Fantastic performance by Jack Black

Rating: 6/10 (1 April 2008)

So the story is tired, the characters predictable, and some of the dialogue totally lame -- who cares when Jack Black is exploding off the screen in every scene??
I've never cared for Black as an actor (and I don't know why, but he's struck me as a bit of a jerk off-screen) but in this movie he gives all performers a model for what it means to be "committed to the role." He's so committed, so over-the-top, so genuine, that I suspect this is really Jack Black, not a character.
As others have noted, the sheer exuberance of Black coupled with music that, for those of us in a certain age group, remains utterly, primally FUN is a combination that's tough to beat.
Too thin to be watched often, but unexpectedly delightful all the same.