school of rock

THE FLICK: Like John Belushi and Chris Farley before him, Jack Black is a fat funnyman whoÕs not for all tastes. His brand of humor can feel desperately obnoxious and, until ÒSchool of Rock,Ó was best used as a walking exclamation point in films like ÒHigh FidelityÓ where his mosh-pit personality played second banana to straight-man John Cusack. But put a guitar in his hands and itÕs almost like pulling the sword from the stone. His work in ÒTenacious D,Ó the mock-rock duo featured in a series of shorts on HBO, should have warned the world that he was a six-stringed genius. But, alas, few people picked up on it until ÒSchool of Rock,Ó BlackÕs breakthrough starring role after the admirable ÒShallow Hal,Ó proved he could not only carry a movie, but also make it his own. As Dewey Finn, a lifelong loser with pathetic musical aspirations for rock stardom, Black finds a custom-written role that fits like tight leather pants. Taking over his roommates identity as a substitute teacher for some quick cash, Dewey discovers his private school pupils have the musical skills that he himself lacks and recruits them to play back-up in a new class project: ÒRock Band.Ó It all leads up to the big battle of the bands where Dewey and the kids compete for a fat contract and a whole lotta self-respect. No one will deny that ÒSchool of RockÓ is formulaic. Every moment of the plot is as predictable as the next Aerosmith single. Which is what makes BlackÕs whirlwind performance stand out that much more. His raw enthusiasm and passion for the music comes through to the kids and the audience. And director Richard Linklater (ÒDazed and ConfusedÓ) manages to make the meaningful stuff just as funny as the rest of the film. Be sure to stick through the credits for the impromptu jam session! THE FEATURES: Comedy is difficult, as any comedian will tell you. Extras on comedy DVDÕs are even harder to pull off, since thereÕs no special effects or historical documentary to fall back on. Paramount instead gives us more of what we came for: Jack Black. ThereÕs JackÕs running commentary with director Richard Linklater. ThereÕs JackÕs on camera pitch to Led Zepplin to use one of their songs in the film (shot during the battle of the bands sequence). ThereÕs the 15-minute MTV ÒDiary of Jack BlackÓ which jumps from rehearsals for the film to rehearsals with his Tenacious D partner, Kyle. And thereÕs ÒLesson Learned in School of RockÓ (30 min.) which is a better than average backstage tour of the film. Black claims he never had more fun on a film set, and it definitely shows in the footage. The kids get a chance to show-off as well on their ÒVideo DiaryÓ (8 min.) of the filmÕs premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. They also get free reign during a running commentary of their own. The 16 X 9 enhanced transfer also includes some DVD-ROM features (which are, unfortunately, not Mac-friendly). FINAL SCORE: Jack Black may not be for all tastes, but his movie ÒSchool of RockÓ most assuredly is. The sense of fun is contagious and irresistibly charming. And if you like what you see, the DVD extras provide even more of the same.