|
 |
|
‘Bandslam’ mixes humor, hormones and rock ’n’ roll
Neil Pond
American Profile
August 19, 2009
Comment on this article
Bandslam / Starring Vanessa Hudgens, Alyson Michalka & Gaelan Connell / PG
A high-school misfit helps fine-tune a group of musical outcasts for a big battle of the bands in this coming-of-age “dramedy” that mixes tween humor, adolescent hormones and a rousing shot of that good ol’ rock ’n’ roll.
Aimed at a young audience anxious to graduate from the Disney Channel but not quite ready to jump into the 21-up club scene, “Bandslam” stars two young performers, Vanessa Hudgens and Alyson Michalka, who themselves rose through the Disney system.
Hudgens starred, sang and danced in both of Disney’s “High School Musical” romps. Michalka, who performs with her sis Amanda in the platinum-selling pop duo 78Violet (formerly Aly and AJ), played Keely in the Disney Channel series “Phil of the Future.”
Hudgens’ character, Sa5m (“the 5 is silent,” she helpfully tells new acquaintances), is a wallflower who speaks in a numbed monotone, loves burying her nose in a book hates shopping malls. Michalka’s Charlotte is a former snotty cheerleader trying to turn over a new personality leaf as the chick singer of a ragtag garage-band trio.
Enter Will Burton, played by newcomer Gaelan Connell. A transfer student who chronicles his teen travails in online messages to his musical hero, glam rocker David Bowie, Will instantly feels out of place in his new surroundings. But soon he finds himself in the middle of a romantic and ideological tug of war between the withdrawn brunette, Sa5m, and the go-get-’em blonde, Charlotte.
Charlotte quickly sees that Will, with his encyclopedic knowledge of rock ’n’ roll, has the managerial chops to help her band have a shot at winning the annual Bandslam competition. At the same time, a classroom assignment pairs Will with Sa5m for a get-to-know-each-other project that draws their hearts together.
Lisa (“Friends”) Kudrow does a nice job as Will’s mom, who gamely plays along with a plan to help the band attract--and keep--a drummer with a thing for “older chicks.”
“Bandslam” coasts along on tried-and-true formulas, from “The Breakfast Club” to “School of Rock,” and rolls on a road paved with stereotypes and clichés. The plot drops a couple of surprises late in the game that don’t come across as anything near the bombshells they’re set up to be.
But the movie’s young tech-savvy audience will identify with its honest depiction of teenagers awkwardly finding their way in the world, with some navigational help from YouTube, Wikipedia and iTunes. And grownups will groove to a smart, surprisingly cool soundtrack, including a rockin’ remake of a Bread classic that becomes a showdown centerpiece in the final competition.
Ultimately, “Bandslam” offers a message that never gets old: On stage or in high-school hallways, sometime it’s the losers that turn out to be the real winners. |
| |
| Your Opinions and Comments |
Be the first to comment on this story!
You must be logged in to post comments:
|
|
|
|
|
|
