kids portrays the essence of a different character as most pieces like this work. There's the snooty bossy girl who is focused on nothing more than her own achievements. There's the sensitive kid who's a great musician but never gets the chance to cut lose. There's the shy withdrawn girl with vocal pipes to die for. There's the kid who's always been called a nerd afraid to step out. I think you get the picture. Dewey sits back and does nothing with these kids, never teaching them and allowing them to pretty much do little more than recess. After overhearing musicians putting him down, Dewey brings his own issues with him to work, teaching them that they have to make sure that "the man" doesn't bring them down. Then one day, he happens to hear them in band practice. Immediately picking up on the fact that these kids have true talent, he decides to guide them in a different direction. Dewey decides to recruit these kids to be his new band. The kids are a bit hesitant to follow his lead, at first but are at least curious. When he realizes that they have no clue about anything related to rock and roll, he begins educating them in everything from its roots in the blues up to its punk incarnation. He assigns them CDs of classic rock to listen to. They actually begin to gel not only as a band but as students as well. And Dewey, not even realizing it, begins to get something back from these kids. The expected riotous insurgence of the parents who discover what's been going on, as well as the principal (Joan Cusak), the disgrace as Dewey is taken out and the chance that the kids will never make the battle of the bands goes to its inevitable conclusion. The kids rally and ignore parents and teachers, to gather Dewey and face the challenge they have been preparing for. And that moment is chill inspiring. Do they win? Hey, I can't give the whole thing away! Black does a great job, showing an enthusiasm not only for the role but for the subject matter of rock and roll as well. The rapport he strikes up with the kids is fantastic. He may not be Dr. Huxtable, but these kids react to the attention he delivers to each. Let's hope that Jack Black branches out a bit and doesn't always play the same outrageous over the top character. If he doesn't his career will last about as long as Pee Wee Herman's. But with the right next step, Black could break out to become the next major comedic talent we have. And that's a good thing.

School of Rock (Widescreen Edition) Available from Amazon Price: $11.99 Updated on 11-29-2008.

SPONSORED LINKS