School of Rock: Steelbook Edition

[Michael Scott]

School of Rock: Steelbook Edition



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:



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Movie
2003’s School of Rock was a film that I honestly thought had no chance of being as successful as it was. Every trailer I saw as a 21 year old made me believe that it was simply going to be another Jack Black slapstick fest, and was weirdly directed by none other than Richard Linklater. You know, the guy who did Dazed and Confused, The Newton Boys, Slacker, and SubUrbia, none of which seemed a fit for a Jack Black film. I mean, I liked Jack Black for his comedic timing, but this seemed like Orson Welles trying to direct Richard Pryor in a heartfelt comedy for the masses. It just didn’t make sense. However, I had to eat some serious crow when I saw the film some 9 years later (when the original Blu-ray came out) and was shocked to find that School of Rock is pure Jack Black, yet somehow managed to be poignant, sweet, and a heartfelt story of what makes music really music, while dashing preconceived notions of just who can enjoy Rock and Roll.

Like usual, Paramount has recycled the same 2012 Blu-ray disc that we’ve had for over a decade, and put it into a really snazzy Steelbook case. No remaster, no additional features, simply the same disc in collective packaging. It’s not really a horrible thing as the original disc was quite nice, but those who were hoping for a new master or a 4K UHD may be slightly disappointed.

Dewey Finn (Jack Black) is a washed up garage band guitarist whose life is pretty much falling apart. His band mates kick him out for grandstanding on the guitar, and his roommate Ned Schneebly (writer Mike White) wants him out by the end of the week unless he can pay the over due rent. Not sure what he’s going to do, Dewey tries to sell a few of his guitars to make some quick cash, but ultimately comes across an ingenious plan. Impersonate Ned who runs around as a substitute teacher for a snobby prep school who is paying $650 a week to teach 10 year olds. Thinking this is just going to be a walk in the park, Dewey pretends to be his roommate to get the several week teaching kid and settles down for an easy assignment.

Thinking he’s just going to give the kids a 3 week vacation, the hungover wannabe rock star soon finds out that these kids may be his ticket to success. They’re all musically talented in the school’s classical program, and a lightbulb goes off in the imposter’s head. Use the kids to form a brand new band and compete in the upcoming “Battle of the Bands” in order to win and show his old band mates up! Easy, right? Well, Dewey and the kids soon find that Rockin and Rolling is a bit more complicated, and as the weeks go by, Dewey’s passion for rock and roll burns so bright that even his absolute lack of knowledge as a school teacher is nothing to his desire to teach the next generation how to really rock.

School of Rock is pure Jack Black. The comedic actor is on full slapstick display here, headbanging all over the school and basically just acting like...well...Jack Black. But despite that goofiness, Jack’s own love of music (being that he does have his own band) shines through as does Linklater’s delicate focusing and directing Black’s zaniness to what becomes a surprisingly sweet and enjoyable finale. Again, this is a movie that from the trailer and on paper, seems destined to fail. Yet somehow Linklater and Black pull off the unthinkable. Make a kid’s rock film that can appeal to adults, and yet still be a fantastic kid’s movie as well.

Jack Black is Jack Black, that’s all that needs to be said here. But the support characters really flesh out this little comedy. Joan Cusack is perfect as the uptight principal for Horace Green Elementary (the name even reeks $15,000 a year snobbishness) and the kids all do a fantastic job showcasing the different flavors and facets of what being a rocker is all about. Plus, it was amusing to see Miranda Cosgrove as a snot nosed little tyrant before she became famous for her show ICarly.

The film is NOT super inventive in reality. Linklater designs a very straight forward and linear plot, but what really carries the toe tapping film is the raw energy and enthusiasm of everyone involved. Ignore the crazy hijinks, or the complete unrealistic idea that kid’s are going to play in a battle of the bands without their parents permissions, OR the fact that Dewey could get away with it. This is a bunch of people rocking out to classic 70s and 80s music and really ENJOYING music in all of it’s glory. Simply put, this is a fun movie that doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is. A love letter to rock and roll.




Rating:

Rated PG-13 for some rude humor and drug references




Video:

Since this is the exact same Blu-ray disc from 2012, just repackaged, my thoughts are going to stay the same. This a very nice looking 1080p transfer that captures tons of detail and retains a very filmic look. The colors are not exactly full on Moulin Rouge level, but they still are well saturated with a very natural look to them. Black levels are deep and inky and I didn’t notice too many aritfacts. The wood grain of the Gibson guitars really pop off the screen, as does the lazer light show for the final scene, but overall this is just a NICE looking disc. I did notice what seemed like jaggies on the stairway when Joan Cusack goes out to the hallway to put her head in the corner, but past that, this is simply a nice and sharp looking transfer from the early 2000s.









Audio:

School of Rock comes to Blu-ray with a very standard, and sometimes very immersive, 5.1 DTS-HD MA track that is capable, but doesn’t always shock and awe the audience. The film is a straight forward comedy 50% of the time, with the typical front heavy aspects that deal mainly with dialog and a few ambient surround bits (such as sneakers squeaking down a school hallway). However, the other 50% of the time is full on rock numbers with the kids practicing and singing classic rock and roll, and this is where the track really lifts off the ground. Music flows through all 6 channels with great aplomb, and the bass (while not super aggressive) really pops off when they’re participating in the battle of the bands. This is a good “jack of all trades” track that does everything above average, and still holds up well today.












Extras:

• Audio Commentary by actor Jack Black and director Richard Linklater
• Kids' Kommentary
• Lessons Learned on School of Rock
• Jack Black's Pitch to Led Zeppelin
• School of Rock Music Video
• Kids' Video Diary: Toronto Film Festival
• MTV's Diary of Jack Black
• Dewey Finn's History of Rock
• Theatrical Trailer

Final Score: ​

20 years later School of Rock is still a fun kids movie that seems to span age groups. I had as much of a blast with the film today as I did 11 years ago when I introduced myself to the film (a bit late sadly). It’s all about the love and passion of music, and Jack Black manages to carry the entire film to the finish line with his raw enthusiasm. The Blu-ray is simply Paramount’s 2012 disc repackaged up in a new steelbook case, but said Steelbook case is quite nice. So to put it succinctly, if you already own the disc you’d be hard pressed to upgrade, but if you don’t own it, it’s probably the nicest version of the film out there. Especially if you like collectible package. Fun watch.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Jack Black, Mike White, Joan Cusack, Sarah Silverman, Miranda Cosgrove, Robert Tsai, Kevin Alexander Clark
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Written by: Mike White
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, French, Spanish, Portuguese DD 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 119 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: September 26th, 2023

Recommendation: Fun Watch