Bandslam [2009] Alyson Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens DVD

Bandslam is a movie I desperately wanted to see but to be honest I didn't have much expectations for it. I expected it to be a cliché-driven movie, however I was wrong.

The story is simple and easy to follow, Will is a social misfit with a passion for music who is being bullied in school. A move to a new school and a new town opens up a world of opportunities for him as he takes on the management of a band preparing to enter the prestigous Bandslam Competition, falls in love and even befriends the popular kids.

So what makes this movie special? Firstly the fact that the script is genuinely funny and clever, (to entertain both children, teenagers and adults) the dialogue is realistic, the characters are real and best of all, the usual American clichés of the "geeky" kid and the popular cheerleader are not exploited, making this a somewhat refreshing portrayal of American teenagers. The music is also very catchy and the soundtrack will probably be a big hit.

The acting from the young stars is very good. It was great to see Vanessa Hudgens in a movie outside High School Musical, while former Friends star Lisa Kudrow in many ways seems almost overshadowed by the younger stars.

To conclude I would recommend people of all ages go see this movie. It's fun, cheerful, a perfect movie to end the summer and get kids in the mood for the return to school.

As someone mentioned above, bad promotion (by summit entertainment) destroyed this movie. Instead of marketing it as a clever, funny, charming flick, they marketed it as the next 'high school musical' (for obvious reasons). Instead of showing Vanessa's quirky, deadpan character Sa5m (the five is silent) they plastered pictures of her grinning broadly on the poster.
The movie is a real gem, and should be seen by everyone. The standout star is clearly Hudgens (her portrayal of the 'emo' sa5m is a departure from the very vanilla Gabriella Montez from hsm). Granted, she's a supporting charatcer, but you will remember every single scene she is in. Newcomer Gaelan Connell breathes life into the movie and Michalka is brilliant as the headstrong Charlotte. This movie's closer to 'The Breakfast Club' than 'High School Musical' and deserves to be seen by everybody.
For all you cynics out there, give the movie a chance and dont dismiss it simply because of Vanessa (who, I have to add once again, was truly amazing). You will be pleasantly suprised!

If ever a movie was an example of what happens when a company has no idea how to market it it, Bandslam is it. The film garnered almost universal praise by critics, including being listed as a Critics Choice selection at the Critics Choice official site, and being listed as one of the top ten summer movies by Rotten Tomatoes yet, for some bizarre reason, Summit decided that the best way to market it was not as a quirky, clever, funny indie movie (or "an awkward, earnest, almost irresistible indie" as Variety put it) but instead a High School Musical Lite. The reason for this is obviously simple - Vanessa Hudgens (who is excellent as the darkly funny Sa5m, who yet again gathered praise for her performance) was obviously in the HSM series so they decided as opposed to doing their own marketing they would instead try and tack onto that fanbase, which is fine in theory if it hadn't been that humour and issues would bypass a large percentage of the demographic that the HSM series is predominantly aimed at. The leading man is not Zac Efron, the storyline is not about who wins the game - it's about bullying and acceptance, and bereavement and accepting that some things you can't change and some things you can and finally becoming comfortable in your own skin. When the film is funny, it is very funny (see Lisa Kudrow pretending to be a groupie or Will and Sa5m's first kiss), when it is sad it is tragic (Aly Michalka and Gaelan Connell both hit it out the park in a certain scene) and you find yourself cheering on the underdogs. This is a film with no stereotypes - the villain of the piece is no villain, simply a guy who misses his girlfriend and who feels threatened by the new guy, the hero is a typical teenage boy who does stupid things like make up stories about his dad, and writes emails to David Bowie or stands up a girl at a movie theatre so he can go see a concert. The whole concept is about being more than you seem and sadly, if it had been pushed right, it would have been a much bigger hit. When you have articles written about the botched up job that Summit did marketing the film, with everyone from Variety to the New York Times giving it praise, you really shouldn't have any doubt that it's worth watching.

It's a film that will leave you smiling and as one reviewer said - 'a surprising thing happens on your way to hating Bandslam, you kind of can't.' Do not be fooled by the marketing - if you give it a chance you will not be disappointed.