Video Reviews: 'School Of Rock,' 'Cold Creek Manor'
Also New: 'Spy Kids 3-D'
POSTED: 6:15 p.m. EST March 4, 2004
UPDATED: 6:22 p.m. EST March 4, 2004
'The School Of Rock" (PG-13): Jack Black aces his performance as a rock-and-roll slacker-turned-substitute teacher in "The School of Rock," one of the most inspiring and original movies of 2003.
Black plays Dewey Finn, a rock wannabe who dives into the audience during his band's gigs, but nobody's there to catch him. Tired of such antics, the band fires him right before he gets a chance to prove himself at a local "Battle of the Bands" competition.
He's got a great support system, though in Ned Schneebly (screenwriter Mike White), who has given up his rock-and-roll dreams for the safer life as an aspiring teacher. But the problem is, Ned also has a annoying and commanding girlfriend, Patti Di Marco (Sarah Silverman), who's out for Dewey's blood. For, you see, Dewey's been bumming off his good friend Ned for a while and Patti is coming down hard on the slacker for some rent money.
Dewey's ship comes in when a long-term substitute-teaching job opens up at a prestigious prep school and he pretends he is Ned. And while he finds his fifth-grade class annoying at first, Dewey does an about-face when he learns the kids are also musically inclined. If he can get them to abandon classical music and educate them in the school of rock, he just may have a shot of competing in the "Battle of the Bands" competition after all.
Anybody who has seen Black in the past (he's classic in "High Fidelity") knows very well that the actor's quite a firecracker on screen. He's also one-half of the saucy rock-folk duo Tenacious D, but parents don't have to worry about his use of bad language in "The School of Rock" -- it's virtually non-existent here. The film's PG-13 rating, instead, comes from some crude humor and slight drug references -- but neither are offensive enough to keep your kids from seeing an otherwise joyous movie.
As for the young cast members, they come off as real kids rather than Hollywood brats -- and they are great singers and musicians, to boot. Joan Cusack adds a fine dose of hilarity as the school's uptight, but misunderstood, principal.
Thanks to a smart script by White ("Orange County") and perceptive direction by Richard Linklater, the great thing about Black's character in "The School of Rock" is that he's not a one-note Johnny: He was intellectualized by music in his formative years, and in addition to the fact that the music he preaches about is jammin' stuff, it's got a message, too -- and so does the movie.
DVD Features: Commentary by Black and Linklater and assorted kid cast members; Black's pitch to Led Zeppelin; music video; production featurettes and more. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
'Cold Creek Manor' (R): There's no better way of putting it, "Cold Creek Manor" is up a creek with no script. Amazingly, Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone play two very stupid people who can't take a hint that they're in serious danger, even when the bad guy's faintest actions are as subtle as a rumbling freight train.
The sad thing is, even the people who appear smart at first end the movie stupid. It's the sort of situation where you almost hope the people in peril get what's coming to them just to alleviate your frustration.
Quaid and Stone star as Leah and Cooper Tilson, a big-city couple who decide to move out to the country after a near-tragedy on the streets of New York City. The place they find upstate is Cold Creek Manor, an old sheep farm with a sprawling mansion that was abandoned and repossessed after its previous owner, Dale Massie (Stephen Dorff), went to prison.
But with the house, the Tilsons have bought into some serious problems. Massie is now out of jail and can't seem to let go of his former home for some mysterious reason. He's also manipulative and has some seriously violent tendencies, and the locals aren't willing to do anything about it.
For all of the actors' talent, there's nothing any of the actors can do to save "Cold Creek Manor." The movie is a perfect example of just how foolish actors can look without a good script. Clearly they were cajoled into thinking they were getting into a suspense classic. Suspense? Try silly.
DVD Features: Commentary by director Mike Figgis, Deleted scenes including bonus alternate ending and more. (Touchstone Home Entertainment)
'Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over' (PG): Multitalented filmmaker Robert Rodriguez couldn't have picked a better title for the third and presumably last of his "Spy Kids" movies. That's because "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over" -- once a fun and novel idea -- has all but run its course.
That's not to say the movie isn't entertaining for its target audience. It's sure to delight kids with its smartly conceived video game storyline. But for parents and older audience members, "Game Over" has simply lost the sly, James Bond-like edge that made the first film so delightful for everybody.
The idea for "Spy Kids 3-D" harkens the 1980s sci-fi movie "Tron," where participants enter a virtual environment. That's where the "3-D" element of the title kicks into high gear. Like the theatrical version, viewers are given 3-D glasses (each DVD comes with four pairs and contact information to get more) and presumably get to experience a three-dimensional story. In this instance, former Spy Kid Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) must enter a video game environment to rescue his sister (Alexa Vega) from the villain who invented it.
The acting quality has diminished dramatically from the first two films, with the exception of Alan Cumming and Ricardo Montalban. Sylvester Stallone is pretty solid in his "Spy Kids" debut, but another new cast member, Salma Hayek, looks plain bored. The Spy Kids and their parents, Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino, basically dial in their performances.
With "Game Over," the gimmick worked best in the theater when you looked at 3-D objects on the screen; rare were the moments when things appear to pop out of the screen, thinking you can reach out and touch what's in front of you. But, Rodriguez smartly added more of the effects for the DVD release, so the 3-D environment is improved. The only downfall is the fumbling you have to do with your television settings to optimize the experience.
