Decidedly average

Rating: 5/10 (25 June 2008)

I saw this when it was shown as the "Surprise Movie" at the Edinburgh Film Festival. However, the choice of movie was the only surprise I got that night, as this turned out to be an average movie with an entirely by the numbers plot.
Comparisons with "School of Rock" and "Dewey Cox" are inevitable, but in reality you've seen this movie many times before. It's the classic story of the down and out who get's a second chance, almost messes it up, but pulls it off in the end. In this case, ageing rocker 'Fish' (Wilson) is still bitter about being dumped as drummer by hit rock band 'Vesuvius' some 20 years ago. At a low ebb, Fish finds himself being recruited in to his nephews band to the play their high school prom. One serendipitous moment later and the newly formed 'A.D.D.' are off on tour.
Does the expected hilarity ensure? Almost. Unlike some other recent American comedies, this one remembers that it's supposed to make the audience laugh, but it does so too infrequently and without any stand out moments. The real problem is that, barring a few side plots, the entire course of the film can be predicted from the first ten minutes, and the occasional snigger is unlikely to be enough to hold the audiences attention. A few hours after the movie I struggled to remember one memorable scene - not the sign of a classic comedy.
None of the cast offer anything other than a solid performance, although Emma Stone, and especially Jason Sudeikis as the band manager, do stand out as providing most of the good scenes and laughs. The band as a whole have little charisma, especially the moody lead singer, and I felt little desire for them to succeed.
To some extent this movie is saved by its songs. To the best of my knowledge the score is original, and both the tracks played by the heavy metal band 'Vesuvius' and the more mellow, teenage angst of 'A.D.D.' are great. In the end it is the gig scenes that end up providing the films best moments.
This film is best described as "School of Rock" without the school, or the screen presence of Jack Black. And without that there's not a whole lot left. This movie is not offencive, but there'll always be something better to see when you go to the cinema, and it's all the more disappointing when you consider that the director is capable of better things.