Great entertainment

Rating: 8/10 (3 September 2012)

Critics despair at how many plot holes this film has and say it's cheesy and mimics films like Dead Poets Society. That's true - and when I watched it for the third or fourth time recently, I realised that some of the stunts that bogus emergency teacher Dewey (Jack Black) pulls off would be, er, punished rather seriously in real life. But I would advise viewers to just sit back and enjoy. The acting, the writing, the music and the kids are all fantastic. Sure, Jack Black is over the top but it really works here; you believe he really is a loser musician who is up for anything and just stumbles on to yet another scheme to try and improve his life. But he throws everything at it, despite having little chance at success, and you cheer him on. The film does have something to say about how parents who are obsessed with their kids' academic success, often don't value their kids getting into music, or even valuing them being happy pursuing what they really want to do. As the ultra-repressed, but longing to be cool, school principal Joan Cusack is very funny - a real standout of the movie, as she was in Addams Family Values. Dewey's roommates and even the kids have great timing, playing it straight to Dewey's wackiness. Little details such as Dewey assigning the kids roles in the band that match their strengths, and manipulating the class busybody to be the band manager, come off beautifully. For me, the highlight is Dewey's manic address to the parents. Good on them for keeping it in the film. And any film that showcases bands like AC/DC is OK by me.