<< Return to Home 

School Of Rock


I'm glad I rented School Of Rock and didn't buy it as planned as it really wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

The avalanche of glowing reviews had raised my anticipation for a film that would appeal both to kids and their rock literate parents with plenty of cool references to make us older viewers laugh in recognition. Alas, the film was let down by a script which didn't push enough of the right buttons and left Jack Black to be the sole focus of the laughs. Your enjoyment of the film is entirely dependant on how funny you find Jack Black's mugging and hardly at all on any funny moments in the script.

The kids were great at playing their instruments but rather stiff in the acting department but again I think they were let down by a script which didn't give them enough character. It would have been nice to see the band ape the behaviour of the role models that Black's character was trying to introduce them to but you remained ever so polite throughout, their only attempt at sticking it to the man was at the end when they skipped class to play the concert.

If they weren't going to rebel then it would have been good to see some crises of confidence which would have increased the tension a bit. The most we got was one of the backup singers being slightly nervous for about 2 minutes, all the rest of the children weren't fazed at all by performing on stage.

There was much mileage to be made with the subject of this film and with an entertaining actor in the lead part, an (underwritten) part for Joan Cusack and a talented director (Richard Linklater, responsible for the wonderful Dazed and Confused) this should have been better than it was.

In conclusion - good fun but not as much fun as it should be, Jack Black is immediately likeable but if you don't like Jack Black you won't like this film.

11:18 | 0 Comments, | permanent link

...................................................................................................................

Powered By Blogbear
(c) Copyright 2003-2004.