DVD Review: School of Rock
April 5, 2004; Matt's Dorm Room
Movie: * * * 1/4
DVD Features : * * 3/4
Jack Black had made a pretty solid career out of playing kooky sidekicks in films, tagging along with John Cusack, Jason Biggs and Colin Hanks. Only once before, in the lesser Farrelly effort Shallow Hal, has Black come out at the front of a cast. Granted, that's not a lot of encouragement to place him in a lead role, but School of Rock's plotline allows Black to rely more heavily on his experience as frontman of the comedy/rock duo Tenacious D... though much cleaner, cause, y'know, there's kids listening. Black does well to bank on what he knows his fans look for from him, but also gives an all-around entertaining performance in a pretty good film Mighty Ducks-esque movie.
Black plays Dewey Finn, a rock-obsessed guitarist who early on gets thrown out of the band that he helped to form. Finn's love of "old school" rock n' roll music and performance doesn't mesh with the rest of the band, who are basically out to get a record deal. At the same time, he is at risk of being thrown out on his rear by best friend Ned (writer Mike White) and his anti-Dewey girlfriend, played by Sarah Silverman, if he doesn't come up with his part of the rent. Desperate for money, Dewey pretends to be Ned when a high-class boarding school calls in need of a substitute teacher. After meeting the uptight principle of the school (the most hilariously prudish Joan Cusack you'll ever see), he meets his class: an ethnically diverse collection of 10-year-olds. At first, Dewey doesn't exactly care about what class time consists of, so long as he gets a check at the end of the week. Upon hearing the kids in their music class, however, Dewey hatches a plan to turn the kids into his own rock n' roll band, eventually leading to a Battle of the Bands competition and a musical clash with Dewey's old band. Along the way, of course, Dewey and the kids all grow and learn a few things about what is important in life.
Jack Black is solid, mixing his outrageous brand of comedy with a sweetness that overpowers his initial self-interest. His rapport with the kids is excellent, but who wouldn't be having fun on a set with Jack Black? The kids themselves are pretty good, though acting-wise, some are better than others, led by 9-year-old Miranda Cosgrove as the goody-goody class brown-noser. Most of the kids with more significant roles were cast for their musical ability more than their acting, but some parts have been written to allow a basis for discussing relevant issues for kids that age; Robert Tzai, piano extraordinaire, has a very nice scene with Black as they discuss the downfalls and gaps created by popularity, and why they don't really matter. Similarly, Black takes normal aim at his own abundant abdomen in helping one girl accept her excess weight - a good message to portray, but he does this by telling her that her singing voice will drown out her size; a good idea, but I think it would have been better to make weight a nonissue... that's not something kids this age should have to be worrying about, even though American society has given it an air of importance.
Exceptional in the movie is Joan Cusack as Principle Mullins, the most uptight administrator ever. The most amusing moment in the movie comes from her attempting to "console" a little girl after scolding her, and being so inhumanly awkward about it that the child does all she can not to scream and run away. Joan Cusack has shown many different sides in her career, from Toy Story 2's Jessie to her hilariously sinister villain in "It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie," and School of Rock shows just one more thing that this comic genius can do very, very well.
The DVD, I found, was a bit lacking. Though on a rental from Blockbuster I didn't have time to explore every detail, what I did see was somewhat uninspiring. The high point was a feature called "Lessons Learned," which looks most specifically at the on-set relationship and antics between Jack Black and the kids. Also present and amusing is the full episode of MTV's "Diary" concerning Black. However, these pluses are almost overruled by the lack of an outtakes reel, which given Black's impromptu style and Cusack's ability would be priceless, and the lackluster commentary track by Black and director Richard Linklater. In that, it seems as though Linklater is holding Black back from saying anything interesting for fear of going off-topic... whatever that topic might be in his mind. I understand the movie is aimed at a younger crowd, so Black's really outrageous behavior would not be appreciated, but Black managed to be just as funny without it through the entire movie, so why can't he do it here?
I felt like I needed to include the DVD extras in the review because more and more that is what sells DVDs. Distributors make more that their fair share off of multiple editions of the same movie, so I think it is important to see what else you would be getting with the purchase. Here, it's somewhat disappointing, given the talent involved, but significantly better than some of the bare-boned trailer-and-cast-bio DVDs floating around. Moreover, the movie is pretty good, and appropriate for almost all ages; the PG-13 strikes me as a little much for the offending content. It's a good story with good performances, and it also helps to get Black away from his completely over-the-top, unrealistic delivery while maintaining his unique style of comedy, which may be a good stepping stone to his work in Peter Jackson's upcoming King Kong remake.
