As a big fan of classic rock music, it wasn't hard to like School of Rock, a comedy starring Jack Black as a loser musician who pretends to be a substitute teacher in a posh elementary school and ends up molding the kids into a backup band for his own assault on a local battle of the bands competition.

This is pretty much a vehicle for Jack Black, who plays loser Dewey Finn, a failed musician still sponging off his push-around mate Ned well into middle age. One day, after being issued with an ultimatum by Ned's aggressive girlfriend to pay the rent or get out, he answers the phone to a job offer for Ned in a posh private school. Dewey pretends to be Ned and takes the job to make a swift buck. He knows nothing about teaching and proceeds to waste time until one day overhearing the students in music class. Realising they have ability, he decides to ween them off classical music and educate them in the ways of rock.

Like those of his peers - Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller et al - Jack Black films are pretty hit and miss (the exception being Adam Sandler, whose films are always miss), but you can guarantee a few laughs somewhere along the way. There are some classic lines such as "Those that can't do, teach, and those that can't teach, teach gym", and some great scenes, such as Black educating the kids in various rock facial expressions. This film is definitely more hit than miss, however its easy for me to be bias because the soundtrack is all classic rock and the basic storyline is the fantasy of most thirty-somethings who play guitar - a guy gets up on stage and amazes all the people who thought he was a loser.

The supporting cast of kids actually do a pretty good job. Apparently chosen for their musical ability rather than acting, you wouldn't know it from their performances. It's a little bit clichéd - the ten year old guitar whizz, the chick on bass, the fat girl who can actually sing really well, the nerd on keyboards who turns into a pre-teen Rick Wakeman, the blatantly gay kid who wants to do costumes, and the mouthy girl who ends up as band manager, but this is a comedy, not some art house flick so a bit of stereotyping is to be expected. With the exception of Black, the kids pretty much steal the show, although Joan Cusack is funny as the straight-laced school principal who turns into Stevie Nicks when she gets drunk.

Overall, it's a pretty decent comedy to while away an evening. There's some fun, some good music, and the ending sequence in particular is pretty cool. Recommended, particularly if you are a Jack Black fan, a musician, or a fan of classic rock.

You can buy it or rent it, or if you don't mind the grainy quality, some kind soul has uploaded it to youtube, although I make no assumptions as to the legality of such actions.

Also on ciao.