School of Rock

I found this film to be extremely funny and worth repeated viewings. Directed by Richard Linklater, who also did Slackers (1991), Dazed and Confused (1993), and SubUrbia (1996), The School of Rock (2003) stars the hyper-kinetic and unpredictable Jack Black in a role specifically written for him by co-star Mike White. Black plays Dewey Finn, a dedicated rocker who believes he and his band are on the verge of greatness, their main goal to win a locale battle of the Bands contest, get the prize money, recognition and, hopefully, a record contract. Problem is Dewey tends to 'rock hard' on stage, which his band members feel is clownish and not fitting in with the image they want to project. Thusly, Dewey soon finds himself voted out of the band and out of a means of income. To top things off his meek roommate, Ned Schneebly (Mike White) and Ned's overbearing girlfriend, played by Sarah Silverman, decide Dewey must move out due to his inability to pay rent. When it rains, it pours... Anyway, while pondering thoughts of his situation, Dewey takes a phone call for Ned, who is a substitute teacher. An exclusive preparatory school needs someone to fill in, and on discovering the decent amount of money involved, Dewey pretends he is Ned, and takes the job. What was going to be some quick money soon turns out to be more as Dewey learns that the children are musically inclined, and gets the idea to try and build a band around the youngsters, and compete in the upcoming Battle of the Bands contest. He passes the idea off on the children as a secret school project, and thus their education into 'hard rockin' begins. Jack Black is the star of this movie, no doubt, with his spastic energy and erratic nature, but he certainly has a lot of help with his great supporting cast including Joan Cusack as the principal of the school (I am truly glad to see her back on the big screen as of late all I've been seeing her in is annoying wireless phone commercials) and all the talented children that comprise his class. I was happy to see the filmmakers decided on going with a cast of relatively unknown children, rather than `cutesy', overused children we've seen in many other films. And these children can truly perform, not only with acting, but also with their ability with their respective instruments. The story is pretty classic one, a grown up somewhat forced into involvement with a group of children who soon finds he having an effect on his students, and, in turn, they are having an effect on him. Personal growth develops all around, and we all get the warm fuzzies. While some of other films of this nature tend to get a bit schmaltzy, The School of Rock seems to narrowly sidestep it, and avoids the tooth decaying sweetness so often involved in a stories like this one. And let's not forget the music...Led Zeppelin, Cream, The Ramones, AC/DC, The Who and many more. I was glad to hear so many great, classic songs accompany the movie, enhancing the complete hard rocking experience that is The School of Rock. Special features are numerous, encompassing around four hours of material, but the best part for me was the inclusion of Jack Black's video pitch to legendary rock gods Led Zeppelin to use their Immigrant Song within the film. Also included are separate commentaries by Black and the children, a video diary, trailers, interactive features, weblinks, a music video for the original song created for the finale, and more. While the plot of the movie is pretty far-fetched and requires the viewer to suspend a great deal of belief, it worked for me and was a truly satisfying way to spend an hour and fifty minutes. If you liked Black and his musical abilities, you might want to check out his band, Tenacious D. The CD and DVD are both available here. I definitely look forward to seeing him in future projects. Cookieman108

good Job

Great Musical

It sounds like such a high-concept Hollywood crap movie: a slob fakes his way into a job as a substitute teacher, teaches the kids about rock music, forms a band, plays at the big competition. And along the way the slob cleans himself up and the kids get solid life-lessons as the slob realizes he was born to be a role-model, right? Not even close! "School of Rock" isn't some formula cookie-cutter movie. It slamdances around every potential pitfall and triumphs. "School of Rock" is one of the few movies that kids and adults will both love, sometimes even for the same reasons. Why is "School of Rock" so cool? Let me count the ways... 1. Jack Black is turned loose, and who knew? He's a natural with kids. He never once dumbs down his persona - instead, if anything, he cranks it up a notch, and proves he can be endearingly obnoxious without being cloying, which is a rare gift. 2. Jack, and the movie, takes rock music seriously. Dewey Finn, Jack's character, talks about rock as if it's a vital component of his soul. By the end of the movie, you'll agree. 3. The kids aren't trapped into Disney formulas - they're real kids, with dimensions and a certain wisdom. They also take the music seriously. 4. The supporting cast, which includes KG (of course) and a fabulous turn from Joan Cusack, is uniformly good. Joan's character is treated with such entertaining tact that I just wanted to hug the filmmakers! 5. Even the ENDING avoids cliche and stays true to the lessons, and anarchic heart, of the movie. Oh yes, and "School of Rock" is really funny. Buy it, watch it, enjoy it. Bring a lighter - you will most definitely want to raise it in the air by the end! P.S. Why is this movie PG-13? It is suitable for any kid who can handle network TV.

