 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Bandslam
- Review Date: August 13, 2009
- PG
- Genre: Comedy
- 2009
Common Sense Media says
Music-driven teen flick is feel-good fun for parents, too.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this music-filled high school flick stars tween favorites Vanessa Hudgens and Aly Michalka,so expect interest from kids familiar with their Disney projects.Although it's rated PG and doesn't have any drinking/smoking, violence, or strong language, the movie deals with a few mature themes-- like bullying, an absentee father, a chronically ill parent, and theongoing quest for high school status. Be prepared for a few kisses, too (although nothing gratuitous), and product placement from the likes of Apple/iPod and Coke.
What's the story?
Frequently bullied high schooler Will Burton (Gaelan Connell) moves from Cincinnati to New Jersey with his supportive single mom (Lisa Kudrow). Prepared to once again be invisible, Will meets his match in Sa5m (the "5" is silent), a bookish-but-beautiful misfit played by Vanessa Hudgens, on his first day of school. Life changes even more dramatically when popular senior Charlotte (Aly Michalka) mysteriously befriends him and enlists him to manage her fledgling band as they prepare to compete in BANDSLAM, a multi-state competition for high school musical acts. Will instantly goes from friendless to juggling his friendship with Sa5m, his commitment to the band and Charlotte, and his responsibilities to his mom.
Is it any good?
Director Todd Graff's last movie, Camp, was a delicious look at musical theater-buff teens, so it's not surprising that Bandslam (which is a good deal tamer than Camp) is such a charming little movie. Connell is perfectly cast as an adorable music geek -- and the fact he's not Zac Efron is part of the charm (Hudgens, after all, isn't playing Gabriela here). The movie makes you believe that young women as beautiful as Hudgens and Michalka would find Will attractive.
For parents who dig rock -- from classic to punk to indie -- Bandslam offers an amazing soundtrack, although not all the songs in the movie made it onto the official playlist. There's a recurring David Bowie joke that frames the story (Will writes him confessional emails), and in every scene at least half a dozen bands are discussed or played -- too many to count. The music (and Will's love for it) is what fuels the film, and whether it's Bowie or CBGB punk or the high school band Will pretentiously names I Can't Go On, I Go On, it all rocks.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about the bullying and social jockeying that occurs in high school. Does this movie offer an honest, accurate depiction of that? Kids: How do you deal with bullying and cliques?
Dealing with the absence and/or loss of a parent is a heavy issue. How does the movie depict these themes?
Whatmusical genres are mentioned in the movie? Kids: One of the main characters mentions how punk influencedlater generations of musicians. Who influenced your favorite musicians?
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- Teens & kids
Kid, 12 years old
August 3, 2010
AGE
Not for under 7s
This is great film for those of you who enjoyed high school musical. Although there may be a very small amount of language unsutible for younger children or parts of the storyline that may be too much for again younger children it shoes good messages.
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Parent of 10 year old
June 3, 2010
AGE
Good movie
Loved it! Very cute and liked the fact that there was no language, drugs or sexual humor. Some of the acting was off, but Hudgens' was right on.
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Teen, 13 years old
August 10, 2009
AGE
Good film for a teen's family. Not for most kids.
I've seen many reviews, clips, and talk shows about the film. It seems like a good comedy, although one child-beloved actress plays a hooker in which she admitted on "Today". The main character's mother is a pressemist who believes his son is the "dark-horse" of his family. In commercials and trailers many ads can be seen.
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Kid, 12 years old
June 11, 2010
AGE
shoot
LOL ha ha ha ha ha this is a stinking funny movie but there is some sexual activity
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Parent of 11 year old
May 2, 2010
AGE
This movie rocked!
I loved this movie
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Parent of 7 and 10 year old
October 22, 2009
AGE
Does music mean a lot to you?
I took my seven-year-old, and she enjoyed it, although much of the subtleties went over her and her ten-year-old sister's head. I actually recommend this movie for adults who were alternative music fans during the disco era. I was too young to go to CBGB, just like the protagonist of this movie, who probably wasn't born yet in the heyday of punk. Pleasant nostalgia for any alternative music fan who just doesn't fit in with their day's popular music. It really captures the inner life of a alt music fan, in a sweet and almost-G-rated way. I liked it a lot.
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Teen, 14 years old
May 8, 2010
AGE
Funny, touching, and well-acted, Bandslam is a pleasent indie-like suprise that even older viewers will enjoy
I'm not sure why, but indie movies seem to be slowly rising up in the media nowadays. Indie music, too. Bandslam, the newest dish from Summit Entertainment and Walden Media, proves that undoubtedly. It focuses on a high school misfit named Will (played very well by newcomer Gaelan Connell), a fan of everything independent, who is clearly at a low-point in his life. He has to deal with making new friends at a new school, a dog-obsessed mother, and teasing from his peers. Everything changes when he meets Sa5m (the 5 is silent) and Charlotte. The trio quickly get along despite threre differences. After Will settles in, he decides to manage Charlotte's failing band for a huge school concert called Bandslam. The story is fresh and new, and the acting is first-rate. It is pleasantly suprising to have a kids movie that doesn't resort to low-brow potty humor and fart jokes. Bandslam generates laughs from goofy characters and a funny script. The movie also expertly mixes drama in, making for a movie that older viewers wil enjoy as well. It's an insightful, thoughtful, moving, and intellegent flick that deserves more recognition than comparable titles such as Napoleon Dynamite. If there is anything to hold it back from 5 stars, it's that there are some uneeded sub-plots, and an overuse of David Bowie's music. Content issues are only noticable in the sexual humor section, but it's all pretty mild. Anyone over 10 should be OK.
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Kid, 12 years old
April 9, 2010
AGE
Good music, good time.
Overall this was a cute movie. The music was very good, and the storyline was cute and not as cliche as most movies these days. It is enjoyable for the disney lovers and even adults.
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Parent of 10 and 12 year old
August 13, 2010
AGE
Surprisingly good, nothing inappropriate!
This movie was a wonderful surprise. We rented it thinking it would be a predictable, slightly cheesy (yet enjoyable) High School Musical or Camp Rock type of movie. It was MUCH better! Some really unexpected plot twists, good acting, and a good overall message. The best part was that there was absolutely nothing "inappropriate" - no bad language, no sexual stuff, not even any type of "too skimpy" clothing. Our almost-13-year-old and her friend really enjoyed it, as did my husband and I. Definitely considering purchasing this movie to be able to watch it again. So good to see that a really good movie can be made without all the swearing and sexual stuff that is so common these days!
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| Topics: | high school, music and sing-along |
| Studio: | Summit Entertainment |
| Director: | Todd Graff |
| Cast: | Alyson Michalka, Gaelan Connell, Vanessa Hudgens |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 111 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | August 14, 2009 |
| DVD release date: | March 16, 2010 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | some thematic elements and mild language |
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