SCHOOL
OF ROCK ($30) is a charming and funny movie that doesn’t fall into
the trap of becoming sickeningly sweet due to its high "kid
quotient." Sure, there are plenty of kids featured in prominent
roles in SCHOOL OF ROCK; however, the movie is really a showcase
for the musical and comedic talents of funnyman Jack Black. In SCHOOL
OF ROCK, Black portrays Dewey Finn, a thirty-something year old
musician who hasn’t given up on his high school dream of becoming a rock
star. Unemployed, and on the verge of being thrown out of his apartment by
his roommate, Dewey impersonates said roommate to take a job as a
substitute teacher at a private school. Only interested in making enough
cash to pay his rent, Dewey is the worst teacher imaginable and allows the
kids to slack off for the first few days.
Then,
while his students are off in music class, Dewey has an epiphany. The
sound of their playing inspires him to turn his classically trained
students into a rock group, which will enable him to enter a local battle
of the bands contest and walk off with the $20,000.00 prize. What follows
is Dewey’s transformation into a real teacher (of sorts), as he turns
his classroom into a school of rock, where he instructs the kids in
everything from how to properly play their instruments (with attitude), to
classic rock music appreciation. Dewey lessons impart a great deal of
self-confidence, which drives each of his students to excel in the areas
where their natural talents lie. Sure, the plot of SCHOOL OF ROCK
sounds perfectly corny, but the movie really works because of the
enthusiasm that Jack Black brings the character and his obvious love for
rock music. The cast of SCHOOL OF ROCK also features Joan Cusack,
Mike White, Sarah Silverman, Joey Gaydos Jr., Miranda Cosgrove, Kevin
Alexander Clark, Robert Tsai, Maryam Hassan and Rebecca Brown.
Paramount
Home Entertainment has made SCHOOL OF ROCK available on DVD in a
1.78:1 wide screen presentation that features the anamorphic enhancement
for 16:9 displays. There is absolutely nothing to complain about in
regards to the video transfer of SCHOOL OF ROCK. The image usually
appears sharp and offers up good definition. An occasional shot comes off
looking slightly soft, but it is related to the original photography and
is not a flaw in the transfer. The colors are solid, stable and are
rendered at a fairly natural level of saturation. Blacks are accurate,
whites are clean and shadow detail is more than respectable. The film
element used for the transfer is very clean and doesn’t display any
really appreciable grain. Digital compression artifacts are always well
contained.
SCHOOL
OF ROCK comes with a really good sounding Dolby Digital 5.1
soundtrack. Certainly not a showcase for split surround effects, the sound
mix gets the job done and plays up the qualities of the numerous classic
rock song contained on the track. The forward soundstage carries most of
the load, with the rears adding ambient effects and musical fill. Fidelity
is very good, and there is a tendency for the listener to want to crank up
the volume on all of the classic rock tunes. The bass channel is very
solid and helps the music along nicely. Dialogue is well recorded and
always completely intelligible. An English Dolby Surround and French 5.1
channel tracks are also offered on the DVD, as are English subtitles.
.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD's interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to standard scene selection and
set up features, as well as the supplemental materials. SCHOOL OF ROCK
features two separate running audio commentary tracks; the first is with
director Richard Linklater and leading man Jack Black, while the second is
a Kids Kommentary with the youthful performers from the
film. Both commentaries have their entertainment value, but they will
definitely appeal to viewers in different age groups- anyone over thirty
will find the Jack Black’s comments the better bet.
Lessons
Learned In School Of Rock runs nearly twenty-five minutes and
proves to be a fairly solid behind-the-scenes program that goes above and
beyond the typical PR puff piece that accompanies most movies. MTV’s
Diary Of Jack Black is a sixteen-minute program that follows the
star during a day of the film’s production. Kids Video Diary:
Toronto Film Festival is an eight-minute video that documents the
film’s premiere. Jack Black’s Pitch To Led Zeppelin is
an amusing three minutes video that was created to get the legendary band’s
permission to use one of their songs in the movie. The School of
Rock music video is also provided on the DVD, as is the film’s
theatrical trailer, plus bonus trailers. DVD-ROM features include Dewey
Finn’s History Of Rock.