For this review, I'm assuming you have seen the movie (otherwise, why buy the dvd) and are considering owning a copy. This is a fine DVD. It is not HD or Blue Ray, but it plays and looks great on my blue ray player. There is really nothing wrong with the copy, and for that alone this would get 5 stars. But I rate dvds on their bonus material, especially the commentary, since this is where the added value is for me. And in this aspect, I think the value could be higher. The commentary was very half-assed. I don't mind the commentators goofing off or even digressing wildly - often this provides valuable insights into these personalities. But I expect a certain amount of discussion of the film, its production, the development of the story, the actors' interpretation of and improvisation with their roles, etc. The commentary section was very mediocre. Not bad, just not great. Hence 4 stars. If I was rating just the commentary, It'd be 2 stars. The redeeming qualities come with the many other special features: the kids have a commentary track, and the kids have a video diary of the showing of School of Rock at the Toronto film festival; there is a fun music video of a song one of the kids (in the story line), and other such features. I found the kid stuff really fun. So many of them were so delightful in the film, it was great to get a sense of their real personalities. Hope this helps.

This movie was great!

Jack Black does good playing a role that is very near and dear to his heart. We know he loves music and this movie shows just how much. I enjoyed every aspect of this movie. A great story with good acting. If you like Jack Black or just like music in general, this movie should not be missed. Enjoy and Rock on!

This is the best movie known to man. A combination of heaven and music. To dislike this movie is to lack a soul. Anyway, I kinda like the movie I guess.

A old film still to have in our collection ! What a classic and Jack Black is so funny, Great on that guitar too. :) ;)

En los detalles de producto se informa que está en “español”, pero debería figurar que es “español latino”. En España esta película a estrenó con el doblaje del cantante del Canto del Loco, pero al no ser el “español” original, no está. Deberían especificar esto en la descripción.

We got the School of Rock DVD for our daughter, and it has struck a chord right from the start. The story is fun, full of energy, and the music keeps her dancing and singing along—definitely a note-worthy addition to family movie nights. Picture and sound quality are clear for a DVD, and the extras (if you explore them) add a bit of behind-the-scenes fun. It’s easy for kids to follow, and the humour hits the right balance for both young viewers and adults. Overall, a reliable, entertaining classic that rocks every time. Perfect for music lovers, aspiring rockstars, or anyone in need of a fun, feel-good film.

This is a great film for all the family. As a 20 year old I was a little sceptical about this film and that it would be another kiddie film but I was very surprised. The film is about an aging Rocker who has failed to make it who then gets kicked out of his band. Being given grief by his best friend's girl friend to start paying rent and not wasting his life away he impersonates his best friend to become a substitute teacher at the best prep school in the country. From this point it focuses around a group of "geeky" school kids who transform into a fairly good band and play an amazing set at the Battle of the Bands. This is a great film Jack Black is brilliant as the teacher; this part just seemed to be perfect for him. There are some great interactions with Joan Cusack who is cast as the school principle. The children seem to be a good bunch musicians and it will be interesting to see if any of the become major performers either acting or music in the future. I would certainly recommend it to anyone, the DVD has a few interesting documentaries which are worth a watch but by no means would I buy the DVD because of them. The film however can more than sell it on its own.

Per gli amanti del genere, un bel film che meritava di essere acquistato.