April 5, 2004; Matt's Dorm Room
Movie: * * * 1/4
DVD Features : * * 3/4
Jack Black had made a pretty solid career out of playing kooky sidekicks in films, tagging along with John Cusack, Jason Biggs and Colin Hanks. Only once before, in the lesser Farrelly effort Shallow Hal, has Black come out at the front of a cast. Granted, that's not a lot of encouragement to place him in a lead role, but School of Rock's plotline allows Black to rely more heavily on his experience as frontman of the comedy/rock duo Tenacious D... though much cleaner, cause, y'know, there's kids listening. Black does well to bank on what he knows his fans look for from him, but also gives an all-around entertaining performance in a pretty good film Mighty Ducks-esque movie.
Black plays Dewey Finn, a rock-obsessed guitarist who early on gets thrown out of the band that he helped to form. Finn's love of "old school" rock n' roll music and performance doesn't mesh with the rest of the band, who are basically out to get a record deal. At the same time, he is at risk of being thrown out on his rear by best friend Ned (writer Mike White) and his anti-Dewey girlfriend, played by Sarah Silverman, if he doesn't come up with his part of the rent. Desperate for money, Dewey pretends to be Ned when a high-class boarding school calls in need of a substitute teacher. After meeting the uptight principle of the school (the most hilariously prudish Joan Cusack you'll ever see), he meets his class: an ethnically diverse collection of 10-year-olds. At first, Dewey doesn't exactly care about what class time consists of, so long as he gets a check at the end of the week. Upon hearing the kids in their music class, however, Dewey hatches a plan to turn the kids into his own rock n' roll band, eventually leading to a Battle of the Bands competition and a musical clash with Dewey's old band. Along the way, of course, Dewey and the kids all grow and learn a few things about what is important in life.
Jack Black is solid, mixing his outrageous brand of comedy with a sweetness that overpowers his initial self-interest. His rapport with the kids is excellent, but who wouldn't be having fun on a set with Jack Black? The kids themselves are pretty good, though acting-wise, some are better than others, led by 9-year-old Miranda Cosgrove as the goody-goody class brown-noser. Most of the kids with more significant roles were cast for their musical ability more than their acting, but some parts have been written to allow a basis for discussing relevant issues for kids that age; Robert Tzai, piano extraordinaire, has a very nice scene with Black as they discuss the downfalls and gaps created by popularity, and why they don't really matter. Similarly, Black takes normal aim at his own abundant abdomen in helping one girl accept her excess weight - a good message to portray, but he does this by telling her that her singing voice will drown out her size; a good idea, but I think it would have been better to make weight a nonissue... that's not something kids this age should have to be worrying about, even though American society has given it an air of importance.
Exceptional in the movie is Joan Cusack as Principle Mullins, the most uptight administrator ever. The most amusing moment in the movie comes from her attempting to "console" a little girl after scolding her, and being so inhumanly awkward about it that the child does all she can not to scream and run away. Joan Cusack has shown many different sides in her career, from Toy Story 2's Jessie to her hilariously sinister villain in "It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie," and School of Rock shows just one more thing that this comic genius can do very, very well.
The DVD, I found, was a bit lacking. Though on a rental from Blockbuster I didn't have time to explore every detail, what I did see was somewhat uninspiring. The high point was a feature called "Lessons Learned," which looks most specifically at the on-set relationship and antics between Jack Black and the kids. Also present and amusing is the full episode of MTV's "Diary" concerning Black. However, these pluses are almost overruled by the lack of an outtakes reel, which given Black's impromptu style and Cusack's ability would be priceless, and the lackluster commentary track by Black and director Richard Linklater. In that, it seems as though Linklater is holding Black back from saying anything interesting for fear of going off-topic... whatever that topic might be in his mind. I understand the movie is aimed at a younger crowd, so Black's really outrageous behavior would not be appreciated, but Black managed to be just as funny without it through the entire movie, so why can't he do it here?
I felt like I needed to include the DVD extras in the review because more and more that is what sells DVDs. Distributors make more that their fair share off of multiple editions of the same movie, so I think it is important to see what else you would be getting with the purchase. Here, it's somewhat disappointing, given the talent involved, but significantly better than some of the bare-boned trailer-and-cast-bio DVDs floating around. Moreover, the movie is pretty good, and appropriate for almost all ages; the PG-13 strikes me as a little much for the offending content. It's a good story with good performances, and it also helps to get Black away from his completely over-the-top, unrealistic delivery while maintaining his unique style of comedy, which may be a good stepping stone to his work in Peter Jackson's upcoming King Kong remake.
posted by Matt S. at
3:00 PM