SCHOOL
OF ROCK is a fun movie that Jack Black fans are certain to love.
Paramount’s wide screen DVD looks and sounds great, so if you live to
rock and want to stick it to the man, you can’t go wrong with this disc.
SCHOOL
OF ROCK ($30) is a charming and funny movie that doesn’t fall into
the trap of becoming sickeningly sweet due to its high "kid
quotient." Sure, there are plenty of kids featured in prominent
roles in SCHOOL OF ROCK; however, the movie is really a showcase
for the musical and comedic talents of funnyman Jack Black. In SCHOOL
OF ROCK, Black portrays Dewey Finn, a thirty-something year old
musician who hasn’t given up on his high school dream of becoming a rock
star. Unemployed, and on the verge of being thrown out of his apartment by
his roommate, Dewey impersonates said roommate to take a job as a
substitute teacher at a private school. Only interested in making enough
cash to pay his rent, Dewey is the worst teacher imaginable and allows the
kids to slack off for the first few days.
Then,
while his students are off in music class, Dewey has an epiphany. The
sound of their playing inspires him to turn his classically trained
students into a rock group, which will enable him to enter a local battle
of the bands contest and walk off with the $20,000.00 prize. What follows
is Dewey’s transformation into a real teacher (of sorts), as he turns
his classroom into a school of rock, where he instructs the kids in
everything from how to properly play their instruments (with attitude), to
classic rock music appreciation. Dewey lessons impart a great deal of
self-confidence, which drives each of his students to excel in the areas
where their natural talents lie. Sure, the plot of SCHOOL OF ROCK
sounds perfectly corny, but the movie really works because of the
enthusiasm that Jack Black brings the character and his obvious love for
rock music. The cast of SCHOOL OF ROCK also features Joan Cusack,
Mike White, Sarah Silverman, Joey Gaydos Jr., Miranda Cosgrove, Kevin
Alexander Clark, Robert Tsai, Maryam Hassan and Rebecca Brown.
Paramount
Home Entertainment has made SCHOOL OF ROCK available on DVD in a
1.78:1 wide screen presentation that features the anamorphic enhancement
for 16:9 displays. There is absolutely nothing to complain about in
regards to the video transfer of SCHOOL OF ROCK. The image usually
appears sharp and offers up good definition. An occasional shot comes off
looking slightly soft, but it is related to the original photography and
is not a flaw in the transfer. The colors are solid, stable and are
rendered at a fairly natural level of saturation. Blacks are accurate,
whites are clean and shadow detail is more than respectable. The film
element used for the transfer is very clean and doesn’t display any
really appreciable grain. Digital compression artifacts are always well
contained.
SCHOOL
OF ROCK comes with a really good sounding Dolby Digital 5.1
soundtrack. Certainly not a showcase for split surround effects, the sound
mix gets the job done and plays up the qualities of the numerous classic
rock song contained on the track. The forward soundstage carries most of
the load, with the rears adding ambient effects and musical fill. Fidelity
is very good, and there is a tendency for the listener to want to crank up
the volume on all of the classic rock tunes. The bass channel is very
solid and helps the music along nicely. Dialogue is well recorded and
always completely intelligible. An English Dolby Surround and French 5.1
channel tracks are also offered on the DVD, as are English subtitles.
.
Lessons
Learned In School Of Rock runs nearly twenty-five minutes and
proves to be a fairly solid behind-the-scenes program that goes above and
beyond the typical PR puff piece that accompanies most movies. MTV’s
Diary Of Jack Black is a sixteen-minute program that follows the
star during a day of the film’s production. Kids Video Diary:
Toronto Film Festival is an eight-minute video that documents the
film’s premiere. Jack Black’s Pitch To Led Zeppelin is
an amusing three minutes video that was created to get the legendary band’s
permission to use one of their songs in the movie. The School of
Rock music video is also provided on the DVD, as is the film’s
theatrical trailer, plus bonus trailers. DVD-ROM features include Dewey
Finn’s History Of Rock.
SCHOOL
OF ROCK is a fun movie that Jack Black fans are certain to love.
Paramount’s wide screen DVD looks and sounds great, so if you live to
rock and want to stick it to the man, you can’t go wrong with this disc.
