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School of Rock comes back to cinemas for its 20th anniversary, and while I do recall seeing this once before, it was mid-afternoon at the weekend, and as I watched this big-screen release, I think I’d only half-watched that on the telly, since I couldn’t remember half of what I saw.
Dewey (Jack Black – Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle) is a drunk who gets kicked out of his own band, just as they’re up for Battle of the Bands. His flatmate, Ned (Mike White – writer of The Good Girl), challenges him to his own job, that he couldn’t even be a supply teacher for the day, but – because reasons – this leads to Dewey getting the next supply teacher job that should’ve been Ned’s, and even worse, he fakes his way in as if he IS Ned! That won’t go down well with Ned’s stuck-up other half, played by Sarah Silverman, who if she cracked a smile would break her face.
However, after greeting his class, and not getting far with the planned curriculum, he spots them having their music class, so starts an after-school band, and classes it as their new school project, rather than teaching proper subjects.
School of Rock shows that Jack Black is absolutely on fire with this role, with great support from Joan Cusack (Sixteen Candles) as a nerdy headmistress who needs bringing out of her shell, and overall, the film actually teaches us a good life lesson: Who do you want to be? Along with breaking out from what others perceive you to be. It also has loads of great music, and it’s only a couple of slow bits which stop it from getting top marks.
Since this was back in cinemas I was hoping School of Rock was on for a 4K release, but while there’s a Steelbook coming out, it’s Blu-ray only! What a shame.
Additionally, the film was originally classified PG, but is now reclassified as a 12-cert for rude gestures and other mild language and innuendo. There’s nothing added into it, and it’s fine for any age to watch, really.
School of Rock has had a limited cinema release, and is available to pre-order on 20th Anniversary Blu-ray Steelbook, ahead of its release on September 25th.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 109 minutes
Release date: September 8th 2023 (20th Anniversary)
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (35mm)
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 9.5/10
Director: Richard Linklater
Producer: Scott Rudin
Screenplay: Mike White
Music: Craig Wedren
Cast:
Dewey Finn: Jack Black
Ned Schneebly: Mike White
Rosalie Mullins: Joan Cusack
Theo: Adam Pascal
Neil: Lucas Papaelias
Doug: Chris Stack
Patty Di Marco: Sarah Silverman
Spider: Lucas Babin
Michelle: Jordan-Claire Green
Eleni: Veronica Afflerbach
Summer Hathaway: Miranda Cosgrove
Zack: Joey Gaydos Jr
Lawrence: Robert Tsai
Frankie: Angelo Massagli
Freddy Jones: Kevin Clark
Tomika: Maryam Hassan
Marta: Caitlin Hale
Leonard: Cole Hawkins
Billy: Brian Falduto
Marco: James Hosey
Alicia: Aleisha Allen
Gordon: Zachary Infante
Katie: Rivkah Reyes
Emily: Jaclyn Neidenthal
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.