Rating: 
Summary: It's Got A Good Beat And You Can Dance To It
Review: While I wouldn't say that I am a huge fan of comedian Jack Black, School Of Rock, is a solid comedy that hits all the right notes.Recently fired from his rock band, Dewey Finn (Black) impersonates his buddy Ned (Mike White), and takes a job as a 4th grade teacher at an uptight private school. Soon his free-spirited attitude takes Principal Mullins (Joan Cusack) by surprise and causes the the kids to discover sides of themselves they never knew. Dewey decides to form a rock band with his students in order to win a battle of the bands, help himself out of debt and jump start a his music career. Director Richard Linklater does a good job balancing the antics of Black and dealing with a gaggle full of unknown but talented group of kids. Sure, the story can be predictable at times, but you know what? It still works. Black is allowed to do his thing, however, his chemistry with the kids is the film's best weapon. I like anything that Joan Cusack does on screen. She's just great here as well. School Of Rock is also suitable fare for the entire family too. The DVD offers a fun collection of bonus material, all with the imprint of Jsck Black, on them. The 2 audio commentaries offer perspectives from Black and Linklater, as well as the kids from the film. The "Lessons Learned" featurette takes you behind the scenes. You'll also see Black's pitch to the band Led Zeppelin, in order to let them use some of their tunes in the film. The also put together a Video Diary from the Toronto Film Festival that's a lot of fun. MTV cameras also followed Black around for a little bit, a music video from the soundtrack, a History of Rock interactive feature, theatrical trailers, and weblinks top off the extras. School Of Rock is well worth your time. Despite my usual grumpness, I thought the movie totally...rocked.
Rating: 
Summary: So-so.
Review: Jack Black is good. The kids do a decent job of acting and singing. Black does an admirable job of singing (or is that lip-synching ?). There're no ads FORCED on us by the DVD format. On the down side, the peripheral stars don't have room to shine. Joan Cusak, for example, is given no chance to make her character come to life as anything but a dramatic foil. Compare that to Shallow Hal, where the other stars really have room to shine. The plot contains zero surprises. So... sure, see it... but it's not yet the Jack Black vehicle we've all been hoping for, to propel him to the star-status he deserves.
(Although, happily, he isn't required to be clean-and-pretty as he was in Shallow Hal. Jack Balck was miscast in Shallow Hal, as a squeaky-clean executive. That, he ain't...and we can't enjoy him that way.)
Rating:
Summary: BLACK IS BLACK
Review: SCHOOL OF ROCK is SISTER ACT on steroids or qualuudes. Jack Black charges into this role as if it were the most important role of his life...and although not a Black fan, one must give credit to the man for his enormous energy and spirit in playing the role of Dewey Finn. Forgetting he's in a new century, Finn plays his guitar like a madman, copying all the great guitarists of the 70s and 80s. Of course, an anachronism, his current band decides he's hurting them so they fire him. Black meanwhile is mooching off his friend Ned Schneebly (the Opie-ish Mike White), and White's girlfriend (Sarah Silverman) wants Dewey out. Dewey of course is one of those guys who wouldn't know a day's work if it fell on him. Irresponsible, lazy, self-centered, just what you like in a rock and roller. Anyway, Black intercepts a phone call meant for his buddy and ends up getting a substitute teaching job at a snooty prep school. The principal is played by the immensely talented Joan Cusack and she is perfect in the part. One doesn't get the impression she's acting at all. (This role was Oscar worthy in the supporting category). Of course, Jack ends up turning his class into a rock and roll band, along with groupies, managers, lights, etc. He wants them to be his band in the big contest his former band thinks they will win. The children, every one of them, are simply fantastic and are the true heart of the movie, along with Jack's fierce love of rock and roll. Miranda Cosgrove, who plays the precocious Summer, is truly gifted, as are the young men who play Lawrence, Zack, Freddie and the one who wants to be a fashion designer. I wasn't totally appreciative of ten year olds using profanity so freely, but it is the 21st century and pottymouths are everywhere!
SCHOOL OF ROCK is a feel good movie, with a surprise twist at the big contest, and the children are truly talented.
Recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: School of the class
Review: you should see it is a funny movie and it say's only 1 bad word and thier is a lucky class that gose to sing somewhere Zack plays a elitric guttiar he plays asome.
Rating:
Summary: Jack Black "Rocks"
Review: I loved this movie after I watched, I mean I didnt expect this much but when I saw it, I was really shocked that it was that good.Jack Black;s character in this movie is awesome, check this movie out if u didnt
Rating:
Summary: Jack Black's best movie to date
Review: School of Rock is a 21 Century rock driven musical comedy. It's got a great cast and works really well. Jack Black is the man in the movie and he finally gets to be himself. Dewey Finn(Black) is a poor rocker. He freeloads off his good friend Ned(White). Dewey has no job and he constantly hears about it from Neds girlfriend Patty(Silverman). Dewey teases Ned about his job as a substitute teacher and it really angers Patty. She makes Ned give Dewey in ultimatum in that he must pay his share of rent by the end of the week or he's gone. Dewey is desperate, so when a prep school calls the house looking for Ned to work there for a couple of weeks, Dewey sees a chance for a job and he takes it. Dewey arrives to the school and pretends to be Ned. He gets to his class full of 10 year olds and quickly hates them. He doesn't make them do anything and the kids hate him too. Principal Mullins(Cusack) is suspicious of the behavior, but doesn't do anything. In his second to third day into the job Dewey finds out the kids have music class. He hears there music down the hall and goes to investigate. He goes to the class and what he finds is a bunch of great young musicians. He has an idea, he can use them to win Battle of the Bands. The winner of Battle of the Bands receives a 20,000 prize and Dewey is no longer in a band. When the kids come back to class he has rock instruments waiting for them. He assigns a couple of kids to play keyboard, guitar, bass, and drums. He then gets back up singers from more kids in the class. He's then giving kids assignments from groupies, stage crew, and security until everybody in the class has some kind of assignment. Not it's up to Dewey to see if he can educate these kids on rock and roll, not get caught, and to see if he can actually pull this off. Jack Black is the absolute man in this movie. For those of you who don't know Black is in the crude humor band Tenacious D and they are fantastic. His character is similar to himself in real life and that's why he does so good. He has an amazing rock n roll voice and watching him teach these kids rock is great. This is the best movie Black has made to date and that because of a well written script and he gets to act like himself. He's a quite of funny guy and his fans should be well pleased with his role in this movie. All the kids in the movie are great. The kids who play the instuments are real musicians and can play in real life what they play in the movie. You can tell all the kids loved working with Black by the enthusiasm they all show on screen. Movies with kids don't work if they can't connect with the adult star and that isn't the case in this movie. Black said in all his interviews how much fun he had working with them and the joy is displayed on screen. It really is fun watching them. The music is School of Rock is great. All the original songs were written by Black and once again we get to see the talents of this rocker. There are a ton of classic rock songs in the movie and you have to laugh watching these kids play these classic tunes. The theme song to School of Rock is the best song in the movie. It really did get slammed by not getting an Oscar nomination. I heard one critic say they dont' nominate rock songs. That's balderdash because the year before Eminem won with Lose Yourself. School of Rock is a fantastic song that is my best song from a motion picture in 2003. This is a feel good movie. It's Blacks best work to date. This is a comedy you can sit down and watch with the whole family. So be prepared to laugh and have a good time.
Rating:
Summary: Sweet Movie
Review: All I have to say is that I just saw school of rock and it was definately sweet.
Jack Black is an insanely awesome guy. He has some guitar skills but they pail in comparison to the skills of any of the kids in the movie. No joke these kids can actually play it isn't some dubbed in sound this is the real thing. Wow Robert Tsei I have seen few greater Keybord players. Kevin Clark well he just might be the next Ringo Staar or Charlie Watts and last but not least. This kid Joey Gaydos Jr. Is amazing how on earth does he do it, he's incredible. I wish I had those sort of skills for crying out loud I play the bagpipes and I am 17, I also have a kilt, and I am not easily impressed but wow this kid is incredible, next Hendrix hands down. Should he ever read this the best word to describe him is wow! Also if he are ever in Denver call me up I would like to meet a master before he goes big (720) 244-2287 Amazing, what do you think.
