Seen on: August 14, 2009

The players: Director: Todd Graff, Writers: Todd Graff, Josh A. Cagan, Cast: Alyson Michalka, Gaelan Connell, Vanessa Hudgens, Lisa Kudrow

Facts of interest: None.

The plot: A high school outsider moves to a new town and school and assembles a band just in time for the Bandslam competition.

Our thoughts: An outsider with a passion for music heads to a new town and high school and puts together an awesome rock band just in time for a popular onstage competition. Oh, and while all this is going on, he also learns how to deal with his dark past, how to kiss a girl, and of course, how to fall in love. Did I mention he also writes letters to David Bowie?

Anyway, that’s the story of Will Burton (Gaelan Connell), the lead character in Todd Graff’s teen flick “Bandslam,” which also stars Alyson Michalka and Vanessa Hudgens. While I admit my description above sounds like a recipe for disaster, you’ll be surprised to know I didn’t entirely hate this movie. No, “Bandslam” is not as bad as I thought.

That said, Graff’s film is by no means a memorable experience either. I feel like we’ve seen this formula too many times already, and “Bandslam” really doesn’t add anything new to the genre or concept. It also runs for 111 minutes, which is clearly too long, and it includes several dragging moments that almost put me to sleep.

Those flaws put aside, there is a bunch of truth and authenticity to discover in some of these characters. The film is stuffed with cheesy scenes that could’ve ended differently, but occasionally, some of these folks actually share meaningful conversations that could indeed inspire some of the flick’s younger audiences.

Will acts a tad too awkward throughout the movie for my taste, but he learns a valuable lesson, and I guess that’s all that matters. Lisa Kudrow plays his concerned mother, and they both work together quite well. Hudgens plays a girl named Sa5m (don’t ask), and her character is an absolute freak. Her chemistry with Connell is decent, but not brilliant.

Essentially, “Bandslam” follows Will as he adapts to a new environment and finally gets a chance to unleash his musical talents and assemble a group of weird kids who have a lot of fun rocking the stage. The music in this film is standard Disney Channel material, but the rehearsal scenes and actual battle of the bands keep the plot moving forward at a decent enough pace.

This is quite a harmless film, so you can send your kids to see it. They won’t come home asking you for a tattoo or something. Who knows, they may even open up about something that’s been bothering them. That’s what happens to Will, and his transformation from lonely teen to mature young adult partly works on the screen.

Freaky quote: "I think you're trying too hard to be like Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers." – Gaelan Connell

The final word: “Bandslam” is not a film I will ever revisit, but it would be lying if I said I hated it. It’s a totally forgettable experience, sure, but it’s watchable. Vanessa Hudgens will probably help the flick draw an audience, but then again, I simply don’t understand why they have her play such a weirdo. Then again, I really couldn’t care less.

 Article by Franck Tabouring