as good as people say

Rating: 7/10 (28 October 2003)

When I first saw the ads for School of Rock I had no interest in seeing it. It looked like some dumb formulaic comedy. I was surprised when I saw the good reviews and when I saw Linklatter was the director. I haven't always liked Linklatter's films, but he's certainly got enough indie cred to force you to take him seriously.
Then my friends started telling me they saw it and it was really good, so I went and it was. Funny, quick moving with the requisite amount of heart, it doesn't take itself too seriously but treats its premise in a surprisingly intelligent manner. I suppose there are people who don't like this movie, and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to my mom, but in terms of this year's comedies this is as close to a sure bet as you're going to find (and who knows, even my mom might like it).