Rating:
Summary: An extra feature on the DVD that got me to buy it
Review: I found "School of Rock" to be quite inspiring--a kind of "Rocky" about (but not only _for_) children--and an ideal vehicle for Jack Black to exhibit his formidable comedic chops. In this review, however, I'd like to point out an extra feature on the DVD that some of you might find interesting. I am a big fan of DVD commentaries. The School of Rock DVD includes two of them: one by director Richard Linklatter and actor Jack Black, the other by none other than the cast of kids who acted in the film. The commentary by Linklatter and Black is okay, but the real discovery is the commentary by the ten or so children who participated in this project. They got together in a room--without a single adult present--and subjected the film to a painstakingly detailed commentary the likes of which I've only encountered in commentaries on foreign films such a those of Fellini, Antonioni, and Kieslowski, presented by professional critics who most often wrote the most authoritative studies on the filmmakers in question. Rather than wasting our time with self-aggrandising banter about their careers and other preoccupations common, unfortunately, in certain other commentaries, these kids simply _watch_ the movie and point out things about it that simply don't occur to most adults. For those who value the childlike side of themselves and consider it a priority to preserve it rather than let the harsh realities of the world make them hopelessly cynical--there is a good chance that this kind of person--the kind of person who loves the movies "Big" and "Edward Scissorhands", for example--might find the commentary by the kids even more rewarding than the movie itself. It is truly an opportunity to see the world through a child's eyes, as the proverb goes. Only in this case it is quite literally true.
Rating:
Summary: One of Jack Black's best!
Review: If you liked Jack Black in "High Fidelity" you'll like "School of Rock." I generally can't handle that kind of over the top performance for long periods of time (that's why I can't watch Jim Carey movies), but this one is well-balanced between energy and substance. When I saw this in the theaters I was worried that the kids would be annoyingly sweet, but they weren't - they were just kids. The music is great and Jack Black is awesome.
Concerning the DVD features, I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a blooper reel or more outtakes - oh well, the move by itself justifies buying the DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Jack Black Will Rock You at School ... with Joy and Laugh.
Review: You may not like Jack Black -- he is always too noisy, and often too annoying. And in "School of Rock" he never changes -- the same old JB, who hangs around in your room only with underwear, who doesn't pay his share of rent. But "School of Rock" is a different thing. He is still loud, OK, but this time that makes the film better than you expect. Because you know this guy Dewey Finn played by Jack Black, after all, turns out a charming fellow among the likable kids. JB's Dewey, in need of ready cash, disguises himself as a substitute teacher in a posh prep school (run by uptight principle Joan Cusack) and instead of math, he "teaches" the spirit of rock'n'roll to the children. Of course, it won't take long before they enter the Battle of Bands, leading us to rousing finale. You may not like Jack Black's character at first, but as the film goes on, he starts to show unexpected side to his personality. The monetary motive turns into genuine passion, and that is no news in Hollywood, but it is rarely done with such an energetic and hilarious performance as that from the leading actor. The kids not only can play the instruments, but also they can act, and many of them are given due moments to impress us. Also great is Joan Cusack's comic acting, perhaps better than that of the sexually repressed fiancee in "In & Out." Now her character here has something repressed deep inside -- which is again related to music. Her turn (supported by a glass of beer in a bar) is simply wonderful. The script by Mike White ("Chuck and Buck") who was JB's next-door neighbor knows how to extrect the better side of Jack Black's super-turbo comic turn. and though the story is not particularly unique, the result is a great success, especially when it shows the relations between the "teacher" and the students. And director Richard Linklater ("Tape" and many others) does not show his trademark off-beat feelings -- his handling of the material is surprisingly traditional, and that also helps greatly. And most of all, this film is good-hearted, and is not afraid of showing that on its sleeve. You can enjoy watching it with the good soundtrack, and when JB tries to teach the kids the riff of "Iron Man" and many 70s classic rock, you can feel his love of music.
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