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More SCHOOL OF ROCK Reviews Than Any Reasonable Person Will Ever Need!!
Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
It’s official. Paramount has now screened SCHOOL OF ROCK to every man, woman, and child in the United States. Twice.
Yet, somehow, I managed to miss it, meaning I am forced to rely on the opinion of some of the other 3 billion people who hit one of the recent screenings. Here’s a sampling:
Hi Harry,
CommanderGoat here from the small, yet ever so expanding DailyFix.net. I just got back from a test screening of SCHOOL OF ROCK, and let me just say, it only kinda rocks.
First off, if you’re not familiar with the story let me fill you in. Jack Black plays Dewey, a guitarist in a rock band who boots him out on his ass. Dewey is basically a loser and a mooch, living off his substitute teacher roommate, Ned. Ned’s girlfriend (Sarah Silverman - she plays such a good bitch) has a bug up her ass and convinces timid Ned to finally collect all of the overdue rent money that Dewey has never paid. Desperate for cash, Dewey poses as Ned when a school calls looking for a substitute. Dewey’s mission is to transform his 4th grade class into a living, breathing rock machine so they can compete in the “Battle of the Bands” - ahh - how 80s.
Let me say something to all the Richard Linklater fans - this is NOT a movie for you. If you’re expecting a cult classic in the likes of DAZED AND CONFUSED or SLACKER, then you should move along. It’s a pure Hollywood money bag. Not to say it sucked by any means, but Linklater fans will be disappointed if they go in expecting something classic.
On the other hand, if you’re a Jack Black fan, then you’re humping the right leg. Jack really clings to his normal shtick through the entire movie, so be warned if you hate it. I however found him to be on his A-game. Expect a few of random songs and over-the-top physical humor. Sadly, Kyle Gass was nowhere to be found - unless I missed him somewhere.
Most of the movie is formulaic, the standard 3 act Hollywood script, but Jack makes it entertaining and really carries the movie. It makes me wish I had played some kind of musical instrument in school - oh well.
The kids do a good job. I only say good because they weren’t great. Worse child performances had been seen, but these kids got the job done. The chemistry between Jack and the kids reminded me of Adam Sandler in BILLY MADISON somewhat, however, I think BILLY MADISON had a few more laughs in it - so take that for what it’s worth. I wish Linklater would’ve pushed for an R-rating because some of the scenes with the kids were begging for some dirty humor in them. It has enough to keep you chuckling at least.
The print I saw was rough. It had no credits at the head or tail. The movie ends with the band playing over the credits, but like I said, the cast and crew names were void. The cut looked liked a finished product, so I’m sure not much will be changed by the release date. The audio was mixed a little hot and low in spots, but should sound rockin’ when it finally gets released.
CommanderGoat.And another.
Greetings, Harry!
Travis Bickle here, coming in about a week late after being fortunate to catch an early screening of the new Linklater/Black comedy "School of Rock".
I always hate reading reviews that ruin the movie for me. So rather than analyze this movie piece by piece, I'm going to review it as a whole. Seeing that I've had a full week to digest it, I can truly say how I feel about the movie. Before the movie started, a "studio rep" informed us that this was a working print, with much left to be done to the soundtrack. This was very evident throughout, as the print I heard came solely from the screen (either mono, or simply stereo to the front of the theater) and sounded very, VERY RAW (I will discuss this more in a minute).
Now, the premise, as I'm sure everyone has heard, is very basic. Down on his luck, wannabe rocker Black takes a substitue teaching gig, in the hopes of proving to his friend/roomate (screenwriter Mike White) and his bitchy girlfriend (Sara Silverman) that he can hold a responsible job and make money. He learns that his students have musical abilities, and decides to use them in the hopes of reinstating himself into the local "Battle of the Bands" contest.
Now, while watching the movie, I laughed quite a bit. Jack Black is the movie. I can't recall but maybe 5 minutes of screen time that he wasn't in, and the movie is all the better for it. After seeing it, you can't imagine anyone else in it.
There's nothing wrong with this -- many actors find themselves in projects created solely for them or by them. Think of how many times Harrison Ford has done the normal guy thrown into extraordinary situations thing (from Indiana Jones to The Fugitive) or Tom Hanks' everyman (Gump, Sleepless, etc.) I just wondered if Linklater, White, and Black went out drinking one night and decided to do a movie -- that's what it feels like. A late-night jam session between 3 friends who wanted to do a cool, commercial project together.
The Good:
Black owns the screen as usual. The movie is funny and entertaining. The kids all do a perfect job of playing themselves. For the most part, it doesn't become overly hammy, contrived, or preachy, which is quite a feat.
The Bad:
Still, it treads close to "tween" territory, with Black being the balm that helps each kid express his/herself and reach a happy ending. Still better than most any mainstream movie you're likely to see... especially comedies (see Bruce Almighty for a good concept gone bad). This is more like "Shallow Hal" (feel good comedy, guilt free) vs. "High Fidelity" (character developement, comedy, and poignant), but with a relaxed touch of "realness" displayed by Linklater in everything he's made. In the end, you will smile, you'll have a good time, but nothing to really remember it by.
The Ugly:
Nothing totally ugly to report!
Overall:
A true crowdpleaser. The audience I saw it with laughed throughout. It was a diverse crowd: yuppies to seniors; guys with mohawks who came from the used CD store to businessman with ties who didn't have time to go home and change. The profanity was extremely scarce (a few "asses" is all I can remember. So this will be the movie cool parents will want to take their kids to.
On a final note about the music: The soundtrack I heard was unprocessed and raw. The music sounded like it was being played live throughout, with the "finale" being the exception. I appreciated that it sounded real, versus watching someone fake playing guitar. I've read that Linklater wanted "real" kids, and not actors, and I think that he got kids with musical abilities as well. Once this is processed in digital surround, it should be great!
Travis BickleHOLY CRAP?! JACK BLACK HELPS SOME KIDS REACH A HAPPY ENDING?! What kind of perverted filth is Paramount getting ready to… oh, wait, maybe you didn’t mean it that way...
"Moriarty" out.
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Aug 28, 2003 8:21:35 AM CDT
"some of the scenes with the kids were begging for some dirty hu
by geekzapoppin
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the End Times. I weep for people like this.
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He sounds like a cool guy in all the interviews I've read, but does anyone think his career will really last that long? I fear he's a one trick pony.
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....no one cares.
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Well geezz, they kids already say "ass" through the entire movie. If you're going to subject kids to the humor of J.B, why not go the full distance and take the "R" crown instead of the family safe "PG-13"
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The more kids that are in a movie, the more parents that will take their kids to see that movie. We've forced our children to grow up too quickly as it is. I love raunchy R-rated humor as much as the next guy. Young kids are incapable of understanding this type of humor. They'll grow up soon enough. That's all I'm saying.
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Fuck that fat piece of shit.
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