Recently, Championship Records closed and longtime employee and consummate smart ass Barry (the character Jack Black played in High Fidelity) has found himself out of work. He still worships everything rock n' roll and even fronts a high energy rock band, but aside from this, a daytime job is out of the question.

Of course I just made that premise up as this new comedy is in no shape or form a sequel to the terrific High Fidelity, but it easily could have been, for Jack Black's character Dewey Finn in School of Rock bears a surprising resemblance to the scene stealing Barry. Dewey isn't quite as abrasive, but does come across every bit as obsessive about his life's passion Rock and
Roll.

School of Rock has an extremely obvious set up, as Dewey poses as someone he's not, in order to earn a little cash. In this case, he masquerades as a substitute teacher at a prestigious elementary school, and soon bonds with his young students. Their connection strengthens even further when Dewey discovers that some of these kids are expert musicians. Before long, Mr. Finn and his class are preparing for a Battle of the Bands competition.

Obviously, there are situations in this picture that are incredibly unrealistic. I didn't buy the idea of Dewey fooling the staff of the elementary school into believing that he was actually a substitute teacher, nor did I fall for the idea that Dewey was able to teach music for entire days without anyone finding out about it until nearly the end of the movie. Still, I didn't really care, because the film is an absolute kick.

Obviously the kicks come fast and furious courtesy of Jack Black. He is a veritable comic force of nature and finds endless, creative ways to make us laugh and I was pretty much won over by him every step of the way. He's sarcastic, he's hilarious, he's energetic, and he's incredibly endearing, and it's extremely hard to watch this movie and not get a great big smile on your face. This in spite of the fact there really isn't much of plot to speak of and even if there are portions of this flick that sort of make it feel like a comical version of Music of the Heart.

The kids in this picture are also quite talented, and many of them do actually play their own instruments making School of Rock feel all the more important. Also lending a terrific performance to the proceedings is the always
dependable Joan Cusack who plays a tightly wound school principal just waiting for a chance to let her hair down.

Director Richard Linklater has directed some really good movies. He gave us the hilarious Dazed and Confused, the intimate Before Sunrise, the provocative Tape, and the wildly innovative and dreamlike Waking Life. School of Rock marks his first real attempt at a commercial comedy and while there is nothing particularly riveting about his direction style here, he deserves high marks for letting Jack Black go off. Much of the movie feels improvised, and this is why most of School of Rock works.

Mike White's screenplay has many bright spots, and it is clear that White and Linklater have a grand passion for music, for this film is peppered with numerous references to the world of rock n' roll. And while I wouldn't put this picture in the same league as Stephen Frear's High Fidelity and Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous, I still enjoyed School of Rock for what it is. A sweet, high energy comedy with a real sense of rock n' roll, and a passionate understanding as to why music programs are so vital to the curriculum of school systems.

Of course, in the end, School of Rock is really about Jack Black, and this movie certainly showcases his ability to strut his stuff. With any luck, this will be the breakout performance that allows this incredibly funny guy to unleash his comic genius to insure that our world is adequately rocked.