DVD Features: Bonus features include commentary by Rodriguez, several featurettes including a concert featuring Vega; games; a 10-minute film school course and more. Also included is a 2-D version of the film. (Miramax Home Entertainment)
Black plays Dewey Finn, a rock wannabe who dives into the audience during his band's gigs, but nobody's there to catch him. Tired of such antics, the band fires him right before he gets a chance to prove himself at a local "Battle of the Bands" competition.
He's got a great support system, though in Ned Schneebly (screenwriter Mike White), who has given up his rock-and-roll dreams for the safer life as an aspiring teacher. But the problem is, Ned also has a annoying and commanding girlfriend, Patti Di Marco (Sarah Silverman), who's out for Dewey's blood. For, you see, Dewey's been bumming off his good friend Ned for a while and Patti is coming down hard on the slacker for some rent money.
Dewey's ship comes in when a long-term substitute-teaching job opens up at a prestigious prep school and he pretends he is Ned. And while he finds his fifth-grade class annoying at first, Dewey does an about-face when he learns the kids are also musically inclined. If he can get them to abandon classical music and educate them in the school of rock, he just may have a shot of competing in the "Battle of the Bands" competition after all.
Anybody who has seen Black in the past (he's classic in "High Fidelity") knows very well that the actor's quite a firecracker on screen. He's also one-half of the saucy rock-folk duo Tenacious D, but parents don't have to worry about his use of bad language in "The School of Rock" -- it's virtually non-existent here. The film's PG-13 rating, instead, comes from some crude humor and slight drug references -- but neither are offensive enough to keep your kids from seeing an otherwise joyous movie.
As for the young cast members, they come off as real kids rather than Hollywood brats -- and they are great singers and musicians, to boot. Joan Cusack adds a fine dose of hilarity as the school's uptight, but misunderstood, principal.
Thanks to a smart script by White ("Orange County") and perceptive direction by Richard Linklater, the great thing about Black's character in "The School of Rock" is that he's not a one-note Johnny: He was intellectualized by music in his formative years, and in addition to the fact that the music he preaches about is jammin' stuff, it's got a message, too -- and so does the movie.
DVD Features: Commentary by Black and Linklater and assorted kid cast members; Black's pitch to Led Zeppelin; music video; production featurettes and more. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
'Cold Creek Manor' (R): There's no better way of putting it, "Cold Creek Manor" is up a creek with no script. Amazingly, Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone play two very stupid people who can't take a hint that they're in serious danger, even when the bad guy's faintest actions are as subtle as a rumbling freight train.
The sad thing is, even the people who appear smart at first end the movie stupid. It's the sort of situation where you almost hope the people in peril get what's coming to them just to alleviate your frustration.
Quaid and Stone star as Leah and Cooper Tilson, a big-city couple who decide to move out to the country after a near-tragedy on the streets of New York City. The place they find upstate is Cold Creek Manor, an old sheep farm with a sprawling mansion that was abandoned and repossessed after its previous owner, Dale Massie (Stephen Dorff), went to prison.
But with the house, the Tilsons have bought into some serious problems. Massie is now out of jail and can't seem to let go of his former home for some mysterious reason. He's also manipulative and has some seriously violent tendencies, and the locals aren't willing to do anything about it.
For all of the actors' talent, there's nothing any of the actors can do to save "Cold Creek Manor." The movie is a perfect example of just how foolish actors can look without a good script. Clearly they were cajoled into thinking they were getting into a suspense classic. Suspense? Try silly.
DVD Features: Commentary by director Mike Figgis, Deleted scenes including bonus alternate ending and more. (Touchstone Home Entertainment)
'Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over' (PG): Multitalented filmmaker Robert Rodriguez couldn't have picked a better title for the third and presumably last of his "Spy Kids" movies. That's because "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over" -- once a fun and novel idea -- has all but run its course.
That's not to say the movie isn't entertaining for its target audience. It's sure to delight kids with its smartly conceived video game storyline. But for parents and older audience members, "Game Over" has simply lost the sly, James Bond-like edge that made the first film so delightful for everybody.
The idea for "Spy Kids 3-D" harkens the 1980s sci-fi movie "Tron," where participants enter a virtual environment. That's where the "3-D" element of the title kicks into high gear. Like the theatrical version, viewers are given 3-D glasses (each DVD comes with four pairs and contact information to get more) and presumably get to experience a three-dimensional story. In this instance, former Spy Kid Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) must enter a video game environment to rescue his sister (Alexa Vega) from the villain who invented it.
The acting quality has diminished dramatically from the first two films, with the exception of Alan Cumming and Ricardo Montalban. Sylvester Stallone is pretty solid in his "Spy Kids" debut, but another new cast member, Salma Hayek, looks plain bored. The Spy Kids and their parents, Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino, basically dial in their performances.
With "Game Over," the gimmick worked best in the theater when you looked at 3-D objects on the screen; rare were the moments when things appear to pop out of the screen, thinking you can reach out and touch what's in front of you. But, Rodriguez smartly added more of the effects for the DVD release, so the 3-D environment is improved. The only downfall is the fumbling you have to do with your television settings to optimize the experience.
DVD Features: Bonus features include commentary by Rodriguez, several featurettes including a concert featuring Vega; games; a 10-minute film school course and more. Also included is a 2-D version of the film. (Miramax Home Entertainment)